Goa students to be sensitised against cruelty to animals

Panaji: Children in Goa will be sensitised to be kind to animals, with the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) asking the schools to teach a program on 'compassionate citizen'.

SCERT Director N C Honnikeri in a circular issued to various schools has asked them to follow a brochure issued by PETA (People for Ethical Treatment Towards Animals) for sensitising students against cruelty of animals.

The circular issued to all government, government-aided, middle and high schools has asked teachers to show students video clips educating them on the issue.

"PETA India has now distributed the program (compassionate citizen) to all Goa government schools to use with children ages 8 to 12," a PETA release said.

"'Compassionate Citizen' is PETA India's version of the internationally recognised PETA US' humane-education programme Share the World, which is designed to sensitize children to be kind to animals.

"It can be easily included in school curricula via languages, science, social studies, environmental and values education subjects," it said.

The programme has been endorsed by the Animal Welfare Board of India and the Central Board of Secondary Education. Other states endorsing the program include Andhra Pradesh, Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana,Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

"It's said that when you teach a child to be kind to a mouse, you do as much for the child as you do for the mouse", says PETA India Senior Education Coordinator Puja Mahajan.

"Tolerance and compassion are vital because they are essential to the effort to stem violence in society at large.

"Most children naturally feel concern and affection for animals but learn cruelty from society and often lose sight of their compassion. A lack of respect for other species can translate into insensitivity and cruelty towards fellow humans, too", she added.

"It is well documented by psychologists, sociologists and law-enforcement officials that violence against animals by children is often an early warning sign of future acts of violence towards humans.

Humane education can help ensure a future in which animals, the environment they live in and humans are treated respectfully," Mahajan said.

'Compassionate Citizen' has been voluntarily used in nearly 25,000 private and government schools, reaching 5 million children across the country.