A new pilot aimed at reducing future skin cancer cases is seeing children as young as five being taught how to check UV levels and apply sunscreen. The initiative is currently being trialled in primary schools in Kent but is planned to be introduced nationwide as part of Personal, Social, Health, and Economic (PSHE) lessons from next year.
Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer and is linked to exposure to UV rays. Experts say that sunburn during childhood can increase the risk in later life. In 2021, over 18,000 people were diagnosed with melanoma in the UK according to Cancer Research. The figure could rise to over 21,000 by 2026, the charity warns.
Changing children’s habits early is crucial says Michelle Baker from the charity Melanoma Fund. “People think melanoma is an older person’s disease,” she says, “but it’s often seeded in childhood.” The project to teach people about sun safety and how to apply sunscreen hopes to “grow skin cancer out of the next generation,” she said.
Platt Primary School in Maidstone has pupils learning to read UV indexes, apply sunscreen properly, and understand why it is even needed. The pupils, according to headteacher Emma Smith, have been “really receptive.”
“If we educate them early, they’re more likely to keep that knowledge as they get older,” she said, “especially when social media starts to influence their choices.”
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