Help Stop Classroom Dissections

I recently wrote this up and am thinking about sending this to the Ontario Ministry of Education, but I want at least 10,000 people to sign this petition to back up my issue. That would be much appreciated!

It is being brought to your attention the issue of in-class dissection. This issue is to be given attention for several reasons involving morals, violence, sensibility, and cost efficiency.

The first reason as to why animal dissections should not be allowed is because it is morally wrong to be dissecting animals that have passed on. Each year in North America, an estimated 20 million animals are abused for cruel, archaic teaching exercises, despite the existence of superior non-animal teaching tools. These animals have not done anything wrong, nor have they been given any reason to their killing. In addition, The majority of these animals are taken from their habitat, such as frogs, and roughly half of them are then killed and used for classroom dissection. Therefore, if the objective of school is to teach the students morals, than this is completely contradictory.

The second reason as to why animals should not be dissected in the classroom is because it creates a violent environment and does not give the student benefits. Violence should not be tolerated in the classroom as this creates unsettledness in students. Although students are given the right to refuse this exercise, it can still stir up commotion and problems. Furthermore, in a school that tries to eliminate violence, the practice of cutting apart or separating tissue for anatomical study does not do this. Dissection teaches students that animals are nothing but classroom tools, like paper and pencils, to be used and thrown away. In the end, this experience is not beneficial to students as it does not give them any advantage over the students who do not do this.

The third reason as to why dissections should not be done in the classroom is because it does not make sense as to why students are to dissect dead animals when there are hundreds of non-animal ways to learn. For instance, in class, students are given the assignment to do the dissection virtually before they attempt it in reality. Therefore, it only makes sense that all students should be using virtual dissections to learn as they are readily available in comparison to dead animals. Also, numerous studies have reported that students who utilize humane alternatives to dissection score as well or better on performance tests than students who participate in dissection; students do not need to cut open dead animals to learn about how life works.

The final reason as to why dissections should be eliminated from classrooms is because it is more expensive for schools to purchase dead animals over humane opportunities. For example, if twelve frogs are purchased for the use of twenty-four students, on average, this would cost a hundred dollars. However, virtual dissections can be done for a single payment all year, and are readily available for student use at all times. Therefore, it is only sensible that virtual dissections should be used in every biology class instead of physical dissections.

For these reasons, the use of animals in classrooms for anatomical study should not be tolerated and should be prohibited at all costs as it is immoral, violent, non sensible, and costly for everyone.

Update #19 years ago
We're 1/10 of the way there guys ! I thank you so much for this. I feel very passionately about this! We can create change! Let us rise together! <3
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