Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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365. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration has been given to the inclusion of the need to respect animals in an aspect of the curriculum at primary or second-level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45847/18]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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At primary school level, social, environmental and scientific education enables the child to learn and practice a wide range of skills; and to acquire open, critical and responsible attitudes, including caring for animals.

Engagement with the Living Thingsstrand unit in the science curriculum gives children the opportunity to study animals and their life processes in the context of their interrelationships with plants and people. For example, the science curriculum aims to enable children to appreciate that people share the environment with animal life and that living things have essential needs for growth. In addition, children explore how to care for and respect animals and how to take action to protect their environment. Through the science curriculum, children also come to recognise that people, plants and animals depend on each other.

In the course of their work, teachers in different disciplines use various support materials produced by bodies such as the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Compassion in World Farming and other national Animal Welfare Charities who provide either free primary school programmes to schools or facilitate educational visits from schools.

At post primary it is a matter for schools to decide which subjects they wish to offer. One of the Leaving Certificate subject options available is Biology. Through the study of Biology students explore the diversity of life and the inter-relationships between organisms and their environment. They become aware of the use of living organisms and their products to enhance human health and the environment.

There is a Level 2 Short course for Junior Cycle: A Personal Project: Caring for Animals. This short course builds on and promotes the development of a range of personal, social and practical skills in the context of learning about an animal of special interest to the student. As well as content knowledge, students develop essential skills such as those of communication and language; thinking and reasoning; labelling; classifying; comparison and inferring. Knowledge, skills and attitudes for life are developed through links with the community, creative projects, numeracy, communication and literacy.