STUDY OF ANIMAL FAMILIES 

 IN SCHOOLS 



No Child should be allowed to grow up without having the training 

 which the care of pets gives him. The values of animal friends to 

 children are so many that it is difficult to think of them all. The 

 most important is the joy of the child as he plays with his friends. 

 He learns at the same time respect for life, and incidentally gains an 

 understanding of reproduction, as he sees his pets bearing young, 

 and is automatically instilled with the appreciation of parenthood 

 and the cleanness of the sex instinct. Kindliness develops with even 

 the roughest little "tacker" as he is trained to handle and to be 

 responsible for the care of these friends. The children also learn 

 self-control and become more quiet, not from discipline superim- 

 posed by teacher or parent, but because they want to get closer to 

 the pets, and because they must be quiet to see what the animals do. 

 The whole subject of sanitation — which greatly needs to be taught 

 in a vital way to the children in the public schools — can be taught 

 in connection with animal study: proper housing, ventilation, clean 

 food, and the protection of the animals from their own excreta. 



Criticisms of Work With Animals 



Many people feel that there are so many objections to work with 

 animals that it is not wise to take it up in the city schools. Thus 

 it seems that the only children who may realize the joy of knowing 

 animals are those who live in the country. As a matter of fact, 

 country children acquire knowledge of animals and their habits, 

 without that correct scientific study and ethical training which 

 should always accompany work with animals, if it is to be of educa- 

 tional value. The chief objections to work with live animals in city 

 schools are these: 



1. That the animals lose their freedom and that this reacts upon 



the children; 



2. That it is difficult to keep them clean; 



3. That they distract children from their work; 



4. That the children are naturally cruel, and constant care is 



needed to protect the animals from them; 



7 



