PRIMARY schools across Scotland have been urged to teach first aid as a new national training scheme gets underway.

The Scottish Primary School First Aid Programme, launched by St Andrew’s First Aid, will provide free online resources for teachers to download and teach the skills in class.

The initiative was proposed back in 2018 after research showed children as young as five were able to play a life-saving role, leading to a pilot with Stirling Council launched in 2021, which trained 56 teachers from 31 of the authority’s 40 primary schools.

St Andrew’s First Aid director of operations Jim Dorman said: “This project is about giving teachers the confidence and resources to introduce first aid into their classrooms, helping to ensure children across Scotland gain the knowledge and skills they need to act in an emergency.”

Welcoming the programme’s rollout, Scottish Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “No-one expects to have to deal with a medical emergency, but first aid skills can be crucial in supporting the response to one.

“This initiative from St Andrew’s First Aid will help equip primary pupils with potentially life-saving skills, benefiting them and our wider society.”