Background

In November 1998, the Department of Local Government published a Green Bill for a new Animal Welfare Act. This was the catalyst for the formation of a cross-sectoral Schools Animals Ethics Planning Committee to explore:

• what advice needed to be provided to schools; and
• the feasibility of establishing a cross-sectoral Schools Animal Ethics Committee

Resulting from this, a resource booklet and poster was developed and sent to all schools. An initial Schools Animal Ethics Committee was formed in 2000. This was re-formed in 2003 as the Department of Education and Training Schools Animal Ethics Committee.