Teacher slammed for ‘unfair’ rule to stop kids using the bathroom during class

“They’re just on a power trip over children's bladder and bowels,” mum-of-two Sita said. 

A mum has slammed her daughter’s teacher for their extreme efforts to stop students from using the bathroom during class.

Using the toilet during class time is a contentious topic among teachers and parents, who frequently take opposing views on the argument. 

Whether the kids are watching TikTok on their phones in the cubicles or sneaking some snacks from their lockers, many teachers have gone to new lengths to keep their students in class. 

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The mum was enraged by the teacher's tilet rule. Picture: mamasitaa__/Instagram, Supplied

Teacher gives students extra credit if they don't use the bathroom

Sita, a mum-of-two from California, was chatting to her teenage daughter about school when the Year 9 student brought up a new rule her maths teacher introduced in class. 

“My daughter’s math teacher has a rule that they only get one bathroom pass per week,” she angrily shared on X (formerly Twitter).  

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While the teen’s other teachers enforce rules for using the bathroom in class, such as putting their “phone in the bucket to use the bathroom”, which is a “pretty reasonable response to the problem”, Sita took serious issue with the maths teacher’s rules.  

According to the mum-of-two, this is the only teacher who enforces this rule. 

“During [the students’] block scheduling, the other teachers even give them scheduled breaks as they're in each class for two hours!” she wrote.

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However, the thought of letting a child use the toilet once a week was a step too far. 

To make matters worse, the maths teacher told students that if they forgo using the bathroom pass at all, “they get academic extra credit”. 

“I am livid,” the furious mum said. She argued the maths teacher’s rule wasn’t about helping educate the kids; the teacher was just “on a power trip over children's bladder and bowels”. 

“When you are in a classroom for two hours, it is not unreasonable to need to use the bathroom during that time,” Sita added. 

According to the mum-of-two, the Year 9 student is a “great kid” who “has never gotten in trouble”, making the rule particularly unfair. “[She] has never abused privileges at school and is obediently holding in her pee in this class even when she needs to go,” Sita continued.

Despite her daughter’s complaints, when Sita expressed her anger and threatened to take action, her teenager tried to stop her. “My daughter is mad that I want to email the teacher and CC the principal,” she said. “She just doesn't want the teacher to single her out if I say something.”

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“The human body doesn’t understand or obey rules like this”

The mum-of-two’s complaint sparked a fierce debate online, leaving people torn about students and their right to access the bathroom during class time. 

For those with a medical condition, who have their periods, or genuinely just need to use the loo, it’s imperative they reach a bathroom when they ask for it. Denying access to the toilet just to curb kids skipping school was an “unfair” policy to subject to the entire class. 

“...but the human body doesn’t understand or obey rules like this?” another asked. While it’s not generally dangerous to do, if you hold your pee in for too long, you can run the risk of developing an infection or kidney disease, so holding it in isn't really an option. 

This wasn’t an uncommon rule among other teachers and wasn't restricted to only high school, a parent recalled. “Our youngest son's elementary school had [a] similar policy for 1st graders,” he said. “Totally bizarre. It ended when some poor kid peed his pants because he was afraid to ask for the pass.” 

To many, giving students better grades if they skipped out on toilet breaks was the straw that broke the camel’s back. “This is wrong. It’s immoral, unethical, discriminatory, and extremely worrisome,” a teacher said. 

“Teachers, let the kids use the bathroom,” said another. “If it gets out of hand, then address it with the student individually.”

According to Schools Victoria, “In general, children should be allowed to go to the toilet when they need to go or when a medical need has been identified”. 

While the majority of X users agreed it was a “cruel” rule to enforce, others saw things differently.

In fact, some people argued it was a good move to prevent students from wagging school. 

“I agree one pass per week is extreme, but what would you propose instead?” someone asked. “Should teachers go with the flow when bathroom passes are abused the way they are?”

Originally published as Teacher slammed for ‘unfair’ rule to stop kids using the bathroom during class