School students given lessons on animal welfare to create awareness about cruelty towards them

A private NGO working for animal welfare has started an awareness campaign among the students of state-run, aided and sponsored schools with a view to create a better environment.

The NGO will request the state government to include animal welfare in the curriculum so that students can learn about it from schools.

The duration of the classes is for two hours where the students are taught about animal welfare with the help of posters, cartoon shows and quiz

competitions at the end of the classes to get a feedback of the students on the subject. The classes are held at least once a month. Leaflets on animal welfare are distributed among the

students of both primary and secondary sections.

In the secondary level, students are taught about animal welfare laws and also cruelty against animals. They are also shown slide shows on industrial and domestic cruelty on animals. The classes are taken by four to five animal welfare workers.

Susmita Roy, a spokesman for the NGO said some of the schools where classes have been held include Jaichandipur Primary School and Jagannath Free Primary School in South 24 Parganas, the primary section of Sarsuna Girls' High School and Cossimbazar High School.

"If we can make the primary students aware about environment then it will really help society ultimately. Cruelty on animals can be eradicated when students will develop love and affection for animals. The course is very interesting and the response of the students is overwhelming," she said.

Rakhi Mitra, president of the NGO said the course material had been prepared very carefully to develop interest among students. "We propose to start this course in all state-run schools in the state and if we get support from the state Education department, then the awareness campaign can be converted into a movement for animal welfare."