Professor Paws’ helps HK school kids

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Link: http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1073273

 

`Professor Paws' helps HK school kids

 

Venkatesan Vembu

Sunday, January 07, 2007 23:17 IST

 

HONG KONG: At assembly time on a Thursday morning at Li Sing Tai Hang

School in Hong Kong, six-year-old Adnan is all a twitter with

excitement.

 

Three new `professors' — Claude, Shogan and Remy — are scheduled to

visit his school that day to give him and his classmates some

exercises in English conversation — and a few other lessons besides.

What thrills Adnan particularly isn't just the limitless joy of

linguistic instruction; he's also hoping that by session's end, he'll

have overcome his inhibitions enough to feed the visiting professors

a biscuit or two, walk them on a leash around the classroom — and

perhaps even have them wagging their tails with joy!

 

The curious goings-on in some primary schools across Hong Kong are

easily explained: Claude, Shogan and Remy are just three of many

canine `professors' participating in a pioneering programme run by

Animals Asia, a Hong Kong-based animal welfare charity. Under

the `Professor Paws Pet Cadet' programme (as it's called), teams of

dogs visit classrooms in schools, typically in low-income

neighbourhoods, and help improve the children's English proficiency

and literacy skills — while simultaneously instilling in them

kindness and compassion for all animals.

 

" Many children in Hong Kong, especially those living in public

housing, never get a chance to touch a dog, " says Anneleise Smillie,

Education Director at Animals Asia, who conceptualised the

programme. " That's because their parents tell them dogs are

dangerous — or dirty. And the outbreak of SARS in 2003 contributed to

this climate of fear. People began abandoning dogs and cats because

they were scared. "

 

The programme, started up in 2004, seeks to help children overcome

this instilled fear of dogs and teach them that dogs (and other

animals) have a beneficial role to play in society. It also offers

them lessons in responsible pet ownership and pet care, and helps

them articulate their emotions about animals. Over 2,000 students in

21 schools across Hong Kong have so far been tutored under " Professor

Paws " .

 

At Li Sing Tai Hang School, the students belong to various

nationalities — Indian, Pakistani, Nepalese, Filipina, Chinese and

Japanese. Today, they've been divided up into three groups — each of

which is assigned to a visiting `professor'. At the start of the hour-

long session, most of the children seem petrified at being near the

dogs, but under the patient guidance of Smillie and Animals Asia

volunteers, they learn some " dog safety rules " : ask the owner's

permission before you touch a dog, how to approach a dog and let him

sniff the back of your hand, never touch a dog when he's eating…

 

Strikingly, the dogs act as catalysts for communication. " Typically,

the children are shy to speak English in class, " notes the school's

English tutor Clare Rawlings.

 

" But when they're around dogs, they rapidly shed their inhibitions

and go up and ask the owners for permission to play with their dogs.

They seem to forget they're learning English. "

 

The ice having been thus broken, the children rapidly gain in

confidence and are soon asking for permission to feed the dogs, walk

them on a leash, brush their hair. " Just the fact of being able to

overcome their fear of something is very empowering for the

children, " notes Smillie. " It's a tremendous boost to their self-

esteem. "

 

Simultaneously, the children are given worksheets to fill in — and

asked to record their emotions about their professors. Says

Smillie: " Most children don't have a sense of `the other'… But this

exercise introduces the children to the idea that there's another

being that has feelings outside of their own. It stimulates the

children's cognitive development. "

 

By this time, the professors are being cuddled, hugged and kissed

ceaselessly by their wards, and they stoically put up with the

gratuitous public displays of affection. " All our volunteer dogs are

certified safe, " says Smillie.

 

The children then take a pledge — to spread the good word that

all " sentient beings " deserve human compassion — and end with a

rousing `Pet Cadet' song, complete with mews, barks, grunts and

countless other animal sounds, and a `graduation ceremony' at which

they are handed certificates.

 

Animals Asia cites studies done across the world that establish that

companion animals can enrich human lives in many ways. " Parents worry

that animals will have a negative effect on their children, " say

Smillie. " But in fact there are many psychological and physiological

benefits to being in regular contact with pets. " For instance,

children with pets have are known to have better attendance record at

schools, and even a higher immunity to allergies.

 

Yet, the theme of animals in schools hasn't enjoyed popular literary

endorsement. In that ageless nursery rhyme, for instance, Mary's

little lamb that followed her to school was the cause of much

merriment because " it was against the rules " . But by rewriting the

rules of the learning process, the canine Professors of Hong Kong are

teaching mankind an important lesson about compassion to all animal

forms.