PR News

Bangkok — On August 14, 2025, the Prudence Foundation, in partnership with Plan International, today marked the successful conclusion of the Comprehensive School Safety (CSS) Project with the official handover of the CSS Learning Platform (www.thaicssplatform) to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), educational agencies ESAOs/PESAOs, and Thailand’s Safe School Network. This milestone underscores a shared commitment to sustainable disaster preparedness and integrated learning across Thai schools. The CSS initiative equips educators, students, and communities with tools to mitigate risks and respond effectively to emergencies, fostering long-term resilience.

In a significant step toward sustainable disaster preparedness for schools nationwide, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), education sector agencies ESAOs/PESAOs , and the Safe Schools Network of Thailand  today formally received the handover of learning materials and Data and System Access of the Comprehensive School Safety Platform (www.thaicssplatform) from Plan International Thailand. The handover event will take place at Meeting Room 1, DDPM Building 3, 5th Floor, with Ms. Chatchadaporn Boonpeeranat, Deputy Director-General of DDPM, presiding over the opening ceremony and delivering congratulatory remarks on the project's completion.

It serves as a key system for collecting and managing safety data in educational institutions, covering personnel information, disaster risk data, school safety curricula, disaster management plans, as well as reporting and monitoring systems. Education service area offices oversee the performance evaluation of schools and provide statistical data visualization of all participating schools.

The handover event aimed to:

1. Deliver the learning materials and CSS Platform to DDPM and relevant network partners.
2. Officially close the project with thanks to all partners involved over more than 10 years.

The data and platform will support ongoing school safety efforts at both local and policy levels, serving as a critical mechanism to build a strong and sustainable safety system in Thai schools. After the project ends, key government stakeholders will remain committed to ensuring adoption of the platform for school disaster management plans in all schools across Northern Thailand. DDPM will leverage the database for spatial planning, preventive operations, and policy development, while ESAOs/PESAOs—acting as main coordinators—will monitoring platform usage, support schools, and strengthen networks in their areas, ensuring the initiative’s sustained and systematic impact.

Nicole Ngeow, Executive Director, Prudence Foundation, stated:

“Since 2013, Prudence Foundation has been proud to stand alongside our partners in advancing the Safe Schools initiative in Thailand. This milestone handover marks not only the successful culmination of our shared efforts, but also a new chapter in safeguarding the education and wellbeing of children across the country.”

Ms. Sujintana Hemtasilpa, Project Director and Thailand Representative of Plan International, added:

“We sincerely hope that the developments under this project will benefit all children and youth in coping with climate change and disaster management, enabling them to grow up in safe environments with opportunities to fully develop their potential. Additionally, this supports government agencies and local networks to plan spatially, reduce disaster risks in schools, and effectively develop long-term national policies.”

Ms. Chatchadaporn Boonpeeranat, Deputy Director-General of DDPM, concluded:

“This project is a significant collaboration in fostering a culture of safety in schools, serving as a crucial starting point to instil safety awareness in children and youth from an early age so they can grow in safe environments with skills to handle risks and disasters effectively in the future.

The handover of project data and knowledge to relevant agencies today marks an important step aligned with DDPM’s mission to enhance the country’s disaster management system comprehensively—before, during, and after disasters.

DDPM remains committed to advancing disaster management standards to an international level, especially towards becoming a digital organization capable of linking data and innovations to support fast and accurate strategic decision-making. We also promote participation and cooperation among network partners at all levels, both domestic and international, to jointly improve safety and security for the Thai people sustainably.”

CONTACT:
For more information, please contact:
Benjaphorn In-ngam, Project Manager
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: +66 80 596 9535

About the Comprehensive School Safety Platform (CSS Platform)

The CSS Platform is a digital system developed as a comprehensive information and knowledge hub on school safety. It provides practical guidance for disaster preparedness and response at all stages—before, during, and after events—to enable schools to manage effectively and ensure safety for students, teachers, and staff. (https://www.thaicssplatform.com/)

Based on the “Safe Schools” concept under the international Comprehensive School Safety Framework, the platform collects and manages safety data, including personnel, risk assessments of natural and human-made hazards, online curricula on disaster management and safety culture, school disaster management plans with tools for planning, teaching, and evacuation drills, as well as reporting and monitoring systems. Education service area offices are responsible for evaluating school performance. Key components include:

• General school data for managing personnel and school structure
• Disaster risk assessment data highlighting major hazards affecting schools
• Online learning courses on disaster management and safety culture
• School disaster management plans with planning and drill tools
• Reporting and monitoring systems for basic standard indicators
• Statistical dashboards for spatial analysis and policy development by DDPM and the Office of the Basic Education Commission

The CSS Platform enables schools, teachers, and education agencies to access knowledge and tools anytime and anywhere, enhancing knowledge, skills, and participation among teachers, students, and communities. It links data for prevention and risk reduction planning at local and national levels. The platform also complies with the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) B.E. 2562 to ensure data security, transparency, and ethical use.

About the Comprehensive School Safety Project (Safe Schools)

The Safe Schools project, supported by Prudence Foundation through Plan International Hong Kong, has been implemented in Thailand since 2013. It is a member of the Safe Schools Network of Thailand and the ASEAN Safe School Initiative, a collaboration among government agencies, NGOs, and international organizations to build school capacities to reduce risks from disasters and threats in line with the Comprehensive School Safety Framework 2022–2030 and the Sendai Framework 2015–2030.

Over 12 years, the project started with 5 pilot schools in Chiang Rai affected by earthquakes and expanded to 50 model schools in Chiang Rai province. In 2022, Plan International Thailand partnered with the Centre for Educational Technology Development, Chiang Rai Rajabhat University, to develop the CSS Platform as a digital hub to support school safety efforts.

Currently, the project operates in 12 pilot provinces: Chiang Rai, Phayao, Phrae, Nan, Chiang Mai, Lampang, Lamphun, Mae Hong Son, Phichit, Nakhon Sawan, Kamphaeng Phet, and Tak. The CSS Platform has collected data from over 4,000 schools across 32 education service areas.

The project will conclude in August 2025. Plan International aims to hand over the database and platform to relevant government agencies for use in planning prevention, risk reduction, and disaster preparedness tailored to each area’s context.

About Plan International Thailand

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. For over 85 years, we have rallied other determined optimists to transform the lives of all children in more than 80 countries. In Thailand, we have been active since 1981. Operating in Bangkok Metropolitan Area, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Khon Kaen, Phang Nga, Phuket, Ratchaburi, and Samut Sakhon. Our programmes center on four key areas: youth economic empowerment, promoting vocational and entrepreneurial opportunities; health promotion, sexual and reproductive health and rights, disaster and climate resilience, and child protection including safe digital space for girls, stateless and legal status, and migrant rights.
We won’t stop until we are all equal.

About Prudence Foundation

Resilient Communities, Today and Tomorrow.

Established in 2011 in Hong Kong, Prudence Foundation is the community investment and philanthropic arm of Prudential plc.

The Foundation builds financial wellbeing, and climate and health resilience for underserved Asian and African communities. We are committed to sustainable, long-term solutions that empower individuals and communities to make informed financial decisions, access affordable financial products, as well as be more prepared and protected against climate related health risks. We actively engage in public-private partnerships, collaborate with governments, NGOs, communities and other private sector entities to build collective efforts for lasting change. To date, our programmes are implemented across 16 markets in Asia and Africa, reaching millions of people.

For more information: https://www.prudencefoundation.com