Reducing, and ultimately replacing, the involvement of animals in education: Legislative, ethical and societal drivers for change

The involvement of animals, especially vertebrates, in university educational activities raises strong emotions, with an increasing drive globally, from learners, educators, the public, Regulatory and Statutory Bodies, and other stakeholders, to replace these animals with Non-Animal Technologies, New Approach Methodologies or digital technologies. Attitudes to the involvement of animals in education vary considerably across different communities and cultures globally. For some learners and educators, the replacement of vertebrates with invertebrates or immature vertebrates is an acceptable half-way house in the global journey to replace all animals used for educational purposes with humane alternatives. However, these partial replacements are not without their own ethical and moral issues including speciesism, harms to animals and concerns regarding when life begins. Ultimately, the decision of whether to offer or engage with educational activities that involve invertebrates or immature vertebrates is a personal decision for educators, technicians and learners respectively, in line with their individual beliefs and values. Nobody should be forced to engage with activities against their wishes. It is incumbent on programmes to offer educationally robust non-animal alternatives which realise the same intended learning outcomes to these conscientious objectors. Substantial resources are being allocated to the development of Non-Animal Technologies and New Approach Methodologies in research. There is a need to re-imagine those that are low-cost or less resource intensive for use in education. It will require significant cultural change. Networks for sharing of these resources in education, and data from such interventions are emerging. We should embrace and grow these initiatives globally.