Dissections in Y7

[Mepop]

My DD had to do a dissection in her Science class today. She’s Y7. She asked not to take part but got told she had no choice but to do it. She has been very upset and teary about it this evening. I’m vegetarian. I also have a biology degree and managed to obtain it doing zero dissections so struggle to see why a Y7 has no choice but to do one in Y7 in a state school, I am considering complaining to the school. But am I being unreasonable?

It is a bit odd that she wasn't allowed to just sit it out.

Would she have needed to leave the classroom? Maybe no free members of staff? So they couldn't let a child just wonder off.

I wouldn't complain but email teacher saying that in future, please could DD not take part in dissections- although apart from lungs, heart and kidney- there shouldn't be any more needed for GCSE

What did they dissect?

This is normal in year 7.

It’s part of the curriculum isn’t it? Surely anyone with moral objections would be allowed to sit it out.

Personally I wouldn’t complain. It’s a normal part of education and kids sometimes have to do stuff that makes them a bit uncomfortable.

Writing in the presumption that your child isn’t herself a vegetarian with strict moral or religious beliefs. If she was and they didn’t make accommodations that isn’t great

Blimey, even back in the 90s my school had a policy that any child who was a vegetarian did not have to disect.

Why did she not want to do it? You are vegetarian, is that relevant? They weren’t going to cook and eat whatever was dissected.

I'm amazed that anyone can get a Biology degree without dissecting on the excuse of being veggie!

Yabu. We did dissection in secondary, rats, frogs, hearts etc.

She actually had to do the dissection? Or had to be in the same room while the teacher did it? I've never known a state school to be able to afford enough specimens for the entire year group to do a dissection.

This has surprised me. We didn’t do dissections when I was at school and my DC have never mentioned doing any either. Is this a common thing?

We didn't do dissection at secondary school. Or indeed at A level biology. So the first time I ever did dissection was on a human cadaver as a 17 year old medical student. Would definitely have preferred to start on animals at secondary school!

When I was at Uni the med students dissected frogs in year one. I remember it well as they brought a dead one back to the Halls and we couldn't get it to flush down the toilet 😂

I remember dissecting an eyeball. I wouldn't say it was a pleasant experience but I did it. Not convinced telling Miss I was a vegetarian would have excused me 😁

Oh god I was just trying to remember if I had or hadn't but this brings it all back...

That fact that you're a veggie has no bearing on this

Surely

That's bit odd. Zoologists and maybe vets, fair enough, but I don't know why medical students would be learning frog anatomy! We did dissection of course, but not frogs.Our first dissection session was on the afternoon of day 1 in fact - no gentle introduction or anything. But probably better to find out as soon as possible if the course wasn't for you I suppose.
I'm surprised by year 7s actually doing dissection. As a PP said that would be very expensive and of very limited value. The only dissection I recall doing at school was a a rat and a fish in my A level biology class but I don't think even that's common now, I'm pretty sure my DC just watched the teacher. I agree it would be unreasonable, and probably pointless to insist that an 11 year old dissects anything though.

The child needs to get a grip. Having a veggie parent is neither here nor there in relation to the education curriculum. It doesn't confer privileges, power or concessions.
Children needs to realise how the world works, and definitely how bodies work, otherwise, we'll just have another generation of wussy, 'I won't answer my phone unless they've texted me to tell me they are going to ring me' not opening the door, anxious, adults who don't know how to adult.

Why is it unreasonable for a yr 7 to dissect anything?

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.

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!

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.

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.

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

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

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.