Lets Get First Aid Lessons Compulsory In Schools!

[aimeepye]

Hi All!

I am currently running a campaign to Make First Aid Lessons Compulsory In Schools.

Each year 140,000 people die in situations where immediate first aid treatment would have saved them!

To help children in the UK become life-savers please sign the petition here at the link below:

epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/51756

Thank you,

Aimee Pye

[penguin73]

I'm interested in how you see this being implemented - at what age would you like this to begin, who would be responsible for delivering it and how would currency be maintained? Whilst I like the idea in principle I know many adults with first aid training who are under confident about using their skills and cope badly with the pressure of expectation and I wonder if the impact of putting this pressure of expectation on younger people has been considered?

[prh47bridge]

I learnt First Aid in my teens but eventually allowed my qualification to lapse as I simply didn't have the time to attend a full course every 3 years. I have some sympathy with your objective but the school curriculum is already crowded. What would you take out to make way for this?

[TheGreatHunt]

It wouldn't take long - what is it? A two day course every three years?

I will sign.

I did first aid at primary and secondary school. They lapsed but I still remember the basics, even now over 15 years later.

[DrNick]

you need to put petitions on the right palce

plus WHEN do schools have times to do this stuff?

[DrNick]

and who will pay?!

[TheGreatHunt]

I'm sure there's some flexibility in the curriculum. The world doesn't end if a child is ill, things change etc.

It could even be added to the curriculum as part of science without a child having to a full first aid course. Eg they learn the basics in an afternoon - resuscitation, choking etc. not enough to become accredited but enough to know what to do.

People just need to use their brains a bit and think outside the box to find a way of making it work.

[DrNick]

yup- no pressure on teachers at ALL time wise

[TheGreatHunt]

What so we should just stay as we are then? Think of the bigger picture not just of teachers. Things can be shifted and moved around and even dropped. For the sake of a few hours every few years

[notallthere]

This could easily be incorporated into the PSHCE curriculum. Alternatively, it could also be part of the PE, science or design technology (food tech or resistant materials) curriculum.

Just one lesson out of each of these subjects e.g. science covers burns, cuts, electrocution; PE covers sports injures, sprains, fractures; food tech covers burns, cuts, choking etc and pupils would have a decent basic knowledge of first aid with minimal impact on curriculum time.

[schoolnurse]

I sitting on the fence about the value of teaching a one off first aid course. We do mandatory basic life support yearly and it's constantly changing so as said above it would require updating at least every couple of years and there us a use it or loose it issue. Much more useful IMO is that every 6th former (and in fact every employee, all NHS employees have to do it) should attend the child protection level 1 course it's 1/2 a day updated I think every two years. We need to raise awareness of child abuse if we stand any chance of preventing any more deaths due to the ignorance/I don't want to get involved attitude of Joe Public.