parents outraged that school pet lamb is to be slaughtered

[wannaBe]

here

Think the head has the right idea tbh, although not quite sure how my ds would react...

who said he was a pet lamb??

Probably those parents who like to let their children that meat just ends up in the supermarket without anything being harmed.

although the clip at the bottom is interesting

it's the boy saying it's sad and the girl basically "that's life".

It seems odd to me that some parents see fit to "protect" their children from the realities of the food chain. It didn't used to happen. People used to raise livestock, around the family home, kill it and eat it.

we have baby chicks from egss in the nursery attcahed to m work, those chicks go to the farms to grow and be killed later. They children dont know this, but they are only 3-4years old.
I think ts fine for the school in this case. The children have decided o sell one lamb for meat and use money to buy more animals.

interesting points about quality of life. Would it have been ok if they had a "mini" factory farm for chickens and sold them for slaughter instead?

Paul O'Grady is clearly barking and probably thinks sheep are lovely fluffy floofy woofy creatures like poodles, FGS.

interesting quote here from the head

"Ms Charman said: ?Early in June 2009, the children of Lydd Primary School, which is part of a traditional working rural community, discussed whether to keep a Wether lamb, one of three bought for the children to rear.

?Since the Wether lamb arrived it has always been made clear in a tactful and factual way that lambs are meat.

?The children have had a range of opportunities to discuss this issue, both in terms of the food cycle and the ethical aspect.

?Children from years 2 and above were given the opportunity to choose what happened to the Wether lamb.

?It was made clear that it could be kept as a pet, or sold to go for meat to raise money for the school farm to buy more animals.

?It was discussed in school council. Each class had the opportunity to discuss it.?

She said the children then ?voted overwhelmingly? for Marcus to be sent to the abattoir and until the media interest began the school had received no complaints from parents."

I think Paul O'Grady and Radio 2 should be shot for this stupid reprieve. Cant Paul O'Grady save every animal from a miserable life under factory farming - in particular chickens and pigs!

I'm switching him off on a Sunday now! No more sing alongs. Perhaps its a blessing.

Well done alwayslookingforanswers you have answered all the questions and once again the head was brilliant in this tutorial. More schools should copy!

I lived in a farming community when I was a child (nearly 50 years ago) We watched cows giving birth in the field behind the school and made friends with the young bullocks (which we all knew were destined to end up on dinner plates.)

Lots of the mums took temporary jobs in the autumn term at the local turkey farm killing and plucking the turkeys to make a bit extra for Christmas - their children would walk down the lane after school & sit in a corner of the plucking shed eating their tea and watching their mums pulling feathers from the birds often still flapping and dripping blood from their throats. They all ate their Christmas lunch with great enjoyment & no noticeable psychological scars....

I suspect the school council vote may well have happened because there was some objection to the lamb's fate, so they decided to let the school council vote; they are the elected representatives of the children and letting the council vote both teaches the children about how democracy works (after all there are very few issues on which we actually have a referendum in the UK) and avoids a messy and emotional campaign throughout the school.

Am a tad worried about the brats little darlings voting so overwhelmingly for Marcus to be turned into chops. Are there no sentimental animal lovers who were traumatised by Bambi in the whole school?

Btw, my farming friends made a very clear distinction between pet animals and stock. And between indoor and outdoor cats, even (outdoor cats = lived in the barn and kept mice and rats down, indoor cats = pets).

Although my friend's Dad, an unsentimental Yorkshire hill farmer, did cry once when a calf was crushed by the cows as they rushed to the feed trough.

dittany - I know DS1 watched that process. (aged 5)

My DW used to behead the chickens for dinner when she was growing up. They'd flap around headless for a while. Then she would pluck them.

Why do you think the headmistress is creepy?

And why do you think that the rest of the school council just did as she wanted.

Do you have any experience

a) of living in a farming community

b) of school councils

Not sure she's creepy, killing animals who are raised for food rather than pets makes sense. But surprised the vote was so overwhelming. If I'd been at school and this had happened, I'd have voted to save him!

I've plucked chickens, btw. Growing up in the countryside turned me vegetarian - none of that pretence that meat is something that comes from the supermarket, wrapped in plastic.

If my son was there he would of voted to kill him and have him for his tea!

My 4 year old when 3 say a calf being shot through the head by a slaughterman (it was a very poorly calf)and he totally understood it and when 2 and 3 saw turkeys killed on the farm. No problems at all because we talk about it and he goes along with it.

We've even taught him to say rubbish food when we pass McDonalds.

Children are resiliant when told the facts and the head did the right thing.

In countries where people kill their own meat incidence of vegetarianism is very low.

Perhaps it is different if the meat production is on an industrial scale.

dittany - I saw it myself - my mum didn't work there, but I used to go there quite often with my friends. As I say, this was 45-50 years ago, and nowadays I'm sure none of it would be allowed.

The turkey farm was right opposite our house and every year when all the turkeys were killed off, all the rats would come over the road - we lost quite a few guinea pigs and hibernating tortoises over the years.

Dittany I think we've crossed paths before. Am I right in thinking you're a vegan?

what on earth are you on about dittany.