Austrian School Project: All about Animals ”Tierschutz im Unterricht”
Educating children to respect animals
Because of her life long love for
people and animals, Charlotte Probst
has become a pioneer and expert in
cooperation between animal protection
movements and schools. Over
decades she has developed a programme
which is so successful nowadays
that her ”Austrian Way” is being
exported to Switzerland, Germany,
Hungary, Poland and Italy. In all these
countries similar schemes are being
set up, aimed at making children
aware of the respect that animals deserve.
Mrs Probst explains: ”My experience
as a teacher showed me that children
are basically very caring towards
animals and that they, when allowed
to, tend to create a loving relationship
with them. This knowledge led, over
the years and in many small steps, to
the project of ‘Tierschutz im Unterricht’.”
How did it all begin?
Charlotte Probst started her active
involvement with animals about
twenty years ago. Several successful
campaigns (against hunting, fur-farming,
etc) made her work known beyond
the Austrian borders and initiated,
in 1987, the creation of the animal
rights organisation ”Bundesverein
der Tierbefreier”. In particular
one of her campaigns against vivisection
made headlines and accelerated
her activities: The slogan “Tortured
for You” made such an impact that it
helped bring about legal amendments
(ABGB § 285 – 1 August 1988),
stipulating that animals are to be considered
as sentient beings!
All these campaigns, information
programmes and other successes provided
the building blocks for the
present education project which carries
the loud and clear message into
many classrooms: ”Animals are not
objects”.
Youngsters for Animals
Different education
approaches are
used for three age
groups (6-10 years,
10-14 years, and
older children). Normally
the lectures
last one or more
hours and consist
generally of three elements:
ethical issues,
information
about the plight of
animals, discussion and proposals for
a more humane tomorrow. The last
part is of special importance because
it helps children to overcome their
sadness and frustration about what
they have heard and as a result change
their feelings of helplessness into
positive action.
Interviewed about these very positive
results, Mrs. Probst says that ” ….
the ethics part of the lecture in particular
raises a great deal of interest.
The thoughtful expressions on the
children’s faces show us that all these
emotions are already familiar to them
but that they need to be focussed and
developed. Our most important aim
should be to guide our children into
a new way of thinking.”
Often there are immediate and impressive
reactions: pupils decide there
and then that they want to get involved:
”I want to help! What can I
do?”
In order to discuss ideas in more
detail, workshops are then improvised
and appropriate plans and strategies
developed. Normally discussions
with teachers, parents and friends will
take place later so that everyone in the
chain becomes the initiator of an avalanche
of good will.
Another approach is the direct and
individual contact with interested
young people who receive, on demand,
a large selection of informative
material about the protection and
well-being of animals.
Why the daughter of a farmer and hunter broke with family traditions
In her small native village, Charlotte
Probst was confronted almost
every day with animals being butchered,
and these events made a lasting
impression on her. The frustration of
the upset child could never be alleviated
by the matter-of-fact explanations
from her family: ”Animals are
there to be killed and eaten!”
This statement (that unfortunately
each vegetarian has certainly heard
countless times) did not sink in at all!
On the contrary, it became the starting
point for a different way of life
and a never ending involvement with
animals.
However, things were not always
easy during this uphill battle! Countless
difficulties had to be overcome
and many stones needed to be overturned.
But the thirty years of perseverance
and work have paid off and
brought about a very impressive outcome:
- Many specialists in animal protection have been trained and are now working as effective and convincing advocates of animals.
- For a long time, daily lectures have been given to pupils who, of course, continue the discussion in their own environment and by that strengthen the movement.
- For the year 2001 alone, 210 schools were visited and about 18,500 children heard about animals and the respect to which they are entitled.
- In view of these successes over the years the project has been fully supported in all circles of society.
Mrs. Probst has a simple explanation
for the fact that her work is thriving.
Animal Protection is a matter of
the Heart!
Herma Caelen
For more details:
Bundesverein der Tierbefreier
Oesterreichs
Neupauerweg 29b
A 8052 Graz
office@tierschutzimunterricht.org
www.tierschutzimunterricht.org
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