India: New Program Promoting Humane Citizenship Endorsed

NAGPUR: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has been working in affiliation with India’s Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to create a humane – education program. This program aims to make students in CBSE-affiliated schools become “Compassionate Citizens.”

The program has been  designed to encourage students to foster compassion and respect for animals. The organisation duo are actutely aware of the number of endangered species that live in India and are thus attempting to safeguard the future of their native creatures. The program uses tools and tailor made lesson plans to teach children that animals are feeling, sensitive beings. Although created for children ages 8 to 12 years, the program has been fabricated to suit other age groups. PETA and CBSE have also strived to  encorporate the program into other classes including languages, science, social studies, environmental and values education curricula. Compassionate Citizen is also perfect for use ineco clubs in schools. It will be included in the monthly curriculum as an extracurricular activity day. The CBSE has also given schools the choice to use it as part of a one-day workshop.

The program comprises of a teacher’s guide, a reading unit with adaptations from true animal stories,  reproducible activity sheets and a 28-minute video with remarkable animal footage. It is categorized into four seperate sections that can be used as complete lessons. These individual factions are then used to generate classroom discussion. The chapters include – The Amazing World of Animals, Animals and Their Feelings, Changing Times, Changing Minds, Making Humane Choices.

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Written by Ashleigh Brown