BIAZA Public Access

Education - from 3 to 93

Over half a million pupils (760,000) in the U.K use the education services in BIAZA zoos annually, with over 400,000 of these receiving ‘formal’ tuition (BIAZA survey 2004). This does not include the million plus student visits that do not involve the ‘formal’ education facilities provided by zoo education staff.
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	Education from 3 to 93
	Communicating Conservation
	Education? Conservation? Extinction?
	Education - a serious business for BIAZA zoos

Whilst children make up a significant number of zoo visitors, it is a mistake to think that zoo education is directed exclusively at schools or that zoos are solely for children. Education involves every category of zoo visitor, both in the formal setting of a school trip or an informal feeding talk by a keeper. To be effective, education must provide different levels of knowledge for diverse groups of people, who come from many age groups, educational levels, social, ethnic and cultural backgrounds Different approaches are required for children and for adults, people with special needs, weekend visitors and students of biology.

‘Formal’ education ranges from playgroups to lectures for postgraduates:

	·Lively and varied education programmes for schools broaden and breathe life into the National Curriculum.
	·Developing partnerships between zoos and further or higher education colleges and universities supports research and vocational training which is of benefit not just to the students but to the wider conservation and business community.

‘Informal’ education for visitors is good for conservation and recreation.

	Innovative exciting education programmes and interpretation enhance a zoo visit and develop the zoo visitor’s curiosity about animals into an active awareness of the many threats facing the natural world.
	Encouraging respect and empathy for the wild animal and its threatened habitat helps to mobilise future support and funds in support of conservation.