German schools expand reanimation and first aid training

Educational initiatives and legislative changes are expanding first aid and reanimation training within German schools. In Würzburg, the University Hospital Würzburg (UKW) has launched the “Lebensretter – Kids save lives” project. This initiative provides free, practical training to 7th and 8th-grade students, covering topics such as resuscitation, wound care, and managing unconscious individuals to increase survival rates in emergencies.

On a broader scale, the German Red Cross is advocating for mandatory health and crisis competence training in schools. In Lower Saxony, the state parliament has already decided to formally integrate reanimation into the secondary school curriculum starting in 2026. Local schools in regions like Wildeshausen are already proactively addressing these skills through school medic programs and integrating emergency medical topics into subjects like biology and natural sciences.