Pupils learn the most valuable lesson of all
ON 'International Restart a Heart Day', Horndean Technology College pupils got the chance to learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and other life-saving techniques.
This life-saving education was given by the NHS who sent in volunteers from the Southern Health Trust to teach the entire body of pupils – and that’s no mean feat considering there are nearly 1400 pupils!
In the UK approximately 30,000 people suffer out of hospital cardiac arrests every year. The scarier fact is that only 1 in 10 of them survive which is a staggering figure compared countries like Norway which have a survival rate of 1 in 4 due to it being on their school curriculum as standard.
All year groups were assigned locations where pupils were met with a handful of eager volunteers who walked them through how to carry out CPR as well as how to get someone into the recovery position and use a defibrillator.
They gave lots of useful information, such as what to do if the unconscious individual is a child, but also allowed pupils time to practise first-hand on the dummies. One of the funniest moments of the day was when a student, who has a phobia of mannequins, decided that she was going to try doing CPR even though it was extremely testing for her.
It was a brilliant day in which pupils learnt a vital skill. No matter how good pupils are at maths or English, everyone left the hall with priceless knowledge of how to save a life.
One pupil said: ‘My friends and I had a good laugh together while learning important life-saving skills for the future.’