Reptiles at School???

[Pinoy]

Hi all,

A friend of mine was approached today by a teacher looking to buy some reptiles for a reptile room at a school.

My question is, will they need a special license to keep the reptiles at a school or can they just have a standard class 1 license?

Cheers
Pinoy.

 

[Wrightpython]

Need special licence

 

[Pinoy]

That's what I was thinking.
Can you explain a bit more bout that please?

 

[grizz]

I believe there is an involved process to meet the standards of both the OHE and NSW DEC. There is another teacher or two on here that could better answer your question.

 

[Pinoy]

Thanks Grizz, hopefully they see this then

 

[girdheinz]

There is a scientific licence for keeping reptiles schools in NSW.

 

[Popas]

the only downside to the liscence the school can have, if i remember correctly, they can only have small lizards.

 

[AirCooled]

Keeping reptiles under good care at schools would be excellent,imagine new generations growing up to understand and respect reptiles,instead being taught by ignorant adults to fear and kill.

 

[Renenet]

Pinoy, check with Pythonmum, who's also in NSW. I'm pretty sure she has a snake in her classroom.

 

[abnrmal91]

PM pythonmum she has a MD at her school.

 

[Pinoy]

Thanks guys will do

 

[dihsmaj]

bit offtopic about the licencing and such but 2 years ago before we knew it was illegal my mate and I kept weasel skinks in a 2ft tank at school, along with some marsh frogs and brown tree frogs. he also had a GTF, but I'm not sure how, I know schools can have them off-licence in Vic but he didn't buy it as a school so he must have illegally purchased it

 

[pythonmum]

Hi All,
You can legally keep reptiles in NSW schools with a scientific license. To make it more confusing, you do NOT apply to the regular licensing authorities. The application goes through an ethics committee first and they forward it to DECCW/OEH. It is a bit complicated, but very worthwhile. I have explained in more detail to Pinoy.

 

[lizardloco]

A teacher at my school had a baby EWD for a year and then a beardie for the next.
Didn't ask her about her license...

 

[SteveNT]

Longqi has set up several look but dont touch snake displays in Bali schools as part of his "educate the people" program. And he does handling displays for all the local schools.

Excellent work if you ask me.

 

[Nighthawk]

Keeping reptiles under good care at schools would be excellent,imagine new generations growing up to understand and respect reptiles,instead being taught by ignorant adults to fear and kill.

It would be nice. My daughter spoke about our reps to her teachers; they were incubating chicken eggs and when they hatched she was disappointed that they weren't pythons lol. I was approached and asked if I could bring some in to educate the kids, which I would have loved to do (under the right conditions, of course, there's no way I'd just walk in one morning with several bags of snake) but from what I can gather it's a difficult process and I think I can understand why. In the end I respectfully, and regretfully, declined. It would have been nice to show kids and even adults if they wanted that snakes aren't as hideous as they're led to believe sometimes.

 

[clipo38]

my old science teacher had a few that she brought in every now and then at some points of the year they were living there

 

[Pinoy]

Thanks Susan,
Your info was very helpful

Hi All,
You can legally keep reptiles in NSW schools with a scientific license. To make it more confusing, you do NOT apply to the regular licensing authorities. The application goes through an ethics committee first and they forward it to DECCW/OEH. It is a bit complicated, but very worthwhile. I have explained in more detail to Pinoy.

 

[pythonmum]

It would be nice. My daughter spoke about our reps to her teachers; they were incubating chicken eggs and when they hatched she was disappointed that they weren't pythons lol. I was approached and asked if I could bring some in to educate the kids, which I would have loved to do (under the right conditions, of course, there's no way I'd just walk in one morning with several bags of snake) but from what I can gather it's a difficult process and I think I can understand why. In the end I respectfully, and regretfully, declined. It would have been nice to show kids and even adults if they wanted that snakes aren't as hideous as they're led to believe sometimes.

You CAN bring your reptiles to school and talk to the class about it if you have permission from the principal and teacher, don't let students touch the reps and, most important, get permission from the licensing authorities (NSW only). Every school has a copy of the state regulations on animals in schools which covers all types of animal visits or keeping. Basically, any pet under control of the owner is okay, but you also have to cover school OH&S regulations and any external regulations like those for your recreational reptile license. I have worked out every legal way to allow me to educate others about reptiles!
Note that my info is only for NSW, but there is probably something similar in other states.

 

[SteveNT]

I was famous at school (60s) for catching anything and everything. On excursions I was sent ahead to locate herps, inverts and anything else. Everyone loved the beardies, goannas, mantids, etc

One day I found a 4 foot eastern brown, caught it and took it it to show the group. They loved it. Then the teacher (Mrs Draghiem- funny how names can match personalities) came up, screamed and chucked a huge wobbly! I released the snake and I got a smack in the head and barred from all future excursions!

I thought I was doing what they asked me to. Anyway back at school I was marched to the Principals office who got rid of Dragheim, reinstated my excursion prielidges, gave me a well done and requested no more vens please!

A bit of sense at last.

Pythonmum I dont think there were any regulations about animals in school in those days!