Dissection: debate

Science World, Feb 7, 2003

Jennifer Watson is a straight-A honor student at Kenwood High School in Baltimore, Maryland. So imagine the shock when classmates and parents learned she'd been kicked out of anatomy class last September. The reason? Watson refused to dissect a dead cat. "I've loved animals my whole life," she says. "I was standing up for what I believe in."

Watson's stance and resulting punishment sparked a nationwide debate: Should students be allowed to use computer simulations instead of real dissections on dead animals? More and more, public opinion is on her side: Nine states from California to Rhode Island now have opt-out policies. "Students can get a high-quality education in biology without harming animals," says Leslie King of the U.S. Humane Society, an organization that lends out computer-dissection programs free of charge.

But many science educators disagree. "No alternative can substitute for the actual experience of dissection," says Wayne Carley of the National Association of Biology Teachers. And the 53,000-member National Science Teachers Association also favors actual dissection--but says teachers need to be sensitive to students' ethical concerns.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?