The school headmaster argues that the scheme teaches children about food provenance and animal welfare, but critics have branded the plans cruel and traumatising
ANDY GREGORY: ‘A primary school’s plan to slaughter two young pigs that have been reared by pupils on its mini farmyard has found itself at the centre of a heated debate between parents and campaigners. The Gloucestershire Old Spots pigs arrived at Farsley Farfield Primary last October and have lived on the school’s grounds, which also contains vegetable patches and hens. Headmaster Peter Harris argues that the scheme teaches children about food provenance and animal welfare, but critics have branded the plans “cruel” and “traumatising”.
The plans came to light after a former pupil launched a petition claiming it would teach children “that it is OK to exploit and kill animals with the only justification being that people enjoy eating their bodies”. The petition has since gained more than 2,000 signatures. The petition, set up on change.org, claims that parents will be able to buy the meat from the animals after they have been sent to a slaughterhouse…
The UK farms around 10 million pigs each year, the vast majority of which grow up on battery farms. The majority of piglets on such farms are thought to have their tails docked, which is an illegal practice when done routinely. At the end of their short lifespan, they are normally gassed in groups before being sent to abattoirs, using substances considered inhumane by campaigners. As stated in the petition, pigs are thought to have intelligence levels similar to those of three-year-old children, and higher than those of cats and dogs’. SOURCE…
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