The purpose of the questions in forms 1 to 4 (Appendices 5a, 5b, 5c and 6) is to provide the Schools Animal Care and Ethics Committee (SACEC) with an accurate and realistic picture of how the teacher plans to carry out the proposed activity and how prepared the teacher and students are for the activity. To do this, each form must be completed fully and in a way that will give the SACEC enough information to make a decision about whether to grant approval for the activity to be carried out. To help with this process advice about specific questions has been provided. Teachers should read through this information before completing the appropriate form. All forms need to be signed by both teacher and principal. Form 2 (Appendix 5b) must also be signed by the student who is to carry out the research project. Help answering questions in Form 1 (Appendix 5a) Question 8 Describe the preparation or training of students PRIOR to the actual activity for which approval is sought. Your answer could include examples of skill-building with equipment, using alternatives to simulate the task and risk assessment for animals and students. Answers should consider: The type of preparation or prior training required to complete the activity. This will depend on the activity. It may include: demonstration on live animals by a competent instructor videos use of models opportunities to practise with any instruments on non-living tissue involvement in the care of animals after they have been used in the procedure discussion about the potential risks to the animals and humans involved and how organisation and preparation can decrease the level of risk. Example: If the proposed activity is castration of lambs then the following preparation or prior training would be appropriate. Before any student carries out castration they will have: observed closely castration of a lamb by a competent instructor practiced using the elastrator and rubber bands on non-living tissue, e. g. pieces of leather, socks filled with sand worked with lambs and observed their behaviour developed an awareness of the importance of ensuring that lambs were mothered up and were not exposed to extreme weather conditions after castration. Question 9 (a) What outcomes or competencies will students achieve by carrying out this activity? Specific outcomes from a syllabus or competencies from a curriculum framework should be listed. Example: If the proposed activity is castration of lambs then the following would be applicable. For Year 9 Agricultural Technology: Outcome 5.4.3 requires students to implement and justify the application of animal welfare guidelines to agricultural practices Outcome 5.6.2 requires students to perform animal management practices safely and in cooperation with others. For Primary Industries, students are required to achieve the competency: Castrate livestock. Question 9 (b) Why do students need to use animals, rather than alternatives, to achieve these outcomes or competencies? This question requires the teacher to justify the decision to allow students to carry out an activity that may cause pain and distress to the animals involved. Example: If the proposed activity is castration it is not acceptable to state that it is an essential husbandry task and therefore suitable for students to carry out the castration. Yes, it is an essential husbandry task, but it is not essential for it to be carried out by students. If castration is not carried out correctly then there is a great chance that the pain and distress to the animal will not be minimised. The teacher must provide an answer that focuses on why the students must carry out the castration. Question 11 Using the table below, describe what potential impact your activity will have on the animal’s wellbeing and how you will ameliorate the impact. Any activity involving animals has an impact on them. Often by just considering the impact, ways of minimising or ameliorating any impact become quite obvious. Amelioration of the impact may involve all or some of the following: carrying out the activity to animals at a particular age selecting animals of a particular breed, variety or strain carrying out the activity at a particular time of the year or day carrying out the activity in particular weather conditions selecting a particular environment for the activity timing the activity so that individual animals are separated from their herd, flock or mob for the minimum time possible. Example: If the proposed activity is castration of lambs then the following impact and amelioration could be described. Impact Amelioration of the impact Removal from mother . Organise the activity so that lambs are away from their mothers for the least time possible. This means working on small groups of lambs and then mothering them up as quickly as possible. Question 17 Please provide the following information about the organisation of the activity: (a) Maximum number of students to be supervised by the teacher at one time for the activity. This refers to the total number of students that the teacher will be supervising who will actually be carrying out the activity. It does not refer to the number of students in the class. Example: If out of a class of 30 students, only 15 will be carrying out the activity at one time, 15 will be the maximum number of students supervised for the activity. (b) Number of students carrying out the activity at the one time. Example: If the proposed activity is castration of lambs and there are only two pieces of equipment for this activity, then two students will be carrying out the activity at one time. The purpose of this question (a to f) is to allow the SACEC to imagine how the activity will be organised and what planning has been done to allow the activity to proceed as smoothly as possible. Form 2 (Appendix 5b) Question 9 (a) What outcomes or competencies will students achieve by carrying out this project? Specific outcomes from a syllabus should be listed. Example: If the proposed project is to be carried out for the HSC Agriculture course then the following outcomes would be applicable: H3.4 A student evaluates the management of the processes in agricultural systems. H4.1 A student applies appropriate experimental techniques, technologies, research by methods and data presentation and analysis in relation to agricultural problems and situations. (b) Why do students need to use animals, rather than alternatives, to achieve these outcomes or competencies? This question requires the teacher to justify the decision to allow students to carry out a project that may cause pain and distress to the animals involved. Example: If the proposed project involves a category 4 or 5 activity or is not listed on the approved activity list, then the student and teacher must explain why that activity must be done by the student. The explanation must consider why second hand data cannot be used and justify why an activity that has the potential to cause pain and distress to animals should be carried out by the student. Question 10 Describe the preparation or training of students PRIOR to the actual activity for which approval is sought. Your answer could include examples of skill-building with equipment, using alternatives to simulate the task and risk assessment for animals and students. Answers should consider: The type of preparation or prior training required to complete the activity. This will depend on the activity. It may include: demonstration on live animals by a competent instructor videos use of models opportunities to practise with any instruments on non-living tissue involvement in the care of animals after they have been used in the procedure discussion about the potential risks to the animals and humans involved and how organisation and preparation can decrease the level of risk. Example: If the proposed activity is castration of lambs then the following preparation or prior training would be appropriate. Before any student carries out castration they will have: observed closely castration of a lamb by a competent instructor practiced using the elastrator and rubber bands on non-living tissue, e. g. pieces of leather, socks filled with sand worked with lambs and observed their behaviour developed an awareness of the importance of ensuring that lambs were mothered up and were not exposed to extreme weather conditions after castration. Question14. Using the table below, describe what potential impact your activity will have on the animal’s wellbeing and how you will ameliorate the impact. Any activity involving animals has an impact on them. Often by just considering the impact, ways of minimising or ameliorating any impact become quite obvious. Amelioration of the impact may involve all or some of the following: carrying out the activity to animals at a particular age selecting animals of a particular breed, variety or strain carrying out the activity at a particular time of the year or day carrying out the activity in particular weather conditions selecting a particular environment for the activity timing the activity so that individual animals are separated from their herd, flock or mob for the minimum time possible. Example: If the proposed activity is castration of lambs then the following impact and amelioration could be described. Impact Amelioration of the impact Removal from mother . Organise the activity so that lambs are away from their mothers for the least time possible. This means working on small groups of lambs and then mothering them up as quickly as possible.