EDUCATION RESOURCE IMPRESSES The release of the second issue in the SAFE Animals & Us education series, Animal Rights, Human Values, Social Action, was not only a proud moment for SAFE, but confirmation of the ongoing commitment SAFE has made to education. The Social Studies department of every secondary school in New Zealand received 12 complimentary copies of the new resource book. As part of the launch we made a special offer of a full class set to the first five schools to contact SAFE. This offer was snapped up within hours of them arriving at schools. Queen Margaret College HOD of Social Sciences Peter du Plessis says, "It is an awesome resource...if I can have a full set that would be marvellous." Along with the demand from schools over 40 teachers from around the country have ordered personal copies.
Academics and authors who contributed to the resource are also excited about the new booklet. Richard Ryder, psychologist and animal advocate (famous for coining the term ‘speciesism'), wrote: "Very many thanks for taking the trouble to send me your excellent Animal Rights, Human Values, Social Action. It really is a great achievement and puts together a number of interesting texts. I think New Zealand should be proud of what has been done. It is so important to get the education right."
SAFE is delighted by such praise and honoured to be able to include the works of Richard and his contemporaries in our booklet. Long-time animal advocate Kim Stallwood was also kind enough to endorse the resource on his website. Click here.
Dr Philip Armstrong, key contributor and co-author of the resource, explains the attraction and importance of the Animals & Us resources for learners and educators. "What makes this resource valuable...is the practical way it puts students' engagement with these [human-animal] issues to work, by supplying both texts and tasks focused upon developing the particular academic competencies, personal virtues and social values identified in the New Zealand Curriculum. The material here is therefore ready for immediate use in the secondary classrooms of Aotearoa."
SAFE is currently starting on the third issue in the Animals & Us series in a programme that is beginning to make its mark on the world stage of education.
ANIMAL RIGHTS 101 AT KIDSFEST  The annual school holiday programme KidsFest run by the Christchurch City Council this year offered a ‘crash course' in animal rights for 10- to 13-year-olds. The SAFE-run 90-min education workshop filled up fast, much to the delight of SAFE's education officer Nichola Kriek. A very enthusiastic group of teenagers descended on SAFE with one thing in common - a love of animals.
During the session the group made posters and discussed the different ways humans exploit non-human animals. The group explored factory farming; animal experimentation; animals used in entertainment; bloodsports; and animal emotions. "It was fun to work with a group of young people with such passion for animals," said Nichola. "One parent was so excited to see her daughter, who she said was usually very shy, interacting and presenting information with the rest of the group." "The group went away well informed as to how to achieve a compassionate future for all animals," said Nichola.
HUMANE TEACHING IN SCHOOLS
SAFE education officer Nichola Kriek recently spoke at the South Pacific Humane Education Conference in Auckland. The conference, co-organised by WSPA and the RNZSPCA, was attended by representatives and delegates from animal welfare and rights organisations from throughout the South Pacific. Nichola was the first speaker and kicked off the conference with a presentation on how to effectively deliver a High School education programme. The timing of the conference fortuitously coincided with the launch of the latest Animals & Us resource booklet Animal Rights, Human Values, Social Action. "It was wonderful to be able to give those in attendance, particularly the humane educators, a sneak peak at SAFE's new resource," says Nichola. "Other speakers discussed the importance of strategic planning for humane education, evaluation of teaching programmes, e-learning and how to better encourage teacher involvement." SAFE congratulates the organisers for putting together an excellent conference.
SAFE LAUNCHES WORLD-CLASS RESOURCE SAFE officially launched the second booklet in the Animals & Us series Animal Rights, Human Values, Social Action last week in Auckland. Guest speaker internationally acclaimed author Jeffrey Masson exclaimed the resource was a "world first" and was encouraged to hear schools were keen to engage in learning about animal rights. SAFE committee member and university lecturer Dr Philip Armstrong followed with fascinating examples of how human-animal studies can be incorporated into secondary learning and identified the strong links this type of study has to the key competencies. "Animal Rights, Human Values, Social Action provides opportunities for students to think about issues that are crucial for their generation: how to safeguard rights and pursue social justice in a crowded and unequal world; how to treat those who are different and less powerful than ourselves; where our values come from and how they are put into practice in our society," says Philip.  SAFE education officer Nichola Kriek, who co-authored the resource, then introduced the resource and explained some of its special features.
"It is a great honour to be able to present this exciting new resource to schools. The response from teachers has been fantastic," says Nichola.
After almost 18 months of research and preparation SAFE is delighted to announce the release of the second resource in the Animals & Us humane education series: Animal Rights, Human Values, Social Action. Next month every secondary school in New Zealand will receive this vital resource which will help reinforce the value of animals to school students for years to come.  "This topic has so much interesting information for teachers and students to explore. Our relationship with animals touches at the core of who we are as people, our values and our ideals. I think teachers and students alike will find this issue informative and compelling," says SAFE's Education officer Nichola Kriek.
Animal Rights, Human Values, Social Action has been designed for use in secondary schools for students in years 9-13 and has been specifically written for the New Zealand Social Studies curriculum. Dr Philip Armstrong, Co-director of the New Zealand Centre for Human-Animal Studies and Associate Professor at Canterbury University, who helped create the resource, explains the benefits of incorporating Animals & Us resources into teaching programmes.  "In this country, just about all young people have grown up around animals, and very few are immune to the fascination that our species feels for the others with whom we share our planet. Animals & Us goes to the heart of these relationships - with the animals we bring into our families as companions, the ones who live in the wild and the ones we farm or experiment upon. By focusing on these ubiquitous (but seldom investigated) relationships, students will be able to think about issues that are critical for their generation: how to safeguard rights and pursue social justice in a crowded and unequal world; how to treat those who are different from and less powerful than ourselves; where our values come from and how they are put into practice in our society.
What makes this resource essential, however, is the practical way it puts students' engagement with these issues to work, by supplying both texts and tasks focused upon developing the particular academic competencies, personal virtues and social values identified in the New Zealand Curriculum. The material is therefore ready for immediate use in the secondary classrooms of Aotearoa." 
Cartoon printed with permission courtesy of Dan Piraro. Animal Rights, Human Values, Social Action contains:
• Six comprehensive Units of Study
• An extensive selection of written and visual texts
• A DVD with film clips and printable images
 The resource is supported by an informative website with texts and downloads.
For more information visit the Animals & Us website. |
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ISSUE TWO
Teachers are invited to order an advanced copy now. Email SAFE's education officer, Nichola Kriek nichola@safe.org.nz
ISSUE ONE  Teachers are invited to order a copy by emailing SAFE's education officer, Nichola Kriek nichola@safe.org.nz
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SAFE speaks at Humane Education Symposium
A range of experts in humane education and values education spoke at a recent Humane Education Symposium held in Brisbane. The symposium focussed on the potential of values education to embrace the concept of humane education. SAFE education officer Nichola Kriek was one of the speakers. Recent developments in the Australian school curriculum (which places increasing importance and emphasis on 'values education') prompted the leading international farm animal advocacy organisation Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) to team up with Griffith University in order to explore the possible links between values education and humane education. The symposium was made possible due to the support and generosity of Voiceless, an Australian advocacy organisation dedicated to promoting respect and compassion for animals. The keynote address from Professor Terry Lovat focussed on the importance of values education in all aspects of schooling and the wider impact of the personal, social and emotional growth of young people. "The symposium was a great opportunity to discuss humane education initiatives and share ideas about the potential for humane education within the school curriculum," said Nichola Kriek. "It's interesting to see the steps the Australian Department of Education has taken in order to formally encourage teachers to incorporate values education into all teaching and learning experiences. New Zealand could certainly do more to bring values education into everyday teaching and learning. SAFE's new education programme Animals & Us has been created with values learning outcomes in mind and so provides a perfect opportunity for teachers and students to explore this increasingly important area."
Battery Hen Farming in New Zealand
WSPA endorses Animals & Us SAFE's new education programme Animals & Us is receiving international acclaim. This week WSPA's London office contacted SAFE education officer Nichola Kriek to congratulate SAFE on the high quality of the first resource booklet Battery Hen Farming in New Zealand: A Critical Evaluation. More... WSPA also wanted to include the booklet in an international database of humane education resources they promote. "The database comprises around 40 good quality educational resources from around the world," stated WSPA education officer, Claire Wilson. "Its aim is to help humane educators, or anyone else interested in humane education in their search for good quality resources." SAFE is delighted to be included in this important database. "It's great to know SAFE's education programme is being internationally recognised by key organisations," says Nichola. SAFE is currently working on the second resource booklet that is due to be released in April 2008 and which will focus on animal rights and social justice. Resource feedback and teacher response 'Impressive', 'brilliant', 'professional', 'comprehensive', 'well thought out', 'excellent', 'fantastic'. These are just a few of the adjectives that have been used by principals, teachers, students and fellow animal advocates to describe SAFE's new education resource, 'Battery Hen Farming in New Zealand - A Critical Response.'
SAFE's education officer and author of the resource, Nichola Kriek, says she is overjoyed by the response from educators and students. "It is extremely gratifying and it's a great relief to know that we have been successful at producing a quality resource that focuses on an issue that has been SAFE's primary campaign for nearly two decades. I tailored the resource to address the needs of teachers and students in a topical, practical and palatable way," says Nichola.
School teacher Braden Faavae of Unlimited Paenga Tawhiti and his pupils were so impressed when their copy arrived that they contacted SAFE to discuss the issue in person. SAFE's veteran battery hen campaigner, Hans Kriek, (and Nichola's husband), visited the school and was impressed with their understanding of the issue.
"These students had studied the materials in the resource and were quoting facts about the issue back to me! They had contemplated concepts to do with the social, economic and political impact of factory farming that many adults find difficult to process," says Hans.
The battery hen resource is the first of a series to be published as part of SAFE's Animals & Us humane education programme. This programme aims to provide professional resources specifically designed for the New Zealand education framework. Each year a new resource booklet will be published with the aim of advancing knowledge and critical thinking about the human-animal relationship.
The next resource booklet in the series will focus on the concept of animal rights, tracking the history, development and social impact of the modern-day animal rights movement.
Study of the human-animal relationship is a relatively new development, but one that has become increasingly significant and popular academically. In this field SAFE are extremely fortunate to have the support and assistance of Dr Philip Armstrong, Co-director of the recently established New Zealand Centre for Human-Animal Studies at Canterbury University.
"All around the world, researchers and teachers at tertiary level are recognising that human-animal relationships are a vital new field of study; but SAFE is leading the way internationally by making those questions so readily accessible to high school students and their teachers too," says Philip.
Nichola reports that over 70 teachers from schools around the country contacted SAFE to order advance copies of the battery hen resource. "Many of these schools are already incorporating the resource into their teaching programmes, which is wonderful news," she says. Wendy Mofitt of Hamilton Boys' High wrote: "I was absolutely delighted to receive a copy of the first Animals & Us resource on battery hen farming. The quality of the resource is outstanding and has provided us with a lot of material and information on this issue. Please keep the great material coming, we definitely appreciate it and are using it in our classrooms."
View feedback.
Animals & Us humane education programme SAFE launches exciting new humane education programme and website Animals & Us is a SAFE humane education initiative that: 1) provides professional resources specifically designed for the New Zealand education framework. 2) advances knowledge and critical thinking about the social, economic, political, environmental and scientific relationships between human and non-human animals. Check out the Animals & Us website for information, lesson plans and resources.
Share the World - Everyone matters SAFE launched Share the World, an internationally acclaimed animal education programme, as part of World Animal Week in 2004. Share the World is tailored for primary schools to promote compassion and respect towards animals. "Thanks to the programme students have the opportunity to share their passion for animals, while developing and fostering empathy and caring attitudes towards all living beings", says SAFE education officer Nichola Kriek. "New Zealand has one of the highest statistics in the world for domestic and child violence. Share the World will help address these concerns by educating young children to be more respectful towards others."
Share the World is suited to Years 4 to 6. The activities link into the subjects of English, Social Studies, Science, Music and Art. The pack includes a video and workbook with activities designed to encourage pupils to develop respect and compassion for their environment.
Email: nichola@safe.org.nz for information or New Zealand orders.
Studying or teaching animal rights? SAFE has extensive resource centres in Auckland and Christchurch with books and videos available for loan or viewing (see contact us for centre details). If live you outside Auckland or Christchurch your local library may have books and publications on animal rights (see recommended reading) or contact the SAFE Education Officer for advice and information.
Email: nichola@safe.org.nz
 Use of animals in education
Conscientious objection. Teachers or students who oppose the use of animals in experiments can contact SAFE for information on alternatives and conscientious objection. SAFE can offer support and advice to teachers or students who are seeking alternatives to the use of animals in education. 
SAFE education officer
Nichola Kriek BA BMus Dip Teach
Level 1 145 Armagh Street, Christchurch, New Zealand
Ph/fax: 03 379 9711
Email: nichola@safe.org.nz
From Guinea Pig to Computer Mouse This book presents a concise collection of resources concerning curricular transformation and alternatives to harmful animal use in education, with a view to informing and empowering the reader. It contains comprehensive and up-to-date information on alternative products and approaches, researched and collated by InterNICHE, and includes papers written by teachers sharing their personal experiences of developing, implementing and assessing alternatives. It describes the background to animal use and alternatives, and brings together links to hundreds of further resources. SPECIAL OFFER!
SAFE has 16 free copies of ‘From Guinea Pig to Computer Mouse' by InterNICHE to give away to New Zealand teachers.
Email: nichola@safe.org.nz to request your free copy or download a copy at: www.interniche.org
Recommended reading Animal Liberation. Peter Singer. Third edition. Thorsons, London. 1975, Third edition 2002. The Case for Animal Rights. Tom Regan. University of California Press, Berkeley, Los Angeles. 1983. Dominion: The Power of Man, the Suffering of the Animals, and the Call to Mercy. Matthew Scully. St Martin's Press, New York. 2002. The Pig Who Sang to the Moon: The Emotional World of Farm Animals. Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson. Ballantine. 2003. The Monkey Wars. Deborah Blum. Oxford University Press. 1994. Drawing the Line: Science and the Case for Animal Rights. Steven Wise. Perseus books. 2002. Slaughterhouse. Gail Eisnitz. Prometheus Books. 1997. The Pornography of Meat Continuum. Carol J Adams. 2003. Free the Animals: The Story of the Animal Liberation Front. Ingrid Newkirk. Noble Press. 1992. Eternal Treblinka: Our Treatment of Animals and the Holocaust. Patterson, Charles. Lantern Books, New York. 2002. The Food Revolution: How your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and The World. John Robbins. Conari Press, California. 2001. Hope's Edge: The Next Diet for a Small Planet. Frances Moore Lappe, Anna Lappe. Hardcover. 2002. Reason for Hope. Jane Goodall. Warner Books. 1999. The Dreaded Comparison: Human and Animal Slavery. Marjorie Spiegel. Mirror Books, 1996. Vegan: The New Ethics of Eating. Erik Marcus. 1997. When Elephants Weep. Susan McCarthy and Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson. Delta. 1996.
Don't Drink Your Milk. Frank Oski, M.D. New York, Teach Services Inc. 1996. PawPrints on Our Souls. S Francis. Foley Publishing Company. 1999. The Young Persons Action Guide to Animal Rights. Barbara James. Virago Press Limited. 1992.
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