Humane Education (for the next generation of teachers)
You’re walking home and spot a bird on the pavement, wings bent at an odd angle. A few people pass by. Someone films it. Another shrugs. In that moment, a bigger question shows up: how do we learn to care, and act, on purpose?
That’s where humane education comes in. Humane education is teaching kindness, empathy, and responsible choices for people, animals, and the environment. It’s not just “be nice”. It’s a way of learning that helps children (and adults) notice harm, ask good questions, and choose helpful actions.
This post explains what humane education is (and what it isn’t), why it matters in everyday life in 2026, and simple ways to use it at home, in school, and in your community.
Institute for Humane Education is a worldwide organisation, that runs courses to teach educators on how to teach children how to be compassionate to the world -to other humans, other creatures and to the planet. Founded by teacher Zoe Weil, although most courses are in North America, the site has many online courses that teachers and other educators can take like:
- Environmental Ethics
- Animal Protection
- Human Rights
- Art and Artists for Social Change
- Writing for Social Change
- Racial Justice
Others take these courses for different reasons. For instance, one woman who runs a large animal rescue non-profit in the USA, took a course so she can better educate givers, and increase donations.
Others who work with troubled youth take the course (say for people having issues with the law, or those suffering after-affects of abuse).
Graduates also take these courses, as part of their curriculum for doing a particular thesis.
And of course the courses would be good for councillors and politicians (who businesses) who wanted better to understand and communicate their good ethics to voters or customers.
The Graduate Program includes an introductory program along with three major themes:
- Environmental Ethics: This covers climate change, endangered species, pollution, habitat destruction and environmental racism.
- Animal Protection: This covers animal agriculture, vivisection, hunting/trapping, companion animals and animals used in entertainment.
- Human Rights: This covers modern slavery, child labour, human trafficking, racism, gender inequity, poverty, power and privilege.
There are also optional courses:
- Culture and Change: This covers consumerism, media, economics and politics.
- Creative Activism: This covers literature and art to advocate for human right, animal protection and environmental stewardship.
- Just Good Food: This covers contemporary food systems and individual food choices related to human, animal, environmental and social justice issues. Alongside issues of hunger, poverty, animal protection, climate change, health care, sustainability and corporate interests.
Global Certificate of Humane Education (UK)
Back in the UK, the Global Certificate of Humane Education includes teachings on conservation and animal welfare, non-violent communication and conflict resolution and trauma-informed care. The course (offered by London School of International Business) takes 2 months, and costs around £90.
It covers:
- Animal welfare
- Conflict resolution
- Emotional intelligence
- Humane education
- Non-violent communication
- Trauma-informed care and support
Dissection Alternatives
Although dissection is no longer much carried out in UK schools, it still happens at some a-level biology classes, universities and medical/vet schools. Whereas modern theory is that it’s not just unkind, but can bring diseases from zoonotic species, plus modern methods are better.
For instance, digital frog is not just kinder and more accurate, but it’s also cheaper as it can be used again and again, unlike a real frog.
Animal Welfare Institute has more information on the alternatives available, to stop the use of frogs, rats, cats, foetal pigs, fish and invertebrates being used in experiments. Which often are preserved in formaldehyde, a chemical linked to cancer.
In the USA, frogs have been taken from natural wetland habitats, and some cats are believed to be from residential communities or shelters, sold to biological companies.
Non-animal alternatives include digital apps that reproduce 3D models of breathing frogs (which have hearts simile to ours), where students and ‘peel back layers’ to view various systems of the body, using a finger or Apple pencil.
