Replacement, reduction and refinement through education, at the University of Sydney

The Animal Experimentation Ethics Committee of the University of Sydney is aware of the special educational needs of veterinary science students and others who plan a career in research. Thus, where the defined educational objectives justify the use of animals, the committee approves such use. Undergraduate students in science, medicine and veterinary science participate in animal-based practical classes. Numbers of students in medicine and veterinary science have been fairly constant for 20 years, while numbers in biological and biomedical sciences have greatly increased (for example, the Department of pharmacology which has always used animals in teaching, taught 15-20 science students in 1970/1. In 1995, this number was 350. Despite this increase, the total number of animals used in practical teaching in 1995 was approximately 5% of the number in 1970. For the most commonly used species, the numbers were: mice 55,000 in 1970, 400 in 1995; rats 16,400 in 1970, 3,400 in 1995; rabbits 1,470 in 1970, 60 in 1995 and dogs 2,200 in 1970, and 790 in 1995. Factors which have contributed to these reductions include availability of high quality videotapes and computer-based alternatives, and more careful consideration of the educational objectives and the best way to address these. All animals used in practical classes are registered on a database, which allows researchers access to tissues not required by the class experiment. This facility has been well used and has greatly increased the real reduction in animal use within the university. Students who enrol in an honours year or in graduate, research-based programs attend a 2-day introductory course on animal experimentation. The course promotes the Three Rs by raising awareness in the students of the important ethical and practical issues associated with their work on animals.