Prime Minister of Pakistan\u2019s Strategic Reforms Unit head Salman Sufi on Saturday announced that the government was preparing a \u201cspecial course\u201d on animal welfare for schools in Islamabad.<\/p>\n
\u201cA special course is being prepared on animal welfare that will be introduced in schools of ICT region. Children will be introduced to compassion and a humane approach toward animals so they can be better citizens,\u201d he said in a tweet.<\/p>\n
The course, which will be introduced in educational institutions by the end of October, has already been chalked out, Sufi told Dawn.com over the phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will primarily be included in a subject but we are still figuring out which subject and the chapters,\u201d he said, revealing that the course will be introduced \u201caccording to the intensity of the curriculum\u201d and will be taught to classes starting from the fifth grade in both private and government schools.<\/p>\n
Sufi elaborated that the course would not just be included in the curriculum but will also have co-curricular sessions.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnimal rights activists will visit schools and teach children about keeping pets. They will tell kids that pets cannot just be kept for fun, and make them realise that animals are a responsibility.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd with every class, the depth of the course will increase,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Apart from pets, Sufi went on, students will also be taught about stray animals. \u201cThey need to understand that you can\u2019t throw stones at stray dogs. That it is better to neuter these animals. That even Islam teaches us to respect every living being and emphasises how animals should be protected.\u201d<\/p>\n
And not just dogs or cats, but also donkeys and horses, he said. \u201cOver the years, we have seen how Pakistan has become a horrible place for these animals.\u201d<\/p>\n
Furthermore, the course will entail the dangers of keeping exotic animals at home.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will tell children that if they can afford these wild animals, it is absolutely unfair to keep them at home and that importing exotic animals is a big no,\u201d Sufi stressed, pointing out that the government was also in touch with international organisations and local activists regarding the projects.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur generation has failed the animals, so we have to make sure that our kids are better than us,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Hailing the development, Pakistan Animal Welfare Society co-founder and animal activist Mahera Omar said that it was important to teach children kindness towards animals.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen they grow up with such values from a young age it leads to a more compassionate society. They learn that animals too can feel pain, and have rights and needs that ought to be respected.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said the news that children in Islamabad would now be able to learn about animal welfare was a \u201cgreat first step\u201d and hoped that it would soon be taught across schools in the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe young generation is also the steward of our environment, our wild spaces and native wildlife, and their education on such matters is key to a better future for all of us,\u201d Omar said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Prime Minister of Pakistan\u2019s Strategic Reforms Unit head Salman Sufi on Saturday announced that the government was preparing a \u201cspecial course\u201d on animal welfare for schools in Islamabad. \u201cA special course is being prepared on animal welfare that will be introduced in schools of ICT region. Children will be introduced to compassion and a humane […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":284013,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-284011","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-national"},"yoast_head":"\n