May I go to the bathroom?
On campus, students have little control over what they can and cannot do. Usually this is to ensure that we are in a safe environment, however, the extent of this control can become borderline unethical. I agree that students should be monitored and that their whereabouts on campus must be known. But it is not okay for teachers to deny students access to the bathroom.
I understand why some teachers are hesitant to allow students to leave their class to go: some students just want to avoid class, or some might try to look up answers to a test in the guise of a bathroom break. However that small minority should not be allowed to dictate the rulings for the majority of students– the ones that actually need to go to the bathroom.
The fact of the matter is that teachers should not be allowed to arbitrarily rule whether or not a student deserves to go to the bathroom. In a bit over a year, I am expected to go off to college and be completely autonomous– but for the time being I am not considered responsible enough to pee.
The justifications for these denials do not hold water (unlike a student’s bladder). For example, teachers say students can go during passing period. Not really– the lines are so long it is unlikely you will be able to make it to class on time. I have also, unsurprisingly, not yet figured out how to make the human body function like clockwork that perfectly operates in harmony with the bell schedule.
It seems reasonable not to allow students to leave during a test because there is a possibility that the student is trying to cheat. However there are ways to ensure that this is not happening, like taking the student’s phone and backpack. Making a student either fail their test or pee their pants is not ethical.
Students should not have to prove themselves worthy to do something as basic as going to the bathroom. Peeing is not a privilege– we should not treat it as such.
1 Comment