School children in England will have to learn first aid under proposals put forward by the government.
Draft legislation says primary school children will be taught basic first aid, such as dealing with head injuries and calling emergency services.
Secondary school children will learn life-saving skills such as CPR and the purpose of defibrillators. The British Heart Foundation said the move would improve "shockingly low survival rates from cardiac arrests".
Education Secretary Damian Hinds said he wanted to give young people "the tools they need to be ready to thrive when they leave school".
The plan was announced as part of new guidelines on relationships and health education in schools. The BHF said that fewer than one in 10 people survive cardiac arrests suffered outside of hospital, with 10,000 people in the UK dying each year as a result.
Survival rates in countries that teach first aid in school are up to three times higher, the BHF said.
Research by the British Red Cross, which also campaigns on the issue, found that 95% of British adults would not be able to provide aid in "three of the most life-threatening first aid emergencies".
