Teaching notes
IntroductionThe keeping of native animals in schools, in particular reptiles, is becoming increasingly popular. The Schools Animal Care and Ethics Committee has had numerous enquiries from schools wishing to keep reptiles. Many teachers are unsure of the requirements for keeping these animals in their classrooms. There are mandatory requirements relating to the keeping of any animals in schools and specific requirements for the keeping of native animals. This resource aims to increase awareness about these requirements and to give teachers specific advice and assistance about keeping four commonly available reptile species in their classrooms. These species are:
Please note that these are not the only species that are considered suitable as pets and therefore able to be kept in captivity with relative ease. However, they are considered the most suitable species for schools to keep. Another common and popular species that might be considered is the Shingleback Lizard (Tiliqua rugosa). It is important to note that regardless of which species you choose to keep, a special scientific licence must be obtained. Curriculum LinksThere are many ways in which reptiles can be incorporated into the teaching of a range of syllabuses in NSW. Some of these include the use of reptiles:
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Students chat about reptilesWhy keep reptiles?Text version (.docx 32kB) Ethical and welfare considerationsBefore a decision is taken to keep an animal of any kind in a school classroom a number of important questions need to be asked and answered by the classroom teacher. What do I hope to achieve by keeping this animal in my classroom?
Can I achieve my aims in a manner that does not involve keeping this animal?
What are my legal obligations with regard to keeping this animal?
Is my classroom physically suitable for housing this animal?
Do I have the skills required to care for the health and well-being of this animal?
How will I care for the animal on weekends and during school holidays?
Where can I seek assistance if this animal becomes ill?
Have I addressed the three R’s (replace, reduce, refine) that are associated with keeping animals in schools? The three R’s refer to replacing animals with other methods, reducing the number of animals and the refinement of techniques used so as to reduce the impact on animals held in schools.
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