Schools may introduce animal welfare as subject

Animal lovers have reason to rejoice. Animal Welfare may soon be included as a subject in the school curriculum. 

In September 2015, a city-based NGO, People For Cattle in India, petitioned the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), on the matter, pointing out that animal welfare education at the school level would be useful in sensitising young minds on the importance of kindness and compassion towards other living beings. 

The response has been positive as CBSE joint director Al Hilal Ahmed has replied, agreeing to consider the suggestion. “The Board will include the subjects suggested by you if the forthcoming National Curriculum Framework recommends to do so,” his letter said.

Educationists supporting the cause say that including the subject can only be helpful. Pavittra Aroon, partner at Auuro Educational Services, says, “We have created a curriculum for children called Happy Tots. We are focusing on kindergarten kids. We work on different themes and one of the themes is animals. Here, we not just talk about what the different animals are and their features, but we also talk about their habitats, what to feed them and how to treat them.” 

There is so much focus on other subjects that experts agree that we seldom pay attention to life lessons.

“City children have a disadvantage as the only contact they have with animals is through strays, unless they have pets at home. It is important to sensitise them about kindness towards animals at a young age,” adds Pavittra.

The Indian Center for Animal Rights and Education (INCARE) is designing a programme with which they  approach schools and offer hands-on experience on animal care.

“Depending on the age group, we design a programme to sensitise school children. We often see that people get a pet without proper pet counselling. The kids must be told that a pet is like a child and must be considered as a part of the family. For middle school children, we tell them about volunteering and also involve them in the ground-work we do. We also educate them about the career opportunities available in the field of animal welfare, which go beyond being a vet. There are many options out there for those who work with animals,” says Rohini Sankar, a member of INCARE.