The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) has announced the ASB St. John in Schools programme has successfully trained 500,000 children.
In partnership with ASB and St. John, ACC started the programme in 2015 with a goal of educating 500,000 kids over five years in first aid, CPR, bandaging, responding to emergencies, injury prevention and disaster preparedness.
“It’s a significant milestone, and we’ve achieved that goal eight months early,” ACC said. The state-insurer said it invested $1.15 million to the programme to date.
“This programme is a wonderful example of our community partnerships,” ACC head of injury prevention Isaac Carlson said. “Knowing how to prevent injuries is a lifelong skill and now half a million Kiwi kids know how to keep themselves and others safe.”
Read more: ACC scheme law change passes
“We believe every child in New Zealand should learn first aid, so they have the courage and ability to respond in these circumstances and ultimately save a life,” St. John community health services director Sarah Manley noted. “We’re committed to building resilient and connected communities and recognise that children of all ages can play a significant part in improving the health and wellbeing of their communities.”
ACC added it now aims to get one million students from pre-school through to intermediate trained in life-saving skills by the end of 2020. It also seeks to get a minimum of 33,500 students through the Injury Prevention module this year.
The St. John in Schools programme is part of ACC’s wider commitment to reduce the severity and incidence of preventable injuries in children aged under 12, reduce the disparities of regional child injury rates, and increase awareness of services funded by ACC.
