AUSTIN – The Texas Humane Network recently introduced its third-grade humane curriculum program online. The curriculum will promote the safety and well-being of children, animals, and our communities while addressing learning loss due to the pandemic.
Over the last year, the Texas Humane Network has worked with expert curriculum writers, humane educators, and partners throughout the state to create an introductory educational curriculum in alignment with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). TEKS are the state standards for what students should know and be able to do.
Among the major concerns of the human curriculum program is addressing learning deficiencies due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, Texas students have struggled with mental health, learning loss, and problems reengaging in the classroom.
A McKinsey & Company study found students remain behind in math and reading, especially those in majority-Black schools, who remain five months behind historic levels, compared to those two months behind in white-majority schools.
Another area of concern in humane education is animal safety. “The lack of any formal education in Texas on how to treat and behave around animals has caused growing problems with dog bites, poor treatment of animals, and threatens the overall safety of Texans, especially children,” said Shelby Bobosky, Executive Director.
“Introducing a third-grade humane curriculum in Texas public schools offers the opportunity to teach children how to safely interact with animals and treat them with respect,” said Bobosky.
In 2021, there were over 1,000 dog-bite-related claims in Texas. Texas also has one of the largest stray dog populations in the country.
“Dog bites tend to happen most frequently to children who don’t know how to keep their distance, treat the animal, or protect themselves. Providing humane education to children can help children stay safe around stray animals,” said Bobosky.
Education about animals has been shown to capture the attention of young minds, remarked Bobosky, suggesting the curriculum could be a great way to help students improve their performance and readjust to learning in a classroom.
“Ultimately, humane education is about keeping both children and animals safe. A humane curriculum sets a foundation of knowledge for students to know how to treat animals with respect and kindness and will create a more empathetic, humane Texas for all,” concluded Bobosky.
For more information, please contact Cara Gustafson at cara@publicblueprint.com.
