Once the bell rings and school starts, students are often expected to sit in their seats and concentrate on the lesson for the whole period. A class period at West typically lasts 59-65 minutes. During this time, most teachers limit bathroom usage by handing out passes or even denying students bathroom breaks. A common concern is that students will abuse the power of bathroom breaks and miss important class lessons, but this also punishes students who need to use the bathroom for personal purposes. Should students be able to take unlimited bathroom breaks without punishment, or is excessive bathroom use disruptive in class? Two students and a teacher were interviewed for a chance to share their perspectives.
West English teacher, Ms. Baker, only allows her students two bathroom breaks per quarter. Ms. Baker explained her reasoning behind passes by saying, “If students were allowed to go to the bathroom whenever they wanted to, our classroom would be a revolving door; there would be people constantly going in and out of class. Giving out bathroom passes makes it easier to keep people in class.” Although some might view this policy as unfair, she does allow students that still have their bathroom passes to turn them in for extra credit at the end of the quarter.
Freshman Charlotte Nguyen has a different opinion on bathroom passes. As a student in Ms. Baker’s class, she feels that bathroom breaks should be less limited. She expressed her outlook by saying, “People may need to go to the bathroom for personal reasons. I’ve never been in trouble for going to the bathroom, but I know a few students who have.” Charlotte feels it is unfair for students to be punished for going to the bathroom if they have to take care of a personal need.
Freshman Liam Acelar agrees with her perspective and feels that students should be able to go to the bathroom whenever they want. He said, “I feel that students should be able to go to the bathroom at their own discretion. Everyone has their own personal reasons, and someone shouldn’t control when they can go or punish them for going. People can’t control when they need to go to the bathroom.”
Students often view bathroom breaks as a right and disagree with policies teachers enforce in the classroom, while some teachers view unlimited bathroom breaks as a privilege that can be abused. I feel that limiting bathroom use is harmful and affects everyone in many ways. If you are given a bathroom pass and lose it, you lose the opportunity of having a break even though you never went to the bathroom. This can be extremely inconvenient and unfair to students. It is also important to remember that everyone needs to go to the bathroom for different purposes. Some students may need to go to the bathroom more than others. Although limiting bathroom usage keeps students in class and prevents them from abusing breaks, it makes students more hesitant to maintain their personal needs during school.
