PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVE OF STRAY ANIMAL ISSUES AND THEIR INTEGRATION INTO EDUCATION

The current paper attempts to investigate the views of primary school students of the 4th, 5th and 6th grade on the issue of stray animals and its inclusion in the school curriculum. Taking into consideration the negative impact of the existence of stray animals, it is regarded vital to educate children and formulate a policy aiming at minimizing the phenomenon. The lack of knowledge and training concerning the needs and welfare of animals prior to acquiring pets intensifies the issue as the needs of the animals are not fully understood increasing the likelihood of them being abandoned in most cases. Especially during the economic crisis, the incidents of abuse and abandonment increased rapidly. The research was conducted using questionnaires and the results showed incomplete knowledge of addressing the issue and the underlying cause. The students are aware of the animal needs but there are difficulties in proposing effective ways of managing the case. They consider that dogs are more directly dependent on humans than cats. They seem quite positive in their knowledge about dog and cat care. Nevertheless, the students do not prefer to be informed by teachers, as they consider that the teachers are not properly trained, although many of them desire animal care to be a topic in school textbooks. The students seem to have more trust on Animal Welfare Organizations as a source of information regarding animal care. In addition, it seems that fifth graders are more interested in learning about stray animal issues whereas this interest is declining in older students. Research also showed that a gender correlation exists as girls are more positive in terms of animal care awareness.