Students highlight the importance of introducing animal welfare education in schools mark International Education Day.
Students have highlighted the importance of animal welfare, warning it has never been more important to learn empathy, responsibility, and respect for animals.
To mark International Day of Education, the Scottish SPCA spoke to students and youth volunteers about animal welfare education and its role in shaping a kinder, more responsible society. Their message was clear: early education is essential to prevent harm, improve emotional intelligence, and ensure animals are treated with the care they deserve.
Lawrie Millar, a 16-year-old Youth Volunteer with the Scottish SPCA, said: “People have to know how to care for animals because it gives them the fundamental skills of love, empathy, responsibility and respect – not only for animals, but for other human beings.
“And we need a caring society with high emotional intelligence, especially with all the global issues ahead in the future.”
Fellow volunteer, Emilia Moone, echoed Lawrie’s concerns: “Young children don’t have a massive understanding on animal wellness, and I think this is due to the fact that schools don’t teach you about it.
“It’s just important for people to realise the responsibility of having an animal and what to do if you’re thinking about getting one.”
P1-P7 students from Broughton Primary School in the Scottish Borders were equally clear about the importance of early education. One student said: “The world would be kind of falling apart with no animals.
“If we didn’t have animals there would be no nature”
Another added: “If we didn’t have animals there would be no nature.”
The Scottish SPCA is calling for animal welfare education to be incorporated into the Scottish school curriculum, as part of the national education reform programme.
Animal welfare education is a proven, evidence-based driver of social change. It fosters empathy, ethical awareness and social responsibility – all of which directly support national priorities including responsible citizenship, mental health, environmental stewardship and violence prevention.
Research by the Scottish SPCA and The University of Edinburgh has shown the clear benefits of early intervention. Findings showed a greater understanding of animal sentience, improved emotional intelligence, increased empathy towards animals, and a lower risk of animal harm among high-risk children.
Lawrie insisted education is “instrumental” and plays a critical role in reducing the number of cases of animal neglect.
He said: “If you have grown up not knowing how to empathise or love another creature, then it’s going to be difficult to develop that in later life, and that also impacts community and society. I think neglect is often accepted when you don’t have high emotional intelligence.
“Education gives young people an underlying understanding that life is precious and that generates empathy and respect for other creatures.”
He added that misconception about animal care continues to put animal at risk.
“People tend to know the fundamentals. They know that they need food and water and how to get rid of waste. But the right type of food [to give them] might be an issue. Some people feed the animals their own food. That’s an issue that we need to address – that food needs to be the right type of food. Each animal has individual needs and deserves a high level of care.
Having a pet isn’t just to have an accessory
“People misunderstand that the purpose of having a pet isn’t just to have an accessory, it’s to have another creature to care for.”
Emilia added that the lack of awareness around animal cruelty can make it harder for the public to understand the urgency of education reform.
She said: “People also see the Scottish SPCA and think it’s all cupcakes and rainbows sort of thing, but there’s so much more to that and I think that’s a massive gap – people don’t know what actually happens.
“If an animal comes into the Scottish SPCA, I don’t think people realise that it’s not fun and games. You see malnourished and beaten animals. People need to understand how much responsibility takes place when looking after an animal and how they should be cared for properly. It’s important for them to be educated on why so many end up in the Scottish SPCA”.
Legislation continues to move forward, helping to ensure Scotland remains at the forefront of animal welfare values. Most recently, the passing of the Dog Theft (Scotland) Bill marked an incredible milestone in strengthening protections for dogs and recognising animal sentience. However, more must be done, with early education playing a vital role in preventing harm before it happens.
It’s a proven early-intervention tool
Director of Strategic Communications & Partnership Engagement, Gilly Mendes Ferreira said: “Teaching animal welfare in schools isn’t just about kindness to animals – it’s a proven early-intervention tool that helps prevent harm in our communities. Research consistently shows that cruelty to animals is often an early warning sign of later violence toward people. By making animal welfare education mandatory, we foster empathy, responsibility and respect for life early, helping to protect both animals and humans and build a safer society for everyone”
In 2025, the Scottish SPCA hosted Youth Volunteering placements for 52 young people aged 14-16. In total, 26% of all Scottish SPCA volunteers are under the age of 25. There are also over 200 college and university students acting as SSPCA Student Ambassadors, and the society is hoping to double this number in 2026.
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