A university has been branded ‘woke‘ after biology undergraduates were warned they could see ‘graphic’ images of the human body.
In a module booklet, seen by MailOnline, Reading University students were handed a trigger warning about ‘challenging’ areas of study which might leave them ‘upset’.
Youngsters were also told they will have to obtain consent before carrying out mock clinical examinations of peers, which ‘involves physical contact through clothing’.
Notes for the anatomy and physiology module add: ‘Students uncomfortable with physical contact can either observe or work on their own body.’
Anatomy students at the University of Reading have been that they could be left ‘upset’ by graphic images and videos of the human body (file pic)
Bosses at the University of Reading have been branded ‘woke’ over the ‘trigger warnings’ for life sciences students (file pic)
The move has enraged healthcare professionals who say such ‘trigger warnings’ are the result of ‘woke’ university bosses and could result in students not being prepared for ‘real life’ after they graduate.
NHS GP Dr Renee Hoenderkamp told The Sun: ‘This trigger warning scenario is actually creating the problem they’re trying to avoid.
‘Not only does this stop students from getting involved, it will affect their preparedness for whatever career they choose.
‘We think it is fair to students to tell them accurately what they will be studying, and it may be helpful to them as they choose a career.’
In response, a spokesperson from Reading University said: ‘We follow best practice on the content and description of our courses.
‘People who aspire to work in healthcare will expect to encounter bodies and diseases.
‘We think it is fair to students to tell them accurately what they will be studying, and it may be helpful to them as they choose a career.’
It is not the first time a university has been accused of ‘woke’ policies on education.
In October, The Mail On Sunday reported that Nottingham University had been accused of ‘demeaning education’ after it slapped a trigger warning on Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales – because they contain ‘expressions of Christian faith’.
Works by fellow medieval writers William Langland, John Gower, and Thomas Hoccleve received the same warning.
Frank Furedi, emeritus professor of sociology at the University of Kent, said: ‘Warning students of Chaucer about Christian expressions of faith is weird.
‘Since all characters in the stories are immersed in a Christian experience there is bound to be a lot of expressions of faith.
‘The problem is not would-be student readers of Chaucer but virtue-signalling, ignorant academics.’