Innovative Educational Models for Nonhuman Animal Protection: A Case Study on a European School Scheme

The transformation of pedagogical processes in relation to the image offered about non-human animals in schools is currently urgent. Above all, it is essential to strengthen the ethical and moral dimension of these educational actions. As a case study, this article has as its main objective to explore distribution plans school milk schemes through humane education and examines the sustainability of such schemes using, as a methodological basis, the guiding questions posed by the True Price lesson plan created by the Institute for Humane Education. The European Union invests 100 million euros annually into school milk subsidies and this paper will examine whose interests are protected and promoted through school milk schemes and what are the environmental, health, and animal protection issues involved in the dairy industry. This theoretical work aims to demonstrate how humane education can be used to tackle topics that normally go undiscussed in schools and how to cultivate critical thinking and how humane education has the potential to represent a new model of environmental education that takes a much-needed interdisciplinary approach that combines animal and environmental protection and social justice. Throughout this process, teacher training is also crucial. Among the conclusions obtained, it is possible to determine, among other actions, how teacher training is decisive for achieving these goals. For this reason, this new and necessary pedagogical approach should also be integrated into the university. Key-Words: Humane Education, Animal Protection, Animal Law, Welfare, Environment, Teacher Training. a University of Oulu (Finland) b Ana G. Méndez University (Puerto Rico-United States) and University of Extremadura (Spain). Correspondence: Maria Helena Saari, Faculty of Education P.O. Box 2000. FI-90014 University of Oulu, Finland. Maria.Saari@oulu.fi Maria Helena Saari & José Gómez-Galán, International Journal of Educational Excellence, (2019) Vol. 5, No. 1, 95-114. ISSN 2373-5929. DOI: 10.18562/IJEE.045