Are you against violence toward animals? Well you have an advocate in Hartford, Connecticut, where that state’s legislature is contemplating a bill that would allow students to complete science-class animal dissections virtually. Should students be forced to cut open that lifeless piglet or innocent frog to learn about their anatomy? The battle lines are drawn. On one side, the Connecticut Association of Biology Teachers says that the live experience is invaluable: “[Students] get over their squeamishness and find it highly informative,” explains CABT president Jonathan Morris. State Representative Maryanne Hornish disagrees: “This is about an ethical choice these kids are making. Some can’t handle the blood and gore.” (There’s actually no blood involved in dissections, but we get your point Maryanne.) One thing’s for sure: Computer simulations are getting better and better, so they could be a viable alternative for those with a moral or visceral repugnance to dissections in the flesh. At least this is a better use of technology than Physical Education classes online. But now we’re left wondering: Doesn’t Connecticut have better things to worry about, like filling in the blanks on its Race to the Top application?
“Strong Debate on Both Sides Over Bill Requiring Dissection Option in Schools,” by Grace E. Merritt, Hartford Courant, April 9, 2010