First aid isn’t taught in schools but it should be

11 Feb 2016 Posted by: A KalliKids Champion

Stacey from Daisy First Aid Guildford & Redhill talks about why we should be teaching first aid in schools…

At the end of 2015, the government assessed whether or not children in the UK should be taught first aid as part of their school education and decided against it.

Also at the end of 2015, a 3 year old toddler, Emma Bazzard, was given an bravery award for calling 999 and saving not only her mum’s life but also her unborn sibling after her mum fell down the stairs and knocked herself out.

This month, 14 year old Air Cadet, Piper Meredith, saved her granddad’s life after he severed an artery in an accident at home. She was able to do this having completed a first aid training course with her Cadet squadron. Doctor’s said that he would not have survived if they had waited for an ambulance to arrive.

In 2014, a survey by the British Red Cross revealed that over 40% of accidents happen at home.

In Norway, survival rates are much higher in these circumstances as 95% of their population are first aid trained - including children being taught in schools, compared to just 5% of people in the UK overall.

That survey by the British Red Cross also revealed that 90% of children aged 11 - 16 years old had been confronted with a medical emergency of some kind.

You may not know this but without CPR, after around 4 mins of not breathing, our bodies begin to shut down the cells that it is unable to supply with blood which causes long term damage - compare that to an average ambulance waiting time of 10 mins+ and it is easy to understand why more first aiders would help survival rates.

Our children are amazing and they are the future. Why would we not arm them with lifesaving skills? Not only could they help us one day, they could help others and know what to do if faced with a time-critical emergency.

Children are very receptive to training. I have trained many children myself, the youngest so far being 10 years old, but it is also possible to teach primary children basic skills. In my own experience, children ask the best questions to gain a better understanding and really enjoy practicing the techniques. Children are also more likely to share the skills with others and talk about what they have learned.

Next time you see a petition about teaching kids first aid in school, just think about the positive implications it could have on your community in years to come.

About Stacey

Stacey is a mum, a KalliKids Champion for Surrey and a qualified first aider, who runs KalliKids accredited Daisy First Aid Guildford & Redhill.

Daisy First Aid run 2 hour first aid classes in parent’s homes which focus on babies and children to give parents, grandparents and carers the skills and confidence to act fast in an accident or emergency situation. If you would like more information, visit www.daisyfirstaid.com or take a look at their KalliKids profile here to see what parents have to say.


This entry was posted in Learning and Education, Kids health and food and tagged Training, Health .

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