Animal Ethics

The Queensland Schools Animal Ethics Committee (QSAEC) was established by the chief executive officers of Education Queensland (EQ), the Queensland Catholic Education Commission (QCEC) and Independent Schools Queensland (ISQ) to assist Queensland schools to meet their legal obligations under the Animal Care and Protection Act 2001 ('the Act'). In particular section 91 of the act requires that schools obtain ethical approval for relevant animal use activities.

The QSAEC is also required to ensure that schools comply with Australian Code of Practice for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes 7th edition, 2004 ('the Code') .

Animal use in Queensland schools

Most school activities involving animals require approval from the QSAEC because educational activities are generally considered for be for 'scientific purposes'.
All schools must consider the 3 Rs of animal welfare:

replacement of animals with other methods (alternatives)
reduction in numbers of animals used
refinement of techniques used, in order to reduce adverse impacts on animals.

These principles must be applied to all activities and should drive decision making in the classroom and within the school. As a general principle, animals should not be used unless there are no suitable alternatives for achieving the educational objectives.

The QSAEC flowchart 195k is designed to assist schools in navigating the application and reporting process.

Categories of activities 87k have been developed to support best practice in animal use activities.

The Animal Use in Queensland State Schools procedure outlines the responsibilities that principals and other school staff have for animal use in schools.

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This page was last reviewed on 28 Nov 2012