The question of including first aid in the mandatory school curriculum is back in the spotlight after a troubling incident in Córdoba. The case of a six-year-old boy who nearly died from choking has led many parents to wonder: are children and teachers sufficiently prepared for emergencies? The consequences of such incidents can be fatal, and a lack of basic life-saving knowledge can come at a very high cost.
The mother of the affected child, María Díaz, decided to take action after the ordeal. She launched a petition demanding that the Ministry of Education provide annual first aid training to students at every stage of schooling. Her initiative quickly gained support among parents concerned about their children’s safety. Díaz points out that such incidents are far from rare, and many families have faced similar situations.
Danger is near
According to the Spanish Association of Pediatricians, choking is one of the most common and dangerous emergencies among children. Last year alone, more than ten minors died from this cause nationwide. At one of Valencia’s major hospitals, 330 cases of child choking were reported in just one year—almost every day someone ends up in danger.
Pediatricians emphasize: timely use of simple techniques like the Heimlich maneuver or basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation can save lives. However, most adults and children do not know how to act in a critical moment. This is why experts support the initiative to make first aid training mandatory in schools.
First steps and obstacles
While Maria Diaz’s petition gains traction on social media, she has managed to organize a first aid course at her son’s school with the help of the Red Cross. This organization already has experience conducting such sessions: in Andalusia alone, more than 200 lectures have been given to eight thousand students over the past year. These lessons cover emergency behavior principles, teach how to call emergency services, and demonstrate basic rescue techniques.
However, such lessons are held only at the initiative of schools and are not mandatory. Diaz insists that training should be part of the curriculum so that every child, regardless of region or school, receives this knowledge. She cites France and Norway as examples, where first aid elements are already integrated into educational standards.
Official stance
The Ministry of Education notes that first aid is not part of the mandatory curriculum, although in some regions teachers do receive relevant training. As part of the European ‘Schools for Health’ program, a number of Spanish schools are implementing projects on injury prevention and safety education, but the coverage remains limited.
In Andalusia, regulations have been introduced that provide for the inclusion of first aid topics in the educational process. In primary school, children are taught to recognize dangerous situations and call emergency services; in secondary school, they learn about basic rescue protocols, and in high school, more advanced techniques and personal responsibility are introduced. However, in practice, these classes do not take place everywhere, and many schools limit themselves to theory.
Current realities and future prospects
In most educational institutions in Andalusia, as in the country as a whole, there is still no systematic approach to first aid training. Parents and experts believe that simple skills, which can be learned in just a few hours, are enough to save lives. Despite teachers’ busy schedules, the introduction of such courses is seen as a necessary measure to improve children’s safety.
In recent years, the issue of large-scale first aid training has been repeatedly raised in Spain. Some regions have launched pilot projects, but they did not gain widespread traction. In 2024, an initiative for mandatory first aid training for teachers was discussed, yet it was never implemented at the national level. Meanwhile, similar programs in other European countries have already proven effective, once again highlighting the need for change in Spain’s education system.
