For immediate release:
September 10, 2021
Contact:
Moira Collie 202-483-7382
Springfield, Illinois. – New state law will soon allow students to take off school days off on mental health issues – and in a letter sent this afternoon to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, PETA suggests that students may endure psychological distress when forced to dissect animals despite their objections. PETA asks the governor to protect students’ mental health by modernizing biology education and banning animal autopsies.
PETA points to research showing that at least 25% of high school students object to animal anatomy, which may deter some, especially young women, from pursuing and pursuing careers in science and medicine. In contrast, students who use non-animal dissection techniques such as eMind software or hyper-realistic hands-on SynFrog perform better in the assessment of learning than those who dissect animals.
“The pandemic has hit the mental health of students, and the compassion of young people who cut a cat or frog can aggravate their suffering,” says Martha Holmberg, senior director of PETA youth programs. PETA Asks Gov. Pritzker to Protect Vulnerable Students and Animals by Eliminating Anatomy in State Schools.
PETA, whose motto is in part that “animals are not ours to experiment on” – opposes arrogance, a worldview focused on human excellence. For more information please visit PETA.org or subscribe to the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram…
This is followed by a letter from PETA to Pritzker.
September 10, 2021
Dear Governor Pritzker,
Thank you for signing SB 1577, which allows students to take up to five mental health weekends to school each year. On behalf of over 9 million members and supporters of PETA and our international organizations, including many thousands in Illinois, I respectfully urge you to take another meaningful action to protect student mental health: end animal dissection exercises in classrooms across the state. …
Most young people care about animals, and having to cut them can cause them serious injury. Research shows that at least 25% of high school students object to animal anatomy, and this archaic exercise may deter some, especially female students, from advanced science studies and medical careers.
In addition, PETA studies have shown that animals suffer terribly before ending up on dissection trays in class. At one company that sells animals to schools across the US, PETA found workers injected latex into live crayfish, joked that turtles “came to life” after freezing, and submerged crates full of live pigeons in water baths to drown them. …
There are many excellent options that can replace classroom dissection, including the interactive programs Digital Frog and eMind, and SynFrog, a hyper-realistic splitting frog model. Peer-reviewed research shows that students using advanced animal-free autopsy techniquesbetterin the assessment of learning than those who dissect animals.
As you know, the pandemic has revealed that many young people are struggling with mental health problems. Please help protect vulnerable students from additional trauma – and save animals from immense suffering and excruciating death – by ending animal autopsies in Illinois. PETA will be happy to provide you with additional information and help in any way it can. Looking forward to your reply.
Sincerely,
Samantha Suiter, Massachusetts
Science Education Manager
Copy: Illinois State Superintendent Dr. Carmen Ayala