When I was in high school, I—like all my fellow students—wasn’t allowed to use the restroom without teacher approval. My senior year, they tightened this already-ludicrous rule to allow only two trips to the restroom per week.
But I was appalled to learn that the Urination Gestapo have soared to new heights in the DC metro area (and presumably across the country): At one local school, students get two passes which are redeemable, if unused, for 6 points of extra credit. At another, the doors to the restrooms have been removed—curious students in the hallway can watch their male classmates at the urinals or see which stall a girl goes in to.
This is another example of punishing everybody in a school for the transgressions of a few. Furthermore, this is another example of schools placing mindless discipline over the academic well-being of the students. How is a fidgety student holding back a gallon of urine supposed to learn? This kind of mindless restriction of human physical needs is immoral, and potentially criminal (abuse)! I encourage students at these schools to file criminal and/or civil charges when they are denied requests to use the restroom without cause.
- How Bad Do You Have to Go? (Washington Post, free registration may be required).