do i have to participate in a level biology practicals?

hi, so ive just started doing my a levels at sixth form college, one of which is biology. im vegetarian and believe strongly in not using animals for human benefit. my teacher said that next week we will be dissecting sheeps hearts, and i really really dont want to do it. i am also prone to feeling faint when i see really gory things anyway. can i opt out of doing the practicals? i would be happy to participate in any involving plants / humans i just dont want to do any with animals. at my old school this was never a problem, i was allowed to just watch a video or complete a worksheet instead while everyone else did the practical, but as its a new school im not sure if its allowed. im doing the SNAB biology course if that makes any difference. has anyone else been able to not participate in bio practicals in the past? thank you!

Reply 1

MindMax2000

Universities Forum Helper

21

Original post by shinyduck21

hi, so ive just started doing my a levels at sixth form college, one of which is biology. im vegetarian and believe strongly in not using animals for human benefit. my teacher said that next week we will be dissecting sheeps hearts, and i really really dont want to do it. i am also prone to feeling faint when i see really gory things anyway. can i opt out of doing the practicals? i would be happy to participate in any involving plants / humans i just dont want to do any with animals. at my old school this was never a problem, i was allowed to just watch a video or complete a worksheet instead while everyone else did the practical, but as its a new school im not sure if its allowed. im doing the SNAB biology course if that makes any difference. has anyone else been able to not participate in bio practicals in the past? thank you!

Which specific degree do you intend to do? Not all degrees require you to pass your practicals, but it would be a complete shame if you don't have them because it can prevent you from going for the more competitive degrees.

Reply 2

shinyduck21

OP

8

Original post by MindMax2000

Which specific degree do you intend to do? Not all degrees require you to pass your practicals, but it would be a complete shame if you don't have them because it can prevent you from going for the more competitive degrees.

im planning on doing zoology. i chose zoology over veterinary as i wanted to avoid more of the medical side while still learning about animals. i know i need biology and another science (im doing chemistry) but i havent seen anything mentioned about practicals. im thinking ill email my teacher to see if not doing the practicals will put me at a disadvantage (he did a zoology degree so im hoping hell be able to give specific advice)

Reply 3

FAZE_KAYE

11

Original post by shinyduck21

hi, so ive just started doing my a levels at sixth form college, one of which is biology. im vegetarian and believe strongly in not using animals for human benefit. my teacher said that next week we will be dissecting sheeps hearts, and i really really dont want to do it. i am also prone to feeling faint when i see really gory things anyway. can i opt out of doing the practicals? i would be happy to participate in any involving plants / humans i just dont want to do any with animals. at my old school this was never a problem, i was allowed to just watch a video or complete a worksheet instead while everyone else did the practical, but as its a new school im not sure if its allowed. im doing the SNAB biology course if that makes any difference. has anyone else been able to not participate in bio practicals in the past? thank you!

Hi there,

I understand your concern and it's great that you're sticking to your values. It's important to reach out to your teacher or the head of department to discuss alternative options available to you. You could explain your beliefs and how you feel about participating in the dissection. Perhaps your teacher could offer you an alternative such as watching a video or completing a worksheet, as you mentioned. It's also possible that the school has a policy on animal dissection and has alternative assignments available for students with ethical objections. You may wish to speak to someone in the school's administrative office to get further guidance. In the end, it's important that you stick to your principles, but also try to be cooperative and flexible. If the school is unable to offer an alternative, it's possible that you may have to consider whether this particular A-level course is the right fit for you.

Reply 4

MindMax2000

Universities Forum Helper

21

Original post by shinyduck21

im planning on doing zoology. i chose zoology over veterinary as i wanted to avoid more of the medical side while still learning about animals. i know i need biology and another science (im doing chemistry) but i havent seen anything mentioned about practicals. im thinking ill email my teacher to see if not doing the practicals will put me at a disadvantage (he did a zoology degree so im hoping hell be able to give specific advice)

Reply 5

bl0bf1sh

15

Original post by shinyduck21

hi, so ive just started doing my a levels at sixth form college, one of which is biology. im vegetarian and believe strongly in not using animals for human benefit. my teacher said that next week we will be dissecting sheeps hearts, and i really really dont want to do it. i am also prone to feeling faint when i see really gory things anyway. can i opt out of doing the practicals? i would be happy to participate in any involving plants / humans i just dont want to do any with animals. at my old school this was never a problem, i was allowed to just watch a video or complete a worksheet instead while everyone else did the practical, but as its a new school im not sure if its allowed. im doing the SNAB biology course if that makes any difference. has anyone else been able to not participate in bio practicals in the past? thank you!

At my school when I was doing A levels, we had a few animal part dissection practicals. I think there was a small group of people who dissected something else (like a daffodil or something). I don't know how things work with your specific biology course, but I'd suggest talking to a teacher (mention both your beliefs and the feeling faint aspect) to see if you can do some alternative practical :smile:

Reply 6

shinyduck21

OP

8

Original post by MindMax2000

wow thank you so much! sheffield and exeter are my top 2 courses at the moment, but im most likely also applying to southampton (the rest are undecided). i suppose that will depend on whether i am able to do the practical endorsement without one of the practicals aha, which writing it out sounds very unlikely.

Reply 7

shinyduck21

OP

8

Original post by bl0bf1sh

At my school when I was doing A levels, we had a few animal part dissection practicals. I think there was a small group of people who dissected something else (like a daffodil or something). I don't know how things work with your specific biology course, but I'd suggest talking to a teacher (mention both your beliefs and the feeling faint aspect) to see if you can do some alternative practical :smile:

yes ive emailed my teacher to see if i can do a dissection of a leaf or something instead lmao. i read somewhere that some of the practical endorsements require a dissection of either an animal or plant organ, but im not entirely sure how they work so that may have been another course.

do i have to participate in a level biology practicals?

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