Schools urged to incorporate PETA in textbooks and school curricula

Updated on: Saturday, April 27, 2013

In three separate developments, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) have urged schools to incorporate People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India’s humane education programme in textbooks and school curricula.

Following meetings with PETA India, Dr Shashi Tharoor, Minister of State for Human Resource Development, has called upon the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to look into incorporating PETA’s Compassionate Citizen programme into its textbooks. Simultaneously, Vineet Joshi, chair, CBSE, too has issued a notification for affiliated schools to include the programme as part of the official school curricula. The notification elaborates on how the programme can be included in the curriculum via languages, science, social studies, environmental and values education subjects. In addition, the CBSE has included the programme as part of the Value Education Kit for teachers.

Additionally, Dr RM Kharb, chair, AWBI, has written to Gerry Arathoon, chair, Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, urging him to include PETA’s school programme in its official school curricula.

Compassionate Citizen is PETA India’s version of PETA US’ humane-education programme, Share the World, designed to help students aged 8 to 12 to understand and appreciate animals. The programme offers teachers effective tools and lesson plans to teach children to view animals as feeling, sensitive beings. According to PETA, Compassionate Citizen has been successfully used in nearly 15,000 private and government schools, reaching three million children across India.

Schools urged to incorporate PETA in textbooks and school curricula

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