Prepared or Unprepared? : A Qualitative Analysis of Disaster Preparedness in Two Swedish Upper Secondary Schools

The objective of this study is to explore the extent to which Swedish upper-secondary schools are prepared for potential disasters and to compare the preparedness levels between different groups within the school sector. Previous research on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) has not examined differences in preparedness levels across groups nor included the student perspective. At the same time, guidelines from Public Authorities and previous research strongly encourage that all actors, including students, are involved and well-informed regarding preparedness. To evaluate the preparedness, this study develops a theoretical framework termed the all-of-school preparedness framework, comprising three dimensions: knowledge, planning, and practical safety measures. The study employs a qualitative research design and uses thematic analysis, with qualitative interviews as the method. The study concludes that neither school is thoroughly prepared for a pandemic. Furthermore, the public school is more prepared for school attacks than the independent school. At the independent school, the variation in preparedness among actors is greatest, especially regarding school attacks. The gap lies in the exclusion of students from training for school attacks. The findings in this study do not suggest that school type is a determinant of the differences; rather, it is the principal who holds decision-making power that affects decisions such as student and staff inclusion. The findings call for greater equality in preparedness between Swedish schools, as the worst cases of inequality can have a significant impact on people's lives.