The NZ Association of Science Educators (NZASE) holds, on behalf of the Ministry of Education, a Code of Ethical Conduct for the use of animals in schools and early childhood centres www.nzase.org.nz/ethics This enables teachers and students to have access to an Animal Ethics Committee which can consider approval and provide advice that is timely and free. Information, including application forms, exemplars and further information, can be found at www.nzase.org.nz/ethics Enquiries and applications should be emailed to animalethicscommittee@rsnz.org or posted to NZASE Animal Ethics Committee, c/- Royal Society of New Zealand, P O Box 598, WELLINGTON

The Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) has approved a new Code of Practice for School Exempt Laboratories. Under the Hazardous Substances and New Organism Act (HSNO), teaching and research laboratories may be exempt from parts of the legislation, provided the laboratories meet the requirements of the Hazardous Substances (Exempt Laboratory) Regulations 2001. One way for schools to comply with the regulations is to conform to an ERMA-approved Code of Practice. The code is at http://www.nzase.org.nz/safety/COP.pdf