Often, teachers will prohibit students from using the bathroom during class time due to its potential to disrupt the lesson or because they believe that the need to “take care of business” is really a ploy to get out of class. Most students are expected to use the restroom either in the 7-minute period between classes or during lunch.
Students should be allowed to go to the bathroom whenever they need, even if during class, since failing to do so poses the short-term risk of hurting the learning environment and long term consequences of serious health problems.
While teachers may believe that letting a student go to the bathroom in the middle of a lesson could hurt them academically, it may actually prove to be beneficial in the long run. According to the National Institute of Health, having to use the restroom creates a significant, measurable decline in cognitive function and focus, with studies suggesting that an extreme urge to urinate can impact mental performance in a way that is equivalent to severe fatigue or low levels of alcohol intoxication. A student who feels a nagging pressure on their bladder is much more likely to tune out a 45 minute lecture and therefore end up learning less than a student who misses 5 minutes of class to use the restroom and then listens for the rest of the 40 minutes, fresh and focused.
Additionally, students being denied bathroom access has the potential to pose serious health problems in the long run. According to Piedmont Health Care, regularly holding the urge to urinate can lead to urinary tract infections (UTIs), bladder muscle weakening, kidney stones, and intense pain. At this point, a student’s well-being is on the line, and safety should always come first, even at the expense of missing a few minutes of class. After all, the absence of a couple of facts or some unheard directions can always be made up easily. A kidney stone or UTI can not.
Some teachers may argue that most students use the bathroom as an excuse to skip class. While this may be true, one (or even a large number of students) doesn’t reflect the mindset of every kid in the school. For every troublemaker, there are also multiple genuine kids. As students grow older, the “hand-holding” from teachers continues to lessen. This mindset should be applied to bathroom privileges as well. If students are choosing to skip lessons, the only way they will learn from their wrongdoings is when it hurts them; being yelled at to stay in class will only fuel the rebellious fire. Overall, a few disobedient students shouldn’t hurt the bladders of the majority of students in school; teachers need to trust that the students will make the right choice, and if they don’t, let them suffer the consequences themselves.
Educators are always trying to stress to students how physical and mental health is always the number one priority, even before academics. Allowing free bathroom access would be the first step in diminishing their hypocritic behavior.
