Animal Welfare Included in Singapore School Syllabus · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Good news for animal lovers. Singapore’s Ministry of Education has confirmed that animal welfare will be included in the new ‘Character and Citizenship Education’ syllabus for primary and secondary students.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals cheered the inclusion of animal welfare in the curriculum:
We cannot stress enough the importance of these changes to the education curriculum as we are raising the next generation of young girls and boys to be respectable, responsible citizens, and to live lives of kindness, having compassion for animals and fellow human beings. This is the breakthrough we’ve been hoping for!
A rabbit grooming workshop conducted by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Kwan Jin Yao, writing for the Breakfast Network, recognizes the importance of teaching animal welfare in schools:
The horrific cases of animal abuse, cruelty, and abandonment in Singapore, albeit anecdotal, signals the need for us to have greater respect for animals – and it’s best to start them young.
Yet learning to be kind to animals can build a sense of responsibility, as the young impressionable child becomes more empathetic as he or she expresses concern for others. Compassion can be nurtured, as they learn how to behave and co-exist with it
On Facebook, Rene Ser explains how this reform will be beneficial to society:
This is great news. Besides academic excellence, we encourage our young to learn to respect other living things, because the world is not solely abt humans, and the eco system is made up of many plants and animals and taking a step towards loving animals, is a step towards loving Earth. Looking at a bigger picture, this is definitely beneficial to society and our eco system.
Alycia Lynch shares the good news with her daughter:
My 12 year old will be happy to hear that because she has been telling me that Animal Welfare should be included in every school’s curriculum so children will grow up respecting animals.
Zeus IsCute thinks parents should also be educated about animal welfare:
Honestly, I don't know how kids are going to learn if the parents are the ones who need educating.