Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if the Government will take steps to incorporate animal welfare into the national curriculum for primary school children in England.

The National Curriculum, taught from September 2014, focuses on the essential knowledge so that teachers can design a wider school curriculum that best meets the needs of their pupils.

The programmes of study for science include the opportunity to teach children about different animals, their needs for survival and their environment. Beyond the prescribed curriculum, schools have the freedom to teach subjects or topics, such as animal welfare, to ensure that children receive a rounded education.