Biology dissection - Year 10

[Dancergirl]

Dd is in Year 10. She hasn't yet decided if she is doing double or triple science for GCSE, this is decided at the end of this year. They are obviously all doing the same science at the moment.

They are doing Human Biology at the moment and this week her class dissected a sheep's heart. Dd is extremely squeamish and didn't want to do it. She was allowed not to take part but her teacher told her to sit at the back of the class and dd wanted to go out the room completely. I'm not exactly sure what happened but dd ended up sitting in a side room but could hear everything going on and it was very unpleasant for her. Another teacher asked her why she wasn't partaking and asked if she was vegetarian (she's not).

This isn't the end of dissection - apparently they have kidneys and eyes coming up in the next few weeks.

I don't know if I'm being precious but I'm slightly annoyed by this. Surely if someone doesn't want to dissect that should be the end of it, they should be allowed to leave the room without a hassle and without being put through the third degree about their reasons.

[noAccounting]

My DS's school did it in the first week of Year 7 - they all thought it was amazing. They only get precious when they're older .

[GinandJag]

She needs to get a grip.

She's not vegetarian and the hearts come from the butcher, just like chicken breasts. There is simply nothing to get squeamish about.

The teacher accommodated her very well. She would need supervision to leave the room.

When I am doing dissections, I simply do not put up with any fuss. They are either taking part or doing work at the back of the class, where they stay until the practical is over.

Year 10!

[Meow75]

As an ex- Science teacher, the problem is - where does your DD go for the duration of the dissection? Unless lessons are only 30 minutes, the dissection won't last the whole period and the teacher is still responsible for her, even if she is Year 10 and presumably can be relied upon more so than a younger pupil.

[Haggisfish]

I let mine go to another room but, tbh, she's being a drama llama if she eats meat. It's exactly the same as preparing meat for a meal.

[Haggisfish]

Actually, I only let veggies and vegans out. Others sit in the room but don't do dissection.

[GinandJag]

I wouldn't pander to veggies and vegans. I'm not asking them eat it or even look at it.

[GinandJag]

Exactly, coco.

It's attention-seeking behaviour for the most part, and there is only one way to deal with this.

[Dancergirl]

Quite surprised by the responses I must admit.

Dd is not attention seeking. She's a quiet shy hard working girl but has real problems with things like this. She can't watch anything medical or surgery based on TV.

So it's ok to subject someone to this if it makes them feel ill?

[TheChimpParadox]

She'd better not continue with Biology then. Isn't a dissection part of the course work or was that at A level ?

I remember rats and bulls eyes !

My son gets squeamish at the thought of reading a book but sadly part of the course work.

I do think you are pandering and let her sort it out.

[Dancergirl]

She'd better not continue with Biology then

I don't think she has a choice. The option is either double or triple science isn't it? Not separate sciences like we had years ago.

[IlPorcupinoNilSodomyEst]

A heart is the least of it! I still remember all the lumpy liquid out of an eye! I took my dissected heart home for my cat.

[Nerdygalwithabook]

I think she should be let out. I couldn't handle dissection and I ended up not actually going to the lesson. She doesn't need to get a grip she isn't being an attention seeker and your not being precious. People react differently to different things. If that makes her feel ill then she should be aloud to at least sit outside the door. Being in the same room is still upsetting.

[TheChimpParadox]

I can understand perhaps if she didn't do a dissection herself but by not being in classroom at all won't she miss out on learning ?

[Nerdygalwithabook]

She an read the textbooks the same night at home or in the school library during lesson. It's a suitable alternative

[Gileswithachainsaw]

gee how lovely

there's a massive difference between eating meat and having to dissect organs.

I'm sure even med students have a wobble when they first start.

can't she just go to the library or something? seems harsh she has to be in the same room. she could go loom up the anatomy in a book instead.

[Dancingdreamer]

My DD couldn't cope with dissection and actually fainted in the science lab. She was not being a drama queen - she physically reacts to anything with blood . She has fainted in lessons just when they have been discussing this sort of stuff. I think teachers on here need to be a bit more understanding of children who face such problems.

[Meow75]

But no-one is addressing the teacher's duty of care. A HT will give any teacher a baleful look when they explain that this is the reason that a student is somewhere unsupervised.

Suggest the library or wherever, but ultimately, this young lady is STILL that teacher's responsibility. We were always told that the library where I worked was not a "dumping ground" in situations like this.

[Dancergirl]

Ok, if I'm 'pandering' to her maybe it's because I understand how she feels. Unfortunately she seems to be the third generation of fainters in our family. My mum was squeamish about similar things and would regularly feel faint at the sight of blood. I was also the same (I remember feeling faint at age 6 long before my mum talked to me about it or I'd seen her feeling ill).

When I became a mother, I was VERY careful not to pass on my feelings to my dc and was always positive and matter of fact about blood and bodily functions. But in spite of this dd seems to have inherited the squeamish gene.

In this day and age I thought we were past doing things which make us uncomfortable. There is so much emphasis today on pupils' feelings and taking responsibility for their education and decisions. Dd has made an informed choice that this is something she doesn't wish to do. And to say 'there's nothing to be squeamish about' is not very understanding. People have fears and phobias about all sorts of weird things.

By the by, I did AS Level Biology myself a few years ago. I had a very good understanding of the circulatory and respiratory systems without any dissection. What does it really add?

[Gileswithachainsaw]

yr 10..so she's what 14/15?

surely most kids that age are home alone between school and parents getting home?

god we were left unsupervised for entire lessons in the classroom when I was at school

surely a kid in the library or an empty classroom isn't a worry when they are allowed out at lunch etc?

have times changed that much?

[Meow75]

Dancingdreamer

Each year there is usually at least one student like this. It's not necessarily the classroom teacher that is unsympathetic, but they are being prevented from allowing the student to go elsewhere within the school and because they are a professional, they are not simply saying to the youngster, I can't let you leave because the HT or Head of Dept won't allow it.

I had this happen most of the 16 years I taught. One was a 6 foot odd rugby player who blanched at the glimpse of the scalpel peeking out under the paper towel.

[noblegiraffe]

She was sat in a side room, not the classroom. If she can't even stand to hear what's going on, then why not ask to put in earphones?

The teacher can't have her off wandering around the school.

[Dancergirl]

A HT will give any teacher a baleful look when they explain that this is the reason that a student is somewhere unsupervised

Errm no not our HT. She's very sensible.

Duty of care??? What exactly does a teacher think might happen to a 15 year old in a library for half an hour?

[Meow75]

Giles, in 2016, if that became public knowledge and a particularly anxious parent decided that this needed reporting, OfStEd would be into the school like a shot. Safeguarding, you know.

That's schools for you now.

[WhoKnowsWhereHerMajestyGoes]

I dropped biology at 14 because I couldn't face dissecting sheep eyes (and have regretted it ever since, although I'm glad I've never had to dissect an eye). I'm now studying it at undergraduate level with the Open University and no dissection is required. I think being able to leave the room is not unreasonable.