Sister School for Merapi Volcano Disaster Risk Reduction

Living close to the dangers of volcanoes has become a descending culture in Indonesia, especially for people living around Merapi Volcano. The sister school program is implemented as one of the strategies to reduce the risk of volcanic disasters in the region. The purpose of this study was to examine the perception of the school community towards the sister school program at Merapi (The Case Study of Glagaharjo Elementary School and Bronggang Elementary School, Sleman Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia). This research is quantitative-qualitative research. Data collection was carried out through in-depth interviews with the school principals in affected schools and supporting schools. In addition, interviews were conducted to all teachers and sufficient representatives of students in both schools. The results showed that principals and teachers in the affected schools and buffer schools agreed with the organization of the sister school, but still needed some improvements in the implementation. Furthermore, 91 of students in schools were affected and 90 of students at the buffer school also agreed with the sister school program.