"US Teacher Criticized for Forcing Students to Eat Insects for Environmental Reasons"

As Part of Climate Change Assignment
Controversy Over Extra Credit for Eating Bugs

A middle school teacher in the United States is facing backlash for assigning students a 'bug eating' task. The photo is not directly related to the article content.
Photo by Yonhap News

A middle school teacher in the United States is facing controversy for forcing students to eat insects for environmental reasons.

On the 21st (local time), according to the New York Post and others, Kim Cutler, a middle school teacher in Nevo, Utah, instructed students to eat insects as part of an assignment on climate change.

The media explained that Kim Cutler gave this assignment with the intention of having students try eating insects as an alternative food source, citing that cows emit methane gas, which is considered a major cause of environmental pollution.

After eating the insects, students had to complete an essay assignment titled "Why Americans Should Eat Insects." Since additional credit was only given if they ate insects, students had to eat them even if reluctantly to receive high grades.

A student who participated in the class released a video filmed that day. In the video, one student said, "We don't want to eat insects and find it disgusting. Rather than completely excluding cows from our daily lives, it is more important to moderately control their population and maintain a balanced diet."

In response, Cutler argued, "You have no evidence to support that. There is only one correct answer in this class," adding, "That is that Americans should eat insects as an alternative food source."

Amanda Wright, the mother of a student who attended the class, claimed, "Teacher Cutler made the children eat insects as an assignment on climate change and forced them to do so despite students' pleas asking if there was another way."

As controversy continued in the U.S., Cutler apologized for not giving students other options, saying, "I was unaware of any drawbacks to eating insects. I had no intention of harming anyone."

The school also explained, "The insects were purchased from edible insect sales sites and are completely harmless to humans," adding, "Many students and parents protested, so the assignment was replaced with another task."