I’ve been pondering this column for a few weeks, ever since I recertified my first aid training, yet again. Then this popped up on my Facebook feed: “Every high school should have a mandatory class called ‘Life’ which teaches you how to: sew, change a tire/oil, do taxes, basic first aid, basic cooking, etc. Basic things that you need in real life.”
It was a profound post that I’m sure many commonsense people truly aspire to, or at least pay lip service to.
I know, with Katrina turning 13 soon and Spencer now 10, this is essentially the checklist we are working on.
We’ve started with basic cooking. Katrina can now cook a few different meals herself, and occasionally she’ll feel inspired enough to make cookies, premixed brownie or cake. She has her own inherited Mixmaster, plus some cupcake tins, she puts to good use.
I’m constantly giving her tips about driving and vehicle maintenance, now, while she still likes me and is eager to listen. I figure I need to do this now, because in short order she’ll likely turn into one of those teenage monsters that periodically screams, “I HATE YOU!” and slams doors. I’ve lived through that a few times.
For a lot of these things, Spencer is just about to cross the threshold and go through the same sort of growing up boot camp. But he’s not quite there yet.
It’s the first aid part that has really got me thinking. I suggested Katrina’s air cadet squadron go about having all the kids take first aid, something many units do on a periodic basis. I also mentioned this to her teacher at parent-teacher interviews.
I think kids in Grade 8 should all be required to take standard first aid, the full 16 hours. Compared to a lot of the fluff they take in health classes, this trumps all.
There are a few reasons why I say Grade 8. Number one, most kids are mature enough and smart enough to handle it at that point. Number two, their recertification comes up three years later, in Grade 11.
And this is key. They should be required, in high school, to take or recertify standard first aid. When could they do this, as everyone has their own semester system classes?
Simple. Run it during one of those two-day teacher in-service days, the days that drive most parents crazy. Fill the schools with first aid instructors instead of teachers. Make sure every Grade 11 student has their ticket at the end.
On the one-day teacher professional development days, the Grade 11s should take Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System 2015 (WHMIS). This is often offered online, so that should be easy enough to do.
Many high school students are just starting in the job market. Having these two certifications would improve their resumés immensely. It would also help prepare them for work, no matter what work they end up doing. Every workplace, even offices, ends up dealing with WHMIS at one point or another. If they take these tickets in Grade 11, they will still be current until a year after graduation – again a plus for finding a job.
I told Katrina that, one way or another, she will be taking first aid in the next year. If I have to pull her out of school, I will. It’s that important. The person you save could very likely be a family member, or even yourself. My first aid training kicked in four years ago when I all-of-a-sudden developed anaphylactic shock from a drug allergy that didn’t even register so much as a rash six weeks before. I got myself to the hospital just before my throat swelled to the point of choking.
That, and having a heart condition, means first aid for me is a very real thing, not some nebulous concept that I might never use.
I realize money in the education system is tight right now, given the province’s finances. But this is an idea that could save lives. It should be implemented as soon as practical.
— Brian Zinchuk is editor of Pipeline News. He can be reached at brian.zinchuk@sasktel.net.
