Why oh why must tarantula's be part of a pre-schooler science class?

My girls have been taking science classes for almost a year now (they start them at 3 y.o.), and the topics have varied from kinetics to classification of vertebrates to the Rainforest, and everywhere in between. One of the classes they're currently attending relates to the diet of the zoo animals. They get to prepare the food (for some, not all), and feed many of the animals (depends on safety, etc.) This weeks subject was carnivores. They like to bring animals in as much as possible, and since bringing in one of the jaguars or a shark was not feasible they selected a snake and a tarantula. Yes. A taruatula. If you know me, you know that this is one of the few things that I am deathly afraid of, and yet there it was. I couldn't show fear as I don't want to pass this on to my daughters, but it was really tough when the teacher TOOK THE TARANTULA OUT OF IT'S HOUSE AND LET THE KIDS PET IT! Lucky for me, the girls were so excited by seeing and touching the tarantula that they didn't notice me quietly backing up to the other side of the room. Had it come anywhere near me I'm afraid the zoo would be looking for a new one.