A university has been branded “woke” after biology students were warned they could see “graphic” images of the human body.
In a brochure for the module, seen by MailOnline, students at the University of Reading were warned about “difficult” areas of study that could leave them “upset”.
Young people were also told they will have to obtain consent before undertaking mock clinical examinations of their peers, which “involve physical contact through clothing”.
The notes for the anatomy and physiology module add: “Students who are uncomfortable with physical contact can observe or work on their own body.”
Anatomy students at the University of Reading have said they could be “upset” by graphic images and videos of the human body (file photo)
Reading University bosses have been branded ‘woke’ over ‘trigger warnings’ for life sciences students (file photo)
The move has angered health professionals who say such “trigger warnings” are the result of “woke” university bosses and could result in students being unprepared for “real life” after graduation.
NHS GP Dr Renee Hoenderkamp said the sun: ‘This trigger warning scenario is actually creating the problem they are trying to avoid.
‘This not only prevents students from getting involved, but will also affect their preparation for whatever career they choose.
“We think it’s fair to students to tell them precisely what they’re going to study, and it can be helpful when choosing a career.”
In response, a spokesperson for the University of Reading said: ‘We follow best practice in the content and description of our courses.
‘People who aspire to work in the healthcare sector will expect to encounter bodies and illnesses.
“We think it’s fair to students to tell them precisely what they’re going to study, and it can be helpful when choosing a career.”
This is not the first time a university has been accused of pursuing “woke” educational policies.
In October, The Mail On Sunday reported that the University of Nottingham had been accused of “degrading education” after issuing a warning about Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales because they contain “expressions of the Christian faith.”
The works of other 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 strange.
‘Since all the characters in the stories are immersed in a Christian experience, there are likely to be many expressions of faith.
“The problem is not the would-be Chaucer-reading students, but the ignorant, virtue-signaling academics.”