MORE that a quarter of pupils in Scotland will now learn life-saving CPR before they leave school following pressure by the Evening Times..

East Renfrewshire Council has become the sixth local authority to back out Scotland’s Got Heart campaign, which aims to ensure all secondary pupils learn heart resuscitation skills and is backed by the British Heart Foundation.

Glasgow was the first city in the UK to pledge to teach all pupils, followed by Aberdeen, Perth and Kinross, Clackmannanshire and Renfrewshire councils.

The charity is now in talks with several other local authorities.

David McColgan, Senior Policy and Public Affairs Manager (Devolved Nations), says, “Today’s

“Today’s commitment means over 75,000 pupils in Scotland, over a quarter of all pupils, attend a school in a local authority where the administration has committed to ensuring all pupils are trained in CPR.

“We are ready and willing to work with all local authorities in Scotland to ensure every child in Scotland learns CPR before they leave school. “

Councillor Paul O’Kane, Convener for Education and Equalities at East Renfrewshire Council, said: “We are delighted to be supporting the British Heart Foundation in its drive to ensure every pupil has had the training required to allow them to carry our this potentially life-saving skill. You never know when you might be required to perform CPR, so it is vital that all our children and young people have the opportunity to learn through the Call, Push Rescue kits which will now be provided to all our schools. We look forward to continuing to work closely with BHF in the years ahead as we aim to equip all our children and young people with the skills they will require throughout their lives.”