Teaching with Animals

Policy

This policy outlines the requirements relating to the use, care and welfare of live animals used for teaching purposes in schools.

The policy does not include information on student and family dogs on school grounds, as this is at the discretion of the principal. Refer to the School Policy Templates Portal (staff login required) for information and an optional template school policy on Dogs at School.

Summary

• Any teaching activity in a school that uses a live animal to achieve an educational outcome in science requires Victorian Schools Animal Ethics Committee (VSAEC) approval before commencement, unless that activity consists only of an observational study of animals in their normal environment.
• If the teaching activity uses wildlife animals, or the school wishes to keep wildlife animals for any other purpose, the school must also meet Animal Welfare Victoria authorisation and record keeping requirements.
• VSAEC approval is not required for school pets or therapy and wellbeing animals, unless the school also wishes to use them for a teaching activity to achieve an educational outcome in science.
• Non-government schools must meet additional licence and authorisation requirements before teaching with live animals.
• Schools planning to teach with live animals must follow the mandatory guidance on the Guidance tab.

Details

Schools wishing to use live animals as part of a teaching activity must first apply for approval from the VSAEC. Schools can only commence the teaching activity once VSAEC approval is granted.

In addition to VSAEC approval, schools intending to use certain wildlife animals for teaching activities must meet Animal Welfare Victoria authorisation requirements. For more information on approval to use wildlife in schools, refer to: Additional approval requirements for keeping and teaching with wildlife species.

Non-government schools must also apply for a licence to use live animals for teaching activities. Government schools do not need to apply for the licence as they are covered by the Department of Education’s licence. For information on the process of obtaining a licence, refer to: Additional approval requirements for non-government schools teaching with animals.

Schools conducting teaching with animals activities must provide students the ability to conscientiously object to the use of animals for educational outcomes in science. Students must be advised on how to notify the lead teacher of their conscientious objection. For students that conscientiously object, the lead teacher must provide the student with alternative learning materials to achieve the educational outcome.

All schools intending to teach with live animals must follow the mandatory guidance which includes detailed information on applying to the VSAEC, wildlife authorisation, animal welfare and biosecurity requirements, and reporting, inspection and audit processes.

Determining when VSAEC approval is required

VSAEC approval is required when a school intends to use an animal for a teaching activity involving a ‘scientific procedure’. This is any teaching activity or program of connected activities in a school that uses a live animal to achieve an educational outcome in science, unless it is only an observational study of the animal in their normal environment.

For live animal use in teaching to be justified, the proposed use must meet the governing principles of the Australian code for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes and the following requirements (known as the 3Rs):

• Replacement: Where possible animals should be replaced by models, digital learning or other suitable methods.
• Reduction: Use no more than the minimum number of animals. However, this should not be at the expense of greater suffering of individual animals.
• Refinement: Activities must minimise handling, discomfort, distress or pain in animals.

To determine whether a planned teaching activity is a ‘scientific procedure’ requiring VSAEC approval, schools can refer to the below categories. If school staff are unsure how to categorise their planned teaching activity or whether it requires approval, they are encouraged to contact the department for support: animalethics@education.vic.gov.au

Category 1 – observational studies of animals (VSAEC approval not required)

Observational studies of animals in their normal environment, with no direct contact with the animals or disturbance to the animals’ normal activity do not require VSAEC approval. Examples of category 1 activities include observing the grazing behaviour of livestock in a paddock or visiting a zoo and observing animals in their purpose-built natural habitat enclosures.

Category 1 activities involving wildlife may require authorisation from Animal Welfare Victoria. For more information, refer to: Additional approval requirements for keeping and teaching with wildlife species.

Category 2 – basic handling, feeding and care (VSAEC approval required if for an educational outcome in science)

VSAEC approval is required for basic handling, feeding and care of mature animals, if the activity is occurring to achieve an educational outcome in science. Examples of category 2 activities include learning basic animal husbandry techniques for livestock, fowl, rabbits or reptiles. It may also include weighing and condition scoring livestock.

Schools can conduct basic handling, feeding and care of animals without VSAEC approval, provided these activities are not being undertaken to achieve an educational outcome in science. For example, a school keeping chickens as school pets for wellbeing and engagement purposes can care for the chickens without VSAEC approval.

Category 3 – activities involving disruption to the animal’s normal conditions (VSAEC approval required)

VSAEC approval is required for all animal-related teaching activities that involve a disruption to the animal’s normal conditions or behaviour. Examples of category 3 activities include foot paring, pregnancy testing and drenching livestock.

Category 4 – invasive scientific procedures (prohibited)

Invasive procedures are prohibited in schools. The following activities using live animals must not be carried out in schools:

• surgical, invasive or other harmful procedures other than normal animal husbandry procedures
• induction of any infectious diseases or illness
• production of nutritional deficiency
• exposure to stimuli that cause abnormal physiological or behavioural responses
• administration of toxins, ionising radiation and other bio-hazardous materials
• breeding of animals solely for dissection.

Dead animals and dissections (VSAEC approval not required)

VSAEC approval is not required for activities involving dead animals or dissections. However, when planning the teaching activity schools must consider their justification for using animal material with reference to the guiding principles for the humane use of animals in scientific research, known as the 3Rs. For more information on the 3Rs, refer to: Animal welfare and care requirements for teaching with animals.

Non-teaching use of animals in schools – school pets and therapy and wellbeing animals (VSAEC approval not required)

Schools do not need VSAEC approval for school pets and therapy and wellbeing animals, provided they are not used in teaching activities to achieve an educational outcome in science. If a school plans to use these animals for a Category 2 or 3 teaching activity, they must first apply to the VSAEC for approval.

For all animals kept on school premises, schools must consider the welfare of the animal, including care during weekends and holiday periods and veterinary care when needed. Schools must follow the relevant codes of practice for the welfare of animals when keeping any animal as a school pet or therapy/wellbeing animal.

For more information on caring for school pets, refer to: Classroom pets – Animal Welfare Victoria.

Definitions

Animal
Animals are any live non-human vertebrate (that is, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals encompassing domestic animals, purpose-bred animals, livestock, wildlife) and cephalopods (including octopus, cuttlefish and squid). Insects are not included in this definition.

Lead teacher
The lead teacher is the teacher who has overall responsibility for care and use of animals for the VSAEC approved teaching with animals activity. This includes ensuring all teaching with animals activities are conducted in compliance with the Code and maintaining accurate records of animal use, health and welfare.

Science
Science includes medicine, biology, agriculture, veterinary and other animal sciences, field trials, environmental studies, research and diagnosis.

School pet
School pets are any animal on the school premises that are not used in a teaching activity to achieve an educational outcome in science. This includes school chickens that lay eggs for the school kitchen or the pet lizard in the classroom only used for display.

Scientific procedure
A scientific procedure is any teaching activity or program of connected activities in a school that uses an animal to achieve an educational outcome in science.

Teaching activity
Teaching activities are any action or group of actions undertaken with the aim of imparting or demonstrating knowledge or techniques to achieve an educational outcome in science, as specified in the relevant curriculum or competency requirements. A teaching activity could occur in a single lesson, or as a program of connected activities across multiple lessons.

Wildlife
Wildlife includes animals (mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians) and other living things that live in natural surroundings and have not been domesticated by humans.

Related policy

• Biological Materials Used in Schools

Relevant legislation and codes of practice

• Australian code for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes 8th edition (2013)
• Code of practice for the housing and care of laboratory mice, rats, guinea pigs and rabbits
• General school authorisation licence to keep wildlife
• Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986 (Vic)
• Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Regulations 2008 (Vic)
• Victorian codes of practice for animal welfare