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Students Want Option To Cut Out Animal Dissection

Summary By: | Published: July 19, 2012
Estimated Reading Time: < 1 minute
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EXTERNAL STUDY This is a summary of an external study
This article details a survey on students attitudes towards dissection, dissection alternatives and whether dissection in the classroom is ethical.

Survey findings from the Student’s Animal Guardian Alliance (SAGA), a project of the Animal Welfare Trust and the Humane Society of the United States, revealed that 86% of students believe that they should be given other study options in lieu of animal dissections.

Major findings from the study include:

  • 86% of students think they should be given the option to use alternatives to animal dissection.
  • 79% have been asked to dissect an animal in class.
  • 52% would prefer to use an interactive computer program to learn about anatomy.
  • 36% think that animal dissection in the classroom is unethical.
  • 67% have not been given an alternative option.

As of 2007, nine states including Florida, California, Pennsylvania, New York, Rhode Island, Illinois, Virginia, Oregon, and New Jersey have laws that allow K-12 students to select non-animal alternatives. Five other states including Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, and New Mexico, have similar policies or resolutions.

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Citations:

Teenage Research Unlimited, Student’s Animal Guardian Alliance (Animal Welfare Trust), Humane Society of the United States, 2007 United States (National)

Tags:

Animals Used in Science Animal Law Dissection Education English Youths Research Animals

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