I attended Farsley Farfield Primary School after moving to Farsley on my tenth birthday,  I have always felt Farsley Farfield was one of the best schools I've ever been to. I love that they had a wind turbine; I always enjoyed going up and digging and planting at the poly tunnels; and the trips collecting willow from Rodley Nature Reserve. Last year Farfield were given the accolade "national Healthy School of the Year".

Because my mum is a teaching assistant at Farfield, I still hear about the goings on there. Recently she told me she was very unhappy because the school have made plans to get pigs to look after on the school grounds, which they then plan to send to a slaughterhouse; and, once the pigs have been killed, parents and local people will be able to buy pieces of their dead bodies.

My younger sibling also went to this school, and we were both raised not eating animals so we could make the choice ourselves when we understood. My mum is also a vegetarian, and so are quite a few students and staff members- including the head teacher Mr Harris!

I am vegan for the animals, so my main concerns are with the well being of these pigs who don't deserve to die, and the message that we will be teaching the children at Farsley Farfield that it is okay to exploit and kill animals with the only justification being that people enjoy eating their bodies.

Pigs are more intelligent as dogs, and at least as smart as a three year old human child. They are friendly animals that can live for about 12 years or so. Yet in the livestock industry they are sent to slaughter as young as 6 months old, or they can live up to 2 years old if they are breeding sows.

It should be common knowledge that the amount of animal products we eat in the UK (and globally) is well above sustainable and healthy levels. "While the UK nutritional guidelines recommend 45-55g of protein per day, the average UK consumption is 64-88g, of which 37% is meat and meat products." 

As "national healthy school of the year" Farfield should be encouraging students to reduce their consumption of animal products for the benefit of their personal and environmental health. I would also like to see things like 'billy bear ham' and 'pepperami' banned from school lunchboxes, as processed meats are a level one carcinogen.

In addition to all these factors, it is unfair on children from religious families who do not eat animals (or do not eat pigs specifically) to have to attend a school which will willingly exploit these animals, which is against their faith.

Schools have a duty of care to support children, teach them fair values and to provide a safe and happy environment for them. By teaching children that it is okay to exploit and kill animals they are in breach of this, and this could also be traumatising for children getting to know the animals and then knowing they are going to die.

I hope that Farsley Farfield will reconsider their decision to send these innocent animals to slaughter, and that if they cannot look after them for the duration of their natural lives that they can find a new forever home for them.

Friends not food!