Scotland can provide high quality first aid learning

Since the launch of The Courier’s First Aid Kids campaign, I have read some powerful testimonies from parents and families about the lifesaving impact of first aid.

I was especially struck by the story of four-yearold Cameron Gilmour who would not be here today without the heroic intervention of first aider Sam Hampton.

There have also been a number of other inspiring stories and I thank all of those people for sharing their experiences.

The Courier’s campaign for children and young people to be taught essential and valuable lifesaving skills in school highlights an important issue.

I have met with St Andrew’s First Aid and the British Red Cross and know how valuable it is to give our young people the skills to help save lives, now or in the future.

I am determined to make progress on this issue and that’s why I have asked my officials to develop a strategy, in partnership with St Andrew’s First Aid, on how we can make the principles of The Courier’s campaign a reality.

We need to do this in a way that empowers our teachers to deliver relevant and engaging learning that meets the needs of the young people in their class.

We also need to ensure this support is consistent across the country, so young people in Wick receive the same high quality training and learning as young people in Dumfries. If teachers have access to tangible materials and training to build their confidence and expertise, then it can only benefit the young people in their classrooms.

It is possible to deliver quality and consistent first aid skills in schools without mandating it.

We have had a similarly successful approach with regard to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training.

All 32 local authorities have committed to teaching CPR in their secondary schools through partnership working between government, education authorities and stakeholder groups.

I believe that similar partnership working between St Andrew’s First Aid, our local authority partners and the Scottish Government can bring effective age and stage-appropriate first aid training into Scotland’s schools.