Are they using Cat-davers? No, but seriously I'm not against it if these cats were gathered humanely. If they are just farming and murdering cats for the purpose of dissection then I think I would be opposed. In high school we dissected worms and a cow heart. I don't remember using a cat.
It seems to me that the issue being upsetting just means the educational exercise should have a broader scope. Things that make us upset are sometimes things worth understanding and not just avoiding. Even kids this age are able to discuss the educational benefit of direct experience versus simulations, the reason why specific animals are born and why they died, and how our attactment to some animals extends to some extent to all members of their species whereas others we happily kill and eat for food or eradicate as vermin. Soulds like a great lesson to me.
Oh man, dissecting cats in school? I think that may be going a little overboard in the world of child's science. When I was in middle school, we dissected an earthworm and a frog, the typical animals I guess. I am ok with it because it does help to teach kids about science and the anatomy. Some medical students dissect dead people as part of the curriculum. I am just glad it was limited to frogs and worms because that was gross enough. I do seem to remember the preserving chemicals smelling horrid too.
Dissected frogs back in the day, in 8th grade biology. It's not something I care to do again. It's an interesting question though, because in my mind I go into the dilemma of which animal is "worthy" of dissection, and which should be spared. I have a bigger problem with cats being dissected than frogs, but what makes cats so special? Why not dogs? Why not, I dunno, small monkeys? I mean, who is the arbiter of what gets dissected and why? ...these are serious, philosophical issues we are dealing with here, people...
I can see how a cat would effect the kids a bit because they are common pets. The kids have trouble disassociating the cat from their own family pets. Otherwise, I agree with Penny.
I think as long as it's educational then I don't have any major issue with it, but having said that I'm not sure how much more is learned by doing it as opposed to just watching a video or being taught about it instead. The pupil should also be given the choice to opt out aswell if they don't feel comfortable with it, and I think a lot won't if I'm being honest.
I know that in medical school, students are required to dissect human cadavers. But these cadavers are already dead and they weren't specifically murdered just for the class dissection. So with animals, I think the same principle should apply. If there are animals that just died, then they can be used for dissections as well. Killing an animal for the sake of dissection, maybe that's something we should try to change. It just isn't fair to them but yeah, that's just how the world works.
Keep in mind that hundreds or even tens of years ago, children in what we call civilized countries, would have to slaughter chickens, cows and other small animals. In some countries, they are eating dogs and other animals we may consider pets. This doesn't mean that dissections should be banned. As long as the educational purpose is the main purpose of the dissection, there is nothing wrong with it.
I think the dissection of cats and other animals such as frogs are helpful in making students understand anatomy on a more comprehensive and actual manner. When I was still studying, these kinds of activities were very interesting and educational for me rather than just looking at them from books.
