Cut Out Dissection: Urge Australian Universities to Catch Up with Other Countries

Animals are not used at all in the vast majority of US medical schools, including Harvard, Yale and Stanford. And no medical school in Canada uses animals to train medical students.

Not so in Australia, where millions of animals—frogs, cats, rats, mice, fetal pigs, fish, and more—are killed for classroom dissection. Some animals come from breeding facilities and other animals are caught in the wild.

PETA and our international affiliates have worked with university students across the country to demand an end to the cruel use of animals in teaching, and offering sophisticated anatomy software to replace dissection.

But some universities have refused to even meet with students to discuss these alternatives. When people cling to crude animal tests and exercises and refuse to look to modern methods in use at institutions around the world, animals suffer and die and scientific and social progress is hampered.

The federal government is spending funds to encourage young people to get involved in science, but dissection turns bright, compassionate students away from such coursework.

In addition, studies suggest that exposing young people to animal dissection as “science” can foster a callousness toward animals and even dissuade some from pursuing careers in science.

Let’s demand kinder ways of educating young Australians.

Please urge the Minister of Education and Training to encourage universities to completely replace dissection with modern anatomy software and other non-animal methods.

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The Honourable

Dan

Tehan

Department of Education

Dear Minister Tehan,

Your recent statement that university research should deliver results that “saves lives” is commendable. Please act to encourage Australian universities to replace dissection with modern anatomy software and other non-animal methods.

Modern teaching methods—including interactive computer simulations and clay models—save animals’ lives, cost less than animal dissection, are suitable for all students, and are more effective than animal dissection.

In nearly every comparative study ever published, students taught using non-animal methods such as interactive computer simulations tested as well as or better than their peers who were taught using animals for dissection and other animal-based exercises. Methods such as narrated software programs with physiology animations or well-labeled anatomical models allow students to learn more efficiently without being distracted by the gore of cutting up dead animals.

Animals are not used at all in the vast majority of US medical schools, including Harvard, Yale and Stanford. And no medical school in Canada uses animals to train medical students. Surely if these medical schools do not use animals, dissection at Australian universities should be ended and replaced with non-animal methods in classroom exercises and in research.

Please move today to modernise teaching and research in Australia, which will improve education of students and spare animals’ lives.

Sincerely,
{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name}
{user_data~EMail Address}

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Cut Out Dissection: Urge Australian Universities to Catch Up with Other Countries

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