Mandatory animal dissection in high school?

My friends kids came home from school today while I was there. They both reeked and seemed spacey, so I asked what's up and was informed of them doing cat dissection at the local high school. This isn't new. I took the same class while I was there. I was against it, but remember in being mandatory according to the teacher. We didn't question him since, duh, he was a the teacher. He just said it was worth enough points that if we refused we wouldn't pass. We would also have to sit in detention while the class continued. I did it. My family did it. What bothered me is my friend is religiously against it and so is her children and actually went to the board about it. I had never heard of anyones parents actually doing anything about it. She said she was basically discriminated against because 1 She isn't Christian and 2 she's a spiritualist and 3 we live in a town full of rednecks who love to abuse animals for fun anyway. People are always finding animal bits and strays in traps left by kids AND adults.

Anywho. The teacher basically said it's a great teaching agent because the animals organs are set up the same way as humans. Yes.... so are frogs... and they're cheaper for the school, take up less school hours and aren't seen as pets. Everything she told me was the same crap we were given in that class. The teacher is even a preacher. It pisses me off. In a town like this you want to encourage teens to rip open pets to see the same organs you have plastic life sized dolls of?? Plus it's total bullsbit to force and threaten kids with a F for not doing it. They also told her the kids are supervised as if it would make her feel better. Yeah they are. I too was supervised while my lab partner played jump rope with cat intestines and testicles were thrown in a girls hair. That worked well. Rant over.

Do you think dissection should be mandatory no matter ther reason?