Public advocates are pushing for D.C. to make CPR a high school graduation requirement in the district to join 27 other states that already have such a requirement, says The Washington Post.

Advocates “hope to amend a bill the council is currently considering on emergency procedures in the city’s school. The measure would require each school to have and maintain an automated external defibrillator, or AED, and to train staff members to use the device. But advocates said the bill could be stronger…” by making CPR training mandatory.

CPR, advocates say, is an important live-saving skill to learn because it makes the chances of survival for cardiac arrest victims two to three times more likely.

“ Most Americans — 70 percent — feel helpless to act during a cardiac emergency because they don’t know how to administer CPR or because they don’t want to hurt the person,” the article said.

But executives in the D.C.’s Board of Education say that because the district has some of the strictest graduation requirements in the country, adding more requirements would have to take careful consideration.

Other members with influence believe CPR certification should be offered as an elective as opposed to a mandatory course.

D.C. already does that: “D.C. Public Schools voluntarily started teaching CPR to students this year, both in high school health courses and as part of an emergency preparedness unit for all seventh graders.”

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Article by Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor

10/21/2015