Ian practises his bandaging skills on classmate Erion. 88764 Picture: DONNA OATES
By CASEY NEILL
DANDENONG Primary School students are ready to save lives.
St John Ambulance Victoria is encouraging other schools to follow their lead and register for its free First Aid in Schools Program.
Dandenong participated in the program’s pilot phase during terms two and three.
Prep to grade two co-ordinator Leanne Skaftouros said it was a rewarding experience for her students, and 100 were now equipped with first aid skills.
“Through the program students gained an awareness of first aid and are now prepared to act if an incident happens at home or in the playground,” she said.
St John CEO Stephen Horton said thousands of people were injured in accidents at home each year but 94 per cent of people would not know what to do in an emergency.
“We know children are sponges for knowledge and we believe if we teach them the skills to save a life from an early age, this will help future generations to come,” he said.
St John hopes to train 10,000 children during term four this year and another 67,000 next year, with the long-term goal to train more than 200,000 prep to year eight students annually.
Schools can register for the program at www.stjohnvic.com.au.
The charity has provided services to Victoria for almost 130 years and its mission is to equip more people with first aid skills to save lives.
