The Victorian Schools Animal Ethics Committee (VSAEC) has been established to oversee the care and use of animals on school premises that are used for teaching purposes, on behalf of the Department of Education and Training, Victoria. ‘Teaching purposes’ is defined in the Australian Code for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes (the Code), as any action or group of actions undertaken with the aim of achieving a scientific purpose, where the scientific purpose is imparting or demonstrating knowledge or techniques to achieve an educational outcome in science, as specified in the relevant curriculum or competency requirements.