A Cavan school is beginning the new academic year with an Irish Heart Foundation award for training its students in the lifesaving skill of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
St Clare's College in Ballyjamesduff received a CPR 4 Schools award, which recognises schools, teachers and students for remarkable efforts in CPR promotion and training.
It was among 36 schools across Ireland presented with 57 awards as part of the national heart and stroke charity’s CPR 4 Schools programme. Since its inception, 2,630 teachers in 649 post-primary schools have taken part, learning how to deliver CPR and giving the programme a reach of over 350,000 post-primary school students. The charity aims to build a generation of life savers by training students to perform CPR and respond in a cardiac emergency, use an AED (defibrillator) and respond when someone is choking.
Liam Cooke is a teacher at St Clare's College who worked with students on this initiative. Speaking to Northern Sound, he explained; "CPR training has been a key element in our school for a number of years but has refocused this year with some of our students being called into action in a real-life situation. Everyone involved sees the immediate value of this training. We are in this for the long haul; for the benefit of ourselves, our school, our families and our wider community."
