At NZAVS, we have the utmost respect for teachers and their important mahi. We know that teachers play an incredibly important role in society - they guide, nurture, and equip our tamariki with knowledge and skills to enhance their chances of a prosperous future.
Teachers have a lot of influence over their students. Besides immediate friends and whānau, teachers have the largest impact on students:
- Almost all (98%) participants in a survey agreed that a good teacher can change your life.1
- Research confirms that teachers’ attention to the social and emotional needs of students plays a vital role in their academic engagement and achievement.2
- Perceived teacher support is important to all students.3 To the point that self-assessment is affected by teachers exercising their agency dominantly.4
With this comes the responsibility not only to care for your student’s intellectual development but for their overall well-being and safety.
The influence teachers can have on students extends to how they perceive or treat animals.5
Our recommendations to teachers
Team NZAVS encourages all teachers to use ethical alternatives to animal dissections in your classroom. This doesn't just benefit animals, it also helps create a more inclusive learning space for students (and can even improve academic outcome) Learn about the many benefits here.
We’ve created this page especially for teachers to help inform them about:
- The rules they must to follow when using animals for teaching purposes in NZ.
- The available alternatives to animal dissections.
Learn more below!
If you are interested in replacing animal dissections at your kura and you'd like help with sourcing the right alternative methods to suit your needs, please contact us.
