Forget the three Rs, one Kent vet is calling for a fourth to be put on the national curriculum... rabbits!

In fact, celebrity vet Matt Brash is hoping for animal welfare in general to be built into the schools' syllabus.

He wants schools to spend more time teaching pupils how to look after their pets.

But his call comes just days after Ofsted's chief inspector warned Britain's literacy standards were lagging behind other countries - with one in five pupils failing to achieve the expected levels.

Matt, from Canterbury, said the move would reduce the number of animals being dumped.

But it wouldn't necessarily mean kids missing out on other school lessons.

He said: "There are many imaginative ways in which the teaching of children for responsible pet ownership of pets can be worked into all types of other things.

"Maths, for example: if you have a male rat and a female rat, how many baby rats are you going to have within a few weeks?"

He's not alone in wanting animal husbandry to be added to the curriculum.

New research published today by the Pet Food Manufacturing Association shows 87% of those questioned in Kent and surrounding areas thought it was important to teach pet welfare at school.

Matt has presented TV shows including Vet to the Rescue, Vets in the Country and Zoo Vet.

He added: "If you are going to have a pet you need to understand the cost implications, right accommodation, right housing, but also that pets should be able to express their most normal behaviour - for instance, dogs going for walks."

He claimed teaching children how to look after pets would have other benefits, such as being caring, compassionate and looking after others' welfare.