Twenty primary school teachers received certificates at the end of their three day programme that they attended at St John Association of Fiji on Wednesday.

Assistant Minister for Health and Medical Services Alex O’Connor said that in the past six years, the St John Association has managed to train close to 10,000 students in its school cadet programme in primary and secondary schools in Fiji.

Mr O’Connor said: “You will be expected to teach, practise and implement in real life situations what you have learnt in your respective schools, communities and in your individual homes. The knowledge and skills that you have learnt in the past three days will allow you to provide the basic lifesaving skills and provide assistance as first responders in cases of an emergency, which can save lives.

Chief Executive Officer, Emma Bovoro said that the St John Association of Fiji had a goal in 2010 to have first aiders in every household.

“We would like every school to have our programme and the only way we can teach students is if we teach the teachers and I hope you will be much more confident in teaching the children.

“The children take the knowledge home and teach their parents,” she said.