Use of animals in university education

Outdated standards at universities

To become an expert in life sciences, students are required to learn a variety of skills, often through training on animals. Animals have been, and continue to be, killed for anatomical dissection, and used for experiments to show scientific concepts in physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, and parasitology. The animals are usually killed at the conclusion of these activities. It has been estimated that in any given country, between 1-10% of the animals used in research are used for educational and training purposes. In recent decades, the efficacy of the practice of using animals to teach and train in various fields has been questioned, with an increasing focus on animal welfare and ethics. The availability of humane teaching alternatives further challenges the time-honored animal model.

Studies clarify the background and confirm doubts

Animalfree Research conducted a study that aimed to identify why humane teaching alternatives are not being used more frequently. We analysed non-technical summaries of projects using animals in education and training from 18 European countries. It was found that two main reasons were given for the continued use of animals:

It is argued that these reasons often do not reflect reality, and thus, it is necessary to further emphasize ethical questions related to animal use and the use of non-harmful alternatives.

In another study, we analysed the combined evidence from recent and older studies about the efficacy of humane teaching methods. Through a systematic search of three scientific databases, we were able to find 50 relevant studies had been published between 1968 and 2020, most of them from the USA, UK, and Canada. These studies showed that humane teaching methods produced superior (30%), equivalent (60%), or inferior (10%) learning outcomes when compared to traditional animal use. It was concluded that the widespread implementation of humane teaching methods would not only preserve learning outcomes, but may in fact be beneficial for animals, students, educators, and institutions.

Lack of policies for students with ethical concerns

The use of animals in university education has been a debated topic due to animal welfare concerns and advancements in humane teaching methods. Some universities have established policies that allow students and faculty members to opt out of participating in harmful animal use activities on ethical or religious grounds without facing negative consequences. However, no studies have investigated the extent of these policies at European universities. Animalfree Research conducted a study that found that 94% of 348 medical and veterinary faculties across 28 European countries (EU and Switzerland) do not have a written and publicly available policy that allows students to use humane teaching methods. We argue that the future development and widespread implementation of such policies is necessary to create an educational environment that is respectful, inclusive, and committed to ethical and innovative practices.

Publications

Zemanova M. A., Knight A. (2021): The educational efficacy of humane teaching methods: a systematic review of the evidence. Animals 11: 114.

Zemanova M. A., Knight A., Lybaek S. (2021): Educational use of animals in Europe indicates reluctance to implement alternatives. ALTEX 38: 490-506.

Zemanova M. A. (2023): Prevalence of conscientious objection policies to harmful animal use in education at medical and veterinary faculties in Europe. Trends in Higher Education 2: 332-339.