By Chris Beach

Northern View

The Northern View #46: First Aid in Schools

Jun 20, 2024 | 7:46 AM

The BC government’s recent announcement that it will make CPR training for high school students mandatory is a step in the right direction.

My only question is, why did it take so long? Not just for this NDP government but for all past BC governments as well.

As a former teacher I always wondered why all the adults, including myself, in a building full of hundreds and in some cases a thousand or more children, were not trained with basic first aid?

I was told by my then union rep that one of the main issues was a matter of liability and if something went wrong teachers could take the blame. This is a valid concern but I think sometimes in our modern society we just make things too complex. I think if something is really important we have to make the effort to overcome the challenges and make it work.

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What could be more important than the safety of the children in your care for 9 months of the year? As a parent, I deem the safety of my child first and foremost, above math or science or English or any other subject.

So I’m very glad to finally see that Victoria is working on this and that the BC Teachers’ Federation and our local School Board look to be supporting it. But I don’t think we should stop with high school curriculum.

Nine year-olds can take first aid courses in BC, and in other places, such as Australia, they can start at eight years old. So let’s educate students as young as possible, because an adult might not always be around when an accident or emergency occurs, whether it’s in school or anywhere else. And we shouldn’t just limit it to the adults giving the courses – have everyone, all the teachers, teaching assistants, office staff and administrators take first aid at the same time. I always thought it should be the first Pro-D day of the school year in September.

But if using a Pro-D day is an issue for teachers, then simply make it a ‘First Aid Day’ for the entire school, that happens every year, to keep everyone trained and up to date. This is a no-brainer that should have happened a long time ago. I’m Chris Beach and this is the Northern View.

Editors note: The views expressed in this column do not necessarily represent the views of Pattison Media.