national curriculum - should it include sign language and first aid?

[joko]

I believe that, rather than learning non-essential subjects such as german, french and RE for 5 whole years, we should have things like sign language and first aid on the curriculum.

i am not suggesting these subjects are useless, but out of them all they are the ones i have used least in my adult life - but nor am i suggesting scrapping them, just that first aid and SL are subjects can be taught in a relatively short time and surely a month or twos worth of the above lessons could be sacrificed in order to teach our kids life saving skills and to communicate with people who are isolated enough in some ways.

[mimififi]

BTW those were just examples and not the exhaustive list of their skills or we have had some bizarre days this week.

[campbellking]

I know I'm getting old, but when I did O Level physics in 1982, rewiring plugs actually formed one of the questions in the exam paper, so we were learning about those things then.

[flashpig]

We were taught it in science in yr8, and it stuck with me.

In yr 10 or 11 I annoyed my parents so much with my music they cut the plug off my stereo, so I stripped the wires with my teeth, used my keys as a screwdriver, and just changed it to the plug from my desktop lamp.

[Hermia]

First Aid should definitely be taught in schools! I'm a first aider and it TERRIFIES me how little many people know about first aid. When myself and my colleagues have dealt with people having epileptic fits we always get people saying we should jam something solid in their mouth. I've had a woman trying to pour water into the mouth of a man who had had a serious stroke and was partially paralysed. It goes on and on. I also know of loads of incidents where people have died or sustained worst injuries because the people trying to help did totally the wrong thing. It scares the life out of me how many parents don't know first aid.

I think first aid courses should be compulsary!

[joko]

Hermia - I know! its mad isnt it? I was at the scene of a road accident and i approached the man lying in the road. about four people started shouting at me not to touch him as i might injure his back or neck if i turn him face up.

Fair enough.

However, what does that matter if he isn't breathing?? his coat was twisted around his head and i couldn't have checked without turning him over. I began to doubt myself and was 'moved away' by a busybody who took over the scene but just left the man as he was.

the man died.

I don't know whether he was already dead or i could have done something to help him, he had been thrown about 30ft and looked pretty wrecked but we'll never know i suppose. But common sense seems to go out the window with some people and they latch onto some random piece of information they probably learnt from casualty. I know they mean well but lack of education means they often hinder rather than help.

I don't know whats worse - trying to help and making things worse or fear of doing the wrong thing and therefore doing nothing!

(you know what's weird here - is i don't have any kids! or nieces or nephews or any proper contact with kids at all really! I just see them when they are grown ups and see what they could have done with as kids.)

[Drisgirl]

joko - I know exactly where you are coming from.I do have basic first aid and someone in the pub fell off a bar stool drunk and banged his head on a static table.He was knocked unconcious.Ambulance was called for and I immediatelety tried to put him in the recovery position.Suddenly everyone had an opinion 'he may have hurt his back - leave him etc' He was in more danger lying flat on his back in choking on his own vomit.I was actually praised by the paramedics for acting in a rational manner.

I think the suggestions put forward in previous posts are brilliant and are absolutely relevant to the world we live in now.Well thought out post and answers.

[simsfreq]

First aid would definitely be useful. And I liked what someone said about having profoundly deaf children in mainstream schools.

I learned basic first aid and some BSL including the alphabet when I went to Brownies but that was years ago and I've forgotten most of the first aid and everything except the BSL alphabet.

Being in my final year of school I have some other comments:
I learned how to change a fuse or plug in year 10 (age 14) and why it's bad if you get it wrong. (lol)
I never learned to swim because I don't believe my school supported me enough
I never took a cycling proficiency test and admit to being one of the cyclists everyone complains about because reading the highway code is not enough to let me know how roads work
"Food Technology" has too much emphasis on food hygeine (to the point of obsession) and not enough on how to make real food. Who needs to know how to make 50 different types of scone? I'd rather go to university and be able to manage my food budget efficiently and feed myself from scratch... luckily I have a mum who's a good cook ^_^

Citizenship is a new subject for GCSE level about 1 or 2 years ago... the main focus is good (you have to do a project which benefits the local community eg charity fundraising or helping out at an old peoples' home) but I think it should be brought in earlier as kids of 15 don't want to be told they all have to get along and play nicely. Most of the people in my year didn't do their citizenship projects at all. But perhaps the sign language and first aid could be part of the citizenship lessons. And if it was up to me I'd change the name... again with the teenage rebellion thing. It sounds boring. Even "Life Skills" or something would be better!

[milkybarkid]

actually first aid is taught ocasionally in the lesson PSHE (personal social health education) once a week. and also my sister learned sign language in junior school but i never did. there was a club or something. but i do agree germen and RS are useless