Dissections in Y7

Some vegetarians/vegans do not want to handle animal body parts either, it’s not hard to understand. It wouldn’t have been a minor discomfort to at least one of my children.

You sound uninformed about education and unsympathetic to call it whining,

Children are allowed to opt out of it. A school acting correctly would not just tell a child they had to are dissect a heart or whatever, so you’re wrong.

There are required practicals in GCSE Biology but they do not involve dissection of animal parts. In fact, in some cases, such as not having enough resources, even for other required practicals, the teacher can do it at the front of the class with children just watching. I know some schools that have just showed videos of the practicals to children for various reasons. The children just need to understand the practical. In the case of dissection, it’s not even a required practical.

How does it matter if somoene is vegetarian? It's not like they're are forced to eat the dissected object. Being able to do dissections in school is a privilege. Not fun or pleasant but educational and informative. I am unsure where the notion came form that we have to reside right in the fluffy cushy middle of our own personal comfort zone at all times? How do people open their minds, get experience or learn to deal with minor discomfort?

I only remember a lesson dissecting a heart in maybe year 10 or 11, but I’d been veggie for around 2-3 years by then so was allowed to sit it out and did the equivalent learning from textbooks in the lab next door supervisised by a lab tech.

the only reasons allowed for missing it were religious or veggie, and at a Catholic school in 2002 there were not many of us in either catagory…

Indeed. That's a very unusual state school doing dissections in yr7.
My DC went through their entire secondary education not doing a single one!

I dissected an eye as well, either year 8/9 (cant remember) and in 6th form biology we watched the dissection of a lamb.

I used to teach science, she should have been allowed to sit at the front / back of the room with a book to do related work. I'd email the HOD. This works in everyone's favour as the last thing you need midlesson is a fainter.

Some schools dissect chicken wings in year 7. Students might see the respiratory system in year 8 and 9, year 10 is heart and triple is an eyeball if doing Triple (AQA). Either from the supermarket or sourced by a local butcher from an abbatoir as a byproduct of the meat industry.

My daughter’s science teacher has allowed her to sit out of lessons involving dissection (there have only been a couple, she’s in year 9 now). She’s an animal lover, vegetarian and hasn’t touched meat since she was 6 out of choice. She’s been given the choice of watching, or going to the library and doing equivalent learning from a textbook.

Both my kids have done this in year 7.
I can vaguely remember doing it too.
I think in year 9 we had a set of sheep's lungs that we pumped up.

As far as being a vegetarian fairs, I'm not sure whether they'd be accepting of that reason. I suppose the whole class could say they were vegetarian and sit the class out.

I was allowed to not take part in dissections on rats back in 1977 as I was and still am vegan and opposed to animal experiments. It was a general science lesson and not something I had chosen as an "option". I knew I wouldn't need science qualification for my career. I'd not complain but explain to the school and tell them your daughter will not be taking part in any future dissections.

Even in the dark ages that was the 80,s I remember doing disections at secondary school.

It’s not compulsory. OPs child asked not to do it and was told she had to. She didn’t have to so was lied to.|

Surely she was told she had to because it's what the class was doing. I doubt any of the individual science experiments are specifically compulsory, but if you asked not to do it, you'd be told you had to because that's what you're doing in that lesson.
I'm surprised the teacher didn't allow people to opt to just watch though, if only to save the whining.

What was she dissecting OP?

The normal year 7 practical is cutting up chicken wings (bought in a large barbecue pack from Asda) when learning about muscles and bones. I’m not sure I’d even class it as dissection. Was this what she did?

Eyeroll.

"We never do any practicals". "I don't want to do THAT practical". "This is too dangerous/ doesn't sit right with me". Does demo to try and please all "We never do any practicals!"

Speaking as a science teacher, we can never do right. Few schools have the budget to have one piece of dissection equipment for all kids anyway, so they will likely have worked in pairs or small groups, therefore they will likely have had the option of not handling the meat.

I don't allow kids to sit out (because to them, it means doing nothing while sitting very far away), they have to at least watch.

I also doubt the PP who did a degree in Biology without ever having done any dissections has passed an A-level in Biology, seeing as safe dissections are a required part of the course.

It’s not compulsory. OPs child asked not to do it and was told she had to. She didn’t have to so was lied to. It is therefore appropriate for OP to complain if she wishes. It may come up again, it was done twice in my children’s Biology classes in secondary school, so it will mean OPs child will be listened to next time. It will also help other children who don’t want to do it in future.

It is not compulsory.

As your daughter is upset, I would definitely speak to the school. She asked not to do it and was told there was no choice which isn’t true. Pull them up on that and inform them that it won’t be happening again. Ask them why they lied and what they will do to ensure this won’t happen again.

When my children’s school tried the same, my children continued to refuse despite the pressure put on them. This was a school that tried to tell children they had to handle and cook meat in food tech classes though. 🧐

I contacted the school, they apologised and said they would make sure children were allowed to refuse without issue in future.

I hope your daughter is ok.

What will complaining do now? Your daughter has already done it.

It's part of biology curriculum as others have said. Being vegetarian or not isn't relevant, unless you believe all surgeon / vets should be carnivors

I don't think either of mine did disection. And definitely not in year 7....

One of my most vivid memories of secondary was the day they,without warning, brought out the specimens (lamb, as we had an abbatoir a few roads away). I point blank refused to participate so was allowed to sit and watch instead of taking part but the stench and sights stayed with me and was enough to make me turn veggie and I've never eaten meat since. I'd be complaining on moral grounds that the pupils should at least have got warning/a choice and I'd also be asking how they would have handled any refusal based on religious belief? In today's world where children are taught about importance of consent for everything this seems a gross oversight.

Its part of science. Assuming she's not chloroforming a live frog in order to cut it up (ET) then she should do it. Though am surprised they're doing it in year 7, I didn't get to dissect anything until year 9 or 10 (kidneys and eyeballs, one per two students - there was only one heart for the whole class to do and I was slightly late to class that day so the teacher made me do it)

My DD has had to dissect crayfish and fish, no kidneys or eyeballs, I guess fish are easier to get hold of.

My DD is year 7 and has been a veggie for a long time. She recently had to do dissection which surprised me but seems to have had no qualms and commented that science is actually fun and interesting now. It used to be her least favourite subject. I had no idea they were doing them!

My DD is doing A level Biology, and has never done a dissection. She did mention it recently, so it must be coming up. I don’t know why year 7 DC would need to do it, DD got a 9 in biology without cutting up any animal organs so really isn’t necessary at that level. Hope she’s ok, some DC really struggle with this kind of thing.