FUSE

DET site, includes professional learning resources, teaching and learning content, policy and guidelines, web conferencing, teacher blogs. Visit FUSE

Scootle

Digital curriculum resources from the Learning Federation. Search for resources matched to the Australian Curriculum. Visit Scootle

Why science?

If your students ever ask ‘what is the point of this?‘ or ‘why should I have to do science?’ this website and video might be of interest to you. www.whyscience.co.uk

What it’s like to work as a young scientist.

Produced by the BBC. http://www.vega.org.uk/video/series/10.

Animals in the classroom

Changes to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Regulations 2008 in December 2008 require the use of adult cephalopods (octopus, nautilus, cuttlefish and squid) and adult decapod crustaceans (lobsters, crayfish and crabs) in teaching and research to be approved by an Animal Ethics Committee. Yabbies (freshwater crayfish) are commonly held in schools and may be used for teaching purposes only if their use is first approved by an Animal Ethics Committee.

Comprehensive guidelines for the use of animals in schools have been provided by the Department of Education and Training:

https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/teaching-with-animals/policy?Redirect=1

Schools must hold a Scientific Procedures Licence from the Bureau of Animal Welfare if they wish to use animals as part of their teaching of scientific concepts, and must use an Animal Ethics Committee to review this animal use. The keeping of classroom pets is not considered to require licensing or AEC oversight, nor is the practice of animal husbandry as authorised by a Code of Practice. See www.dpi.vic.gov.au/animalwelfare for more information.

The DET holds a single licence that includes all government schools. Due to differences in administration, independent schools and CECV schools must apply to the Bureau of Animal Welfare for their own individual licences. The Victorian Schools Animal Ethics Committee (VSAEC) was established in 2005 by the Department of Education, Association of Independent Schools of Victoria and Catholic Education Commission of Victoria to service all registered schools in Victoria with a current Scientific Procedures Licence.