Primary schools in Scotland are being encouraged to teach first aid through a free national training scheme.
The online initiative, from the St Andrew’s First Aid charity, was proposed in 2018 after research showed that children as young as 5 could play a life-saving role.
A pilot scheme with Stirling Council was launched in 2021, which trained 56 teachers from 31 of the 40 primary schools in the local authority to introduce first-aid skills to pupils from P1 to P7.
Teaching first aid in primary school
Education secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “Learning and teaching in school is about equipping young people with knowledge, understanding and skills to prepare them for life beyond school.
“No one expects to have to deal with a medical emergency, but first-aid skills can be crucial in supporting the response to one. This initiative from St Andrew’s First Aid will help equip primary pupils with potentially life-saving skills, benefiting them and our wider society.”
Jim Dorman, director of operations and community engagement at St Andrew’s First Aid, said: “There is considerable amounts of evidence, including our own, which demonstrates that young children can play an active and valuable role in helping to save a life.
“This project is about giving teachers the confidence and resources to introduce first aid into their classrooms, helping to ensure children across Scotland gain the knowledge and skills they need to act in an emergency.”
The first-aid teaching materials .
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