“I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.”
Albert Schweitzer

Introduction

Humane Education is a values-based education which encourages learners to explore and develop their own attitudes, life skills and approaches on a wide range of issues including social justice, citizenship, human relationships, the environment and the welfare of animals.

Humane Education can be defined as:

"A process that encourages an understanding of the need for compassion and respect for people, animals and the environment and recognises the interdependence of all living things."

Humane Education is already delivered in some countries, usually with an initial focus on compassionate human-animal interactions and widening into broader environmental and social concerns. Animal issues are an ideal way to introduce a humane education program to younger children – because they feel a natural affinity to, and empathy with, animals. But humane education goes wider than human-animal interactions, with learners eventually considering a wide range of ethical issues (animal, human and environmental) using resources and lesson plans designed to generate creative and critical thinking, and to assist each individual in tapping into their inbuilt ‘moral compass’. In its most effective form, humane education inspires future generations to take action to build a wiser, more compassionate and peaceful world for all – and in the process contributes significantly to individual self-worth and happiness.

This paper explores the potential role for humane education in building a happy and fulfilled society.

About Humane Education

Humane Education is the building block of a humane and ethically responsible society, helping learners to:

• Develop a personal understanding of ‘who they are’ – recognizing their own special skills, talents, abilities and fostering in them a sense of self-worth.
• Develop a deep feeling for animals, the environment and other people, based on empathy, understanding, and respect.
• Develop their own personal beliefs and values, based on wisdom, justice, and compassion.
• Foster a sense of responsibility that makes them want to affirm and to act upon their personal beliefs.

In essence, it provides learners with firm moral values.

Humane Education can be a powerful force for good in the world, promoting empathy and compassion, a deep understanding of the needs of animals, other people and the environment, as well as the development of individual feelings of responsibility and self-worth. It not only instills a sense of compassion, integrity, and wisdom but also provides the knowledge and tools to act according to moral values in meaningful, far-reaching ways. All of these outcomes can contribute to the creation of more productive, altruistic and happy citizens; and a caring and peaceful society.

Read all about humane education at: http://worldanimal.net/our-programs/humane-education

Contribution to Happiness

On 9 July 2011, the UN General Assembly adopted a historic resolution which called on United Nations Member States to undertake steps that emphasize happiness and well-being in determining how to achieve and measure social and economic development. The resolution declares that “the pursuit of happiness is a fundamental human goal” and also embodies the spirit of the globally agreed targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) (now merged with the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs))¹.

Experience has shown that humane education can play a large role in improving happiness and well-being. The concept of happiness is here understood as both overall happiness – in terms of total well-being (people, animals, and the environment) - and individual happiness.

Humane education has the potential to develop learners socially, psychologically and ethically – as well as increasing compassion and empathy, and creating a feeling of interconnectedness with animals, nature and other people.

The 2013 World Happiness Report declared that ‘social, psychological, and ethical factors are crucially important in individual happiness’².

This probably seems somewhat quaint and far-fetched in the modern era (post-1800), where happiness has come to be associated largely with material conditions, especially income and consumption. However, beyond a low threshold where basic needs are met, increasing material gains have been found to have only a transient impact on happiness, and can bring their own traps (including afflictions and addictions)³. What is of greater – and lasting – importance is the deep happiness which comes from the inner peace developed from living a life which matters … compassionate and altruistic, and fulfilling our full potential. A life lived in harmony with nature and all life, instead of an ego-centered existence.

The World Happiness Report speaks of ‘eudaimonia’, which is sometimes translated as happiness, and often as ‘flourishing’, to convey the sense of deep and persistent well-being. This kind of virtue not only attends to the individual’s thriving but also to the community’s harmony. Eudaimonia is ultimately the end goal of human beings; the highest good. In the words of Bertrand Russell:

“The happiness that is genuinely satisfying is accompanied by the fullest exercise of our faculties and the fullest realisation of the world in which we live.”

In the great pre-modern traditions concerning happiness, whether Buddhism in the East, Aristotelianism in the West, or the great religious traditions, happiness is determined not by an individual’s material conditions (wealth, poverty, health, illness) but by the individual’s moral character. Aristotle spoke of virtue as the key to eudaimonia. This is why the World Happiness report advocates a return to ‘virtue ethics’ as one part of the strategy to raise happiness in society. Humane education is, in fact, the educational strategy for bringing forth ‘virtue ethics’.

Compassion and happiness seem to be intrinsically associated. Matthieu Ricard, the author of the book ‘Happiness – A Guide to Developing Life’s Most Important Skill’⁴ states:

“Compassion, the very act of feeling concern for other people’s well-being, appears to be one of the positive emotions, like joy and enthusiasm. This corroborates the research of psychologists showing that the most altruistic members of a population are also those who enjoy the highest sense of satisfaction in life.”

This claim is borne out by Maslow’s ‘hierarchy of needs’, which categorizes human motivations as follows: 

As can be seen, self-actualizing needs (wanting self-development and social progress for altruistic and ethical reasons) are the highest tier. Human social needs are also important and can be better met through the development of understanding and compassion for other humans. Humane education can help individuals to successfully meet both of these, and these lead in turn to the development of self-worth or self-esteem.

Empathy and Compassion

Humane education is the single biggest medium in our hands today to nurture and develop the gift of empathy and compassion in our children.

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another being. When it is not well developed, we only consider our own personal interests, and the feeling of interconnectedness is absent. Evil can prevail when empathy is totally lacking. Compassion is similar, in that there is an understanding of another person or animal’s pain. However, with compassion, you have more of a desire to take action, as you are motivated to do something to relieve the pain and suffering. Compassion is an emotion which calls for action. The ultimate aim of humane education is the development of compassion, with empathy as an important step in this process.

There is a well-documented link between childhood cruelty to animals and later criminality, violence, and anti-social behavior; and humane education can break this cycle and replace it with one of compassion, empathy and personal responsibility⁵.

There is a section in World Animal Net’s humane education resource on the need for humane education, which includes paragraphs on both empathy and compassion. See: http://worldanimal.net/the-need-for-humane-education

Developing Wisdom

Much of the teaching that takes place in schools is designed to impart facts and theories to learners. The methodology is largely ‘one-way communication’. This is reinforced by examinations, and the need to study given subjects and set responses in order to pass. This is simply assimilation of information, not true learning. True learning enables the pupils to critically analyze the information they receive and evaluate it under different points of view. The difference between learning and information acquisition is important in identifying and correcting biased and prejudiced views of the world. Knowledge is very different from accumulating unexamined information. Information is no more than knowing names and forms in the outside world (giving the ability to identify and analyze, memorize, and categorize). This denotes cognition and has to do with the brain (and more specifically the left hemisphere of the brain). It is just a step towards the acquisition of knowledge that promotes the development of intelligence and wisdom.

Intelligence derives from the Latin verb intelligere, to comprehend or perceive. It is an innate, knowing quality, which takes the individual beyond the mere ‘intellectual data processing’ level of thought. Psychology Today describes intelligence in these words: “Intelligence, however, was regarded as a mental faculty in its own right - a function of consciousness taking one beyond the facts as such, to suggest meaning or purpose, and determine the course of action to be taken.”⁶

 Wisdom is the sum total of knowledge gained both from within and without, which enables us to determine the existential course of our journey through life. The Rosewood Report, in which philosophers and psychologists researched and considered wisdom summarised: “Practical wisdom consists in the capacities needed to make good judgments about what matters in life and to bring one’s actions into accordance, insofar as this is in one’s control.”⁷ Humane education is an essential part of the development of wisdom, as it helps learners to listen for and acknowledge ‘felt thoughts’ (or intuition), as well as facts, and enables them to access their own ‘moral compass’. Creative approaches support and develop ‘right brain’ activity, which perceives the big picture and recognizes our relationship with other humans and animals, and this marvelous planet, which sustains our life.

When facilitated effectively, humane education can help to develop ‘multiple intelligences’, which include emotional and interpersonal aspects as well as the cognitive aspects that are developed using more traditional teaching programmes. It develops the skills needed to manage emotions, resolve conflict non-violently, and to make just and responsible decisions. Furthermore, over time it helps to make ‘interconnectedness’ a reality, changing all future relationships.

In the words of Matthieu Ricard:

"It is only by the constant cultivation of wisdom and compassion that we can really become the guardians and inheritors of happiness."

Health

The Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organisation 1946 states:

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity.”

Clearly, mental and social well-being are important components of health. Humane Education can help to develop these and in the process, improve societal health and well-being.

Sustainable Development

Humane Education has the potential to develop the motivation and mindset needed to achieve humane and sustainable development. It will also support the achievement of the proposed new UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 on fostering peaceful and inclusive societies, particularly: 16.7: by 2020 provide information and education on a culture of non-violence.

***

References:

1) UN News Centre. Happiness should have greater role in development policy – UN Member States. http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=39084#.VMi0mmiUeXw Accessed 29 January 2015.

2) World Happiness Report 2013. Edited by: John F. Helliwell, Richard Layard and Jeffrey Sachs.
http://unsdsn.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/WorldHappinessReport2013_online.pdf Accessed 21 January 2015.

3) John Helliwell, Richard Layard and Jeffrey Sachs. World Happiness Report. http://www.earth.columbia.edu/sitefiles/file/Sachs%20Writing/2012/World%20Happiness%20Report.pdf Accessed 20 April 2016.

4) Happiness – A Guide to Developing Life’s Most Important Skill. Matthieu Ricard.
http://www.matthieuricard.org/en/books/happiness-a-guide-to-developing-life-s-most-important-skill Accessed 21 January 2015.

5) Frank Ascione and Phil Arkow. Child Abuse, Domestic Violence and Animal Abuse: Linking the Circles of Compassion for Prevention and Intervention (1998). http://www.thepress.purdue.edu/titles/format/9781557531421 Accessed 20 April 2016.

6) Psychology Today. The Consciousness Question: Intellect and Intelligence.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-consciousness-question/201205/intellect-and-intelligence Accessed 21 January 2015.

7) Valerie Tiberius, University of Chicago, July, 2010. The Rosewood Report: Questions about Wisdom. http://wisdomresearch.org/forums/t/846.aspx# Accessed 28 January 2015.

Introduction to Humane Education

Humane Education (HE) has been defined as:

"A process that encourages an understanding of the need for compassion and respect for people, animals and the environment and recognises the interdependence of all living things."

HE is about creating a more just, humane and sustainable world for people, animals, and the earth through education. It is also a “root” intervention to develop populations socially, psychologically and ethically.

There are a large number of HE programmes around the world, and even an Institute for Humane Education in the USA. Practitioners across the world report that it has a multitude of positive outcomes, including the development of self-worth, well-being and human potential. The Institute for Humane Education describes its ultimate outcome as the creation of a generation of “solutionaries” – altruistic people who are committed to doing the most good and least harm.

Introduction to the Malawi Humane Education Pilot Project

Background

The Malawi pilot project was specially developed using lessons and pedagogy designed to inspire positive attitudes, values, and action through the exploration of a wide range of issues including social justice, human relationships, the environment, and animal welfare. In developing the programme, we also identified and included key values and qualities which are important to happiness and well-being, including: Compassion, kindness; altruism and service; values; wisdom; and harmony with nature. Then we added a special unit on fulfilling human potential (flourishing). The result is a foundation course of 20 lessons in a comprehensive Teachers Guide, pulling together international “best practice”.

This course was piloted in Malawi over the period of one school year (2016-2017). It was conducted in four schools after formal school hours, with the support of education stakeholders. Two urban and two rural schools were included: Chimutu and Shire in Lilongwe, and Chidewele and Thete in Dedza.

The pilot was subjected to full professional Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E). Monitoring included reporting of the outcomes of each lesson and monthly feedback interviews. Evaluation included baseline and final reports from both teachers and learners and assessed a broad range of outcomes including: educational and class behaviour; well-being; social skills; and qualities such as harmony with nature, compassion, kindness and altruism/service.

The Briefing Note for countries on the 2015 Human Development Report recorded that Malawi was ranked at 173 out of 188 countries and territories in the 2014 Human Development Index. UNDP indicates that about 85 percent of its population is living in rural areas. This is why it was vital to include rural schools in the pilot project.

Teachers Guide

The Teachers Guide includes twenty full lesson plans, including worksheets (which can be copied for classroom use) and further information on “issues to explore”. The lessons include:

Animals and Us:

• Our Animals, Our Happiness
• Animals Have Feelings Too
• Kindness: It’s in the Bag
• Animal Parliament
• Animal Happiness Volunteers

Nature and Us:

• Minding Nature
• Web of Life
• Nature is Speaking
• Eco-Volunteers

Other Humans & Us:

• Perception
• Double Vision
• Caring Class
• Communication
• Tolerance
• Bullying
• Human Happiness Volunteers

Fulfilling Potential:

• Reaching Potential: Who Am I?
• Reaching Potential: What Shall I Be?
• Superheroes
• Greatness

A Collaborative Project

This was a collaborative project, with a number of stakeholders. These included:

• World Animal Net (WAN): WAN’s Co-Founder, Janice Cox MBA, was responsible for course development and project management.
• The Lilongwe SPCA (LSPCA) was responsible for local organizations and lesson delivery by two LSPCA humane educators (Edson Chiweta and Esimy Chioza, managed by CEO Lieza Swennen).
• The RSPCA International supported and funded the project.
• The Intercultural Center for Research in Education (INCRE) was responsible for project monitoring and evaluation.
• The Centre for Education Training and Research at the University of Malawi (CERT) provided professional support and advice, and local evaluation.
• Link Community Development (LINK) also provided technical advice and local monitoring.

The district education authorities covering Lilongwe Urban and Dedza Rural were both supportive of the project and offered advice and encouragement.

Project Experiences

There is a full professional evaluation of the project in a separate Final Evaluation Report, compiled by Dr. John Zuman of the Intercultural Center for Research in Education.

This report is an informal account of our project experiences and has been compiled from individual lesson reports, monthly feedback interviews and project assessment visits (which included visits to all four schools to observe lessons).

The feedback from educators, learners, teachers, and patrons/matrons and stakeholders has been overwhelmingly positive. There is more detail on this below.

Lesson Planning

Because of the short lesson time available, the majority of the lessons had to be broken down into two halves. This led to additional planning. However, the team worked through the Teachers Manual and broke down each lesson into appropriate sessions. It was also decided to give more time at the end of each section (animals, nature, and people) for an active community study and project using the lessons learned. This helped community involvement, acceptance, and outreach. Using this approach, the 20 lessons in the Teachers Manual fitted neatly into one academic year.

Edson and Esimy, the Humane Educators, planned lessons together well in advance, to ensure that they were delivered in the same way. In case of any potential problems, they consulted the Project Manager to discuss approach.

Lesson Observations

Lessons were observed by the Project Manager and a variety of stakeholders including Professor Banda from CERT, Michael Mulenga from Link Community Development Dedza and Mr. Kachikuli, Coordinating Primary Education Advisor (CPEA). All observers agreed that the lessons went extremely well. The educators were excellent, and the learners absorbed and attentive. Active learning and participatory methodology helped to involve and interest the pupils. The educators had pre-planned the lessons and adapted these to the local situation and reality. They were also adaptable/flexible in class and able to address any points or situations which arose spontaneously during the course of the lessons.

At the beginning of the programme, there were concerns about Chidewere school, as the learners were very quiet and unforthcoming. However, by the time of the first assessment visit they had become used to the educator and new participatory methodology, and were engaged and paying full attention. It is possible that they had previously only experienced rote learning, and were kept silent in classes.

Humane Educator Feedback

The Humane Educators provided standard reports for each lesson delivered. These include aspects such as attendance, learner engagement, lesson success and details of any adaptations made. School conditions were difficult, but the educators adapted lessons accordingly. These adaptations have now been included in revisions to the Teachers Guide, and demonstrate that the course is possible everywhere.

The Humane Educators reported that Head Teachers and school staff were very engaged. Sometimes the Head Teacher or Deputy attended and observed the lessons themselves. Teachers and support staff (Matrons/Patrons) were very interested and involved.

Monthly Feedback Interviews

The Project Manager carried out monthly feedback interviews, using structured questions designed by INCRE. The findings from these were interesting and positive.

A marked difference was found between the attitudes of urban and rural learners. This is attributed to lower educational standards and less awareness of the issues in rural schools. Thus, more explanation was needed for rural schools. For example, rural learners did not understand about captive animals (even when some instances were explained i.e. zoos, sanctuaries etc.). They had simply not been exposed to captive animal situations. On the other hand, they mostly stressed uses of animals (for example, farm animals providing food; working animals; pets for security and catching mice; wild animals for tourism, jobs, economic benefits). Urban children included pets as companions/friends - nice to have around – and birds as being beautiful to look at.

Retention rates for learners taking part in the pilot project were much better than usual school retention rates, with Malawi schools having high rates of drop-out. There were higher drop-out rates in rural areas, and it was explained that some learners live far away from school, and in the rainy season, the roads become bad (and in some cases impassable). Indeed, some learners were not able to attend school at all during the rains.

In Shire school, some learners dropped out and others were substituted. The new substitutes were also given baseline questionnaires, albeit a little later than the initial intake. In Chimutu school, a few learners were transferred (and were identified as such). In each case, the Humane Educators try to discover reasons for drop-outs as these happened (including seeking advice from teachers/matrons/patrons). However, drop-out rates were not high enough to be a major concern (and well below normal class drop-out rates).

The most successful lesson was the “Animal Parliament”. This involved learners making animal masks, and the acting out animal roles (and presenting species-specific animal concerns) in a staged Parliament session. The learners loved active, participatory approaches, and in the Parliament session, many “animals” made thoughtful interventions. By way of example, the elephant stated that the way humans treated it is unacceptable and is leading to extinction.

Another popular lesson was “Animal Happiness Volunteers”, because this involved studying problems, thinking more deeply about these, and planning actions to deal with them. This action-orientation was greatly appreciated. This lesson took place over three weeks, with the first two weeks spent looking into problems in the community, and the third week working on the development of a club with actions to deal with these. Here again, the rural schools found project selection more difficult, due to unfamiliarity with animal issues. But the project chosen by the Urban schools was excellent - awareness of the need for spay-neuter and dog population control. This was carried out in the community, led by the learners (supported by LSPCA).

Overcoming Teething Problems

There were some minor teething problems with the pilot, but these had been quickly addressed. In some cases, this involved minor adaptations to suit local situations and conditions (e.g. lack of a permanent, secure classroom and certain teaching aids). The Humane Educators did this very resourcefully and thoughtfully, overcoming any potential problems. Another difficulty was with the provision of food (which was introduced to assist concentration and retention). Originally, the LSPCA brought food to the learners, but some parents were afraid that this could be poisoned! So the system was changed so the LSPCA provided funds for the food, and the school provided this, with parental involvement. Finally, the reticence of the learners at Chidewele School was overcome when the humane educator won over their trust and confidence, and slowly introduced them to participatory methods in a non-threatening environment.

As noted above, the rural schools took longer to adapt to participatory methods, and the learners appeared less well developed educationally, and less familiar with the issues covered by the course. However, this situation improved steadily over the course of the year.

Positive Stakeholder Feedback

Prof. Banda of the Malawian Centre for Education Training and Research was extremely positive and supportive of the pilot. Interestingly, he said that the new Malawian school curriculum was meant to touch "head, hands, and hearts", but in practice, it had reached heads, very little hands (only a small amount of practical work), and was not touching hearts. But the Humane Education project helped to fill that gap.

Michael Mulenga from Link Community Development commented that the programme helped enormously towards learner retention because it was interesting and “the children loved it”! This is of vital importance, given the high drop-out rates of Malawian learners. The National Education Profile’s 2014 update showed a survival rate of learners to Grade 5 of just 55% female and 56% male.

The representatives from Lilongwe Urban district were also supportive of the project. The Desk Officer for Primary Education (sitting in for the DEM) pointed out that the HE project will help the learners in other subjects as well.

Lilongwe Urban appreciated the time and interest taken by the LSPCA. They rarely have NGOs helping their district with education (as most support goes to rural areas).

Monitoring and Evaluation

Monitoring and evaluation tools will be shared freely, so others interested parties can also benefit from these. In particular, animal protection societies may wish to replicate the project, in order to support local advocacy for inclusion in their school curriculum. These have been amended and simplified to take account of teething problems in this first pilot.

The Possibility of Curriculum Inclusion in Malawi 

Humane Education has the potential to be transformational education, which moves the heart to make positive change. Given the success of the project, we discussed what would be needed to roll this out. Claxton Chipakha of Link Community Development advised that the appropriate curriculum areas would be life skills and social and environmental sciences.

The District Education Authorities at Lilongwe Urban advised that emerging issues could be included in their monthly report to the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MoEST). There was also the possibility of the District Education Manager (DEM) requesting a meeting with the Director of Basic Education.

There is also a civil society education coalition in Malawi, which the LSPCA could join to support advocacy for roll-out.

Further Roll Out/Maximising Impact

The educational resources and results of this pilot project will be shared internationally. They will also be used to support advocacy in favor of HE in curriculums across the world, and also to enrich and influence development models which measure societal success beyond economic output. These include emerging new development paradigms which are under consideration by the United Nations, including Happiness/Well-Being (which is already introduced and measured in a number of policy arenas, including the OECD) and Harmony with Nature.

All the teaching and M&E resources and tools will be shared with interested animal protectionists and educationalists.

Janice H. Cox, MBA
Director – World Animal Net/Humane Education Project Manager
November 2017 

Human Education for Happiness and Well-Being: Pedagogy & Classroom Management

"The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be ignited."
Plutarch, a follower of Socrates.

Effective humane education uses methods which are designed to bring inspiration through the drawing out of each learner’s intrinsic wisdom. A range of materials and methods can be used to suit different subjects and learning styles. These will include both creative and critical thinking approaches. Humane education programmes are designed to inspire each learner to explore, understand and play their unique role in making the world a better place. Each learner will be helped to recognize and develop their own gifts, skills, and talents. They are also encouraged to discover their own personal motivations, interests, and beliefs, in order to inspire a sense of mission which will lead to right action.

Infed, the online education and learning community, confirms this:

“For many concerned with education, it is also a matter of grace and wholeness, wherein we engage fully with the gifts we have been given. As Pestalozzi constantly affirmed, education is rooted in human nature; it is a matter of head, hand and heart (Brühlmeier 2010). We find identity, meaning, and purpose in life ‘through connections to the community, to the natural world, and to spiritual values such as compassion and peace’ (Miller 2000).”

Humane education can be delivered in separate, targeted lessons or interwoven in other subject lessons; or a combination of both approaches (which is ideal). However, to be delivered effectively, the pedagogy needs to be carefully considered and adapted. It has a focus on flourishing and is an exercise in moral philosophy. Learners are asked to consider some profound questions about themselves and the situations they face. Fundamentally the questions examined are about how people should live their lives: ‘what is the right way to act in this situation or that; what does happiness consist of for me and for others; how should I relate to others (and other animals); what sort of society should I be working for?’ The designers of humane education lessons need to have spent some time themselves reflecting upon what might make for flourishing and happiness.

Humane education is about bringing learning to life, and life to learning.

World Animal Net’s humane education resource includes further information about pedagogy. See: http://worldanimal.net/methodology-he

The following are a few key tips on methodology, extracted from this source:

• Do not use instructional (didactic) methods, but facilitate in a supportive atmosphere in which learners feel free to explore their beliefs and express themselves.
• Use moral discussion to support moral development. Stage change occurs most readily in students who disagree about the moral solution to a dilemma.
• In moral discussion, help learners to distinguish between rules, norms and conventions and universal concerns for justice (fairness and welfare).
• Use exploration of morals or values to influence motivation, rather than simply behavior (i.e. explore underlying motivations for change, rather than simply making learners carry out certain actions).
• Use a range of materials and methods in order to suit different subjects and learning styles. Both creative and critical thinking abilities need to be used to gain maximum value.
• Make wide use of creative methods for the teaching of humane education. Begin with mindfulness meditation/quiet time to aid creativity. Where possible, introduce visual arts, painting, drawing, collages, plays, imagination etc.
• Incorporate well-organized group work where possible. Give groups control over their environment and the ways in which they get to the required results (including self-regulation of timing and workflow).
• Encourage positive feedback and constructive criticism.
• Encourage class members to care for any learners having problems with their behavior or learning. The ‘buddy’ system can be helpful (linking learners to support each other).
• Do not restrict humane education values to lesson time; carry it through into all class interactions, creating a holistic humane (kind and caring) learning environment.

Classroom Management for Humane Education

Moral and emotional development should not just be something covered in lessons. It should run through the school and each classroom. To achieve this, classroom democracy and some co-operative classroom goals are needed. There is a considerable body of evidence that co-operative goal structures contribute to moral development. In addition to being linked to positive social outcomes, they have been associated with increases in student motivation and academic achievement.

Moral discussion is more like to take place in classrooms employing co-operative goal structures in a democratic atmosphere than in the traditional classroom environment.

Schools should emphasize co-operative decision-making and problem solving, nurturing moral development by requiring students to work out common rules based on fairness. The use of reasoning to respond to transgressions also aids moral development - the morality of justice emerges from coordinating the interactions of autonomous individuals.

Classroom management should be: 

• Firm
• Fair
• Flexible (with room for negotiation between educators and learners)

Educators should foster an atmosphere in the classroom that is open, respectful and tolerant. Diversity should be valued, and different abilities stressed and appreciated. Different cultures, religions, and social constructs should be explored and understood in a sensitive and supportive manner. Educators should preach and practice empathy and compassion for all, sprinkled liberally with patience and understanding!

The educator should provide students with opportunities for personal discovery through problem-solving, rather than indoctrinating students with their own norms and values. Indeed, educators should work gradually to deconstruct social values and norms, whilst learners are replacing these with their own personal moral values.

Class discussions and negotiations should be encouraged. The educator should create an atmosphere which is open to all viewpoints. No views should be crushed or disregarded – even the more controversial. Create a climate of trust and acceptance in class. The class should be a ‘safe haven’ in which contributions are welcomed and valued. Where learners bring forward worrying (or intolerant or antagonistic) viewpoints, ask other learners to comment. Their reflections are likely to provide a greater spur to further reflection.

The way in which feedback is approached is as important as the task itself. Negative criticism should be discouraged (as it is de-motivating). A classroom culture should be developed where appreciative responses are the norm. Concentration on using strengths in teamwork should be followed by recognition of valuable contributions. Group work can build on this, by working consistently towards ‘best fit’ – giving appropriate roles and support within the team. Pleasure and appreciation should be given for shared outcomes. As groups feed back to the complete class, applause and constructive comments should be invited (until these become the norm). Feedback is an art to be learned. Constructive criticism should always be welcomed as a learning opportunity, but the way in which this is worded is important! The educator should guide the learners into ways of giving positive feedback (including through developing empathy with the person receiving feedback).

The educator should encourage the class to care for any learners having problems with their behavior or learning. The ‘buddy’ system can be useful – where an able learner takes a struggling learner under their wing (as a friend and mentor). Always check understanding, so learners are not marginalized or left out of class activities. Fostering the morality of care is an important part of classroom management which builds interconnectedness.

Conflict Resolution in Schools

One important aspect of classroom management is conflict resolution. A peer mediation system is recommended in humane education classrooms. This approach can reduce classroom conflict, and in particular teacher/learner antagonisms and polarisation. One system for achieving peer mediation in schools is outlined in the Conflict Resolution set of booklets: http://worldanimal.net/methodology-he (see Booklets 1, 11 and 12). This can be easily be adapted to suit the requirements of individual schools. Key elements of the system are: 

• Gaining support of school governors, and training/awareness briefing;
• Selection and training of educators with special responsibility for Conflict Resolution;
• Selection and training of learner conflict resolution mediator members;
• Selection and training of class conflict resolution monitors; and
• Establishment of monitoring and mediation procedures.

The mediation and negotiation techniques used include key aspects, such as:

• Use of a neutral adjudicator/facilitator (or team);
• Meeting to talk in a peaceful and constructive manner about the potential conflict;
• Clarifying each party’s interests and desires;
• Checking that each party understands the other’s position;
• Exploring ways of solving the problem; and
• Trying to find a solution that everyone involved likes.

Similar systems have already been introduced in the USA, where they were found to reduce the amount of time teachers need to spend on resolving disputes, whilst providing learners with the opportunity to talk over their difficulties with others. Simultaneously, these systems provide mediators with valuable life skills.

Compassion Bulletin Board

Create a compassion bulletin board for the class. Write an agreed definition of compassion, or a header explaining compassion, on the top of the board. Then include below these examples of compassion towards oneself, other people, animals and/or the environment. Encourage the learners to draw nice pictures or cartoons of the acts of compassion too, if they are artistic.

Compassion can be explained along the following lines:

A feeling of deep sympathy and sadness for the suffering, misfortune or damage caused to a person, animal or the environment; accompanied by a strong desire to help, and to alleviate the suffering.

Mindfulness, Meditation/'Quiet Time', and Calm

It is recommended that humane education lessons are preceded by a brief period of mindfulness meditation (or ‘quiet time’). Just five minutes is needed before a lesson and can yield significant benefits for teachers, learners, and humane education lessons. This quiet space helps learners to locate a calm core, which helps reflection, focus and creativity, and access to their inner moral compass and values. Research (for example, Exeter/Cambridge University study 2012 and Cambridge University Pilot Study 2008) has shown that mindfulness/meditation in schools has significant impacts on depression, stress, and wellbeing. Most students reported enjoying and benefiting from the mindfulness training; and they experienced increases in self-awareness and self-regulation, self-determination and self-efficacy. Proponents state that this important life skill enhances mental health and wellbeing, concentration, resilience, problem-solving, empathy and academic performance. Many teachers who have been trained in mindfulness report calmer classrooms, more attentive students and more effective learning.

Getting Humane Education into the Curriculum

Many animal protection organizations across the world carry out Humane Education programs, but the vast majority of these take place outside the formal school curriculum (for example, at ‘after school’ clubs) or as ad hoc talks to students. Very few countries have included Humane Education issues within the curriculum. Yet this is undoubtedly the best way to ensure thorough and widespread Humane Education programs. It is also a real possibility, particularly in existing curriculum areas, such as Life Skills.

This takes effective advocacy – which means building relationships and trust with the education authorities and providing strong evidence on the need for Humane Education and its beneficial impacts. The latter can be proved by a pilot project which incorporates professional Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E).

Professional Evaluation

Despite this, few animal protection organizations have professionally evaluated their Humane Education programs.

This is why World Animal Net (WAN) developed this pilot program: To provide professional and well documented evidence of the value of Humane Education across a number of areas of importance to educators (and society more generally); and to provide the lessons and evaluation tools necessary for other organizations to replicate the project in their own countries.

Value of Humane Education

WAN is convinced of the value of Humane Education for working at the very roots of animal cruelty and neglect. But its impacts go far wider than this, as our pilot project has demonstrated through its professionally-conducted and thorough evaluation.

Not only did the pilot result in “statistically significant gains in students' humane attitudes”, with 88% of students saying that participating in the activities changed their attitudes toward animals. But a remarkable 90% said that their attitudes toward the environment were affected, and 86% said that the activities changed their attitudes toward people. These results were generally supported by mean gains in the Compassion/Happiness Index, a 60-item inventory of students' humane attitudes.

Teachers reported that participating in the WAN program resulted in improved student behavior and social skills, enhanced compassion for animals, and promoted respect for nature and the environment.

According to teachers, the top five impacts of participating in the lessons on students were:

1. Improved school attendance - 78% of teachers said that the pilot project definitely contributed to enhanced student attendance in school.
2. Improved levels of care and compassion for animals - 75% of teachers said pilot project participation enhanced the levels of care and compassion for animals among their students.
3. Strengthened the level of respect and awareness for nature and the environment - 72% of teachers said that participating in the lessons enhanced students' levels of respect and awareness for nature and the environment.
4. Improved learners’ social skills - 69% of teachers said that the pilot project enhanced how students interact with classmates.
5. Improved the level of kindness and compassion in the class - 59% of teachers said that participating in the lessons improved the level of kindness and compassion in their classes.

These are all vitally important impacts for teachers and education authorities. Thus, they can be used as effective evidence for inclusion of Humane Education in school curriculums.

Here are links to major documents from the Humane Education pilot project:

• Humane Education Pilot Project: Background & Experiences
• Humane Education Final Evaluation Report (PDF)
  
• Introductory Teachers Guide, together with full lesson plans (PDF)

M & E Documents:

• Educator Lesson Feedback (Excel Spreadsheet)
• Monthly HE Interview Form (PDF)
• Student Questionnaire (PDF)
• Teacher Assessment (Excel Spreadsheet)
• Post Teacher Feedback (PDF)
• Reflection Questions (PDF)
• WAN Evaluation Plan (an overview of the M&E system) (PDF)

Papers:

• Pedagogy Paper
• HE & Happiness Paper