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Parents are calling the policy inhumane and disgusting.
By Megan Quinn — Written on Jan 30, 2023
School administrators will take necessary measures to ensure that students are actively engaged during class lessons, including forbidding students from chatting or leaving the classroom during lesson time.
However, one school district in the UK is facing backlash for a rule designed to keep students in their classrooms to avoid missing lessons and is being branded by parents as inhumane.
The school has barricaded the restrooms during class to keep students from missing class.
Officials at Castle View School in Essex claim that they have enforced the rule to prevent “bad behavior” and ensure that students get in their necessary classroom learning time.
The restrooms are unlocked during breaks, including before classes are in session, at lunchtime, and after school hours.
If students must use the restroom during class time, they are required to obtain a hall pass given to them by their teacher.
Although what was intended as a method of misbehavior prevention may have backfired, with many students being forced to miss their lunchtime since they are stuck waiting in long lines to use the restroom during that time.
Parents are slamming the rule as ‘disgusting.’
"It is against human rights and is disgusting. It is like they are in a prison,” one upset parent claimed.
"It is an absolute nightmare. My child felt sick at lunchtime and was left to just stand and queue. My child nearly had to be sick in the hallway, which is so embarrassing. These gates are on all the toilet blocks. I don't know any other secondary schools that have put an actual physical gate that can be locked."
The parent added that the school district failed to notify them about the new rule.
"We haven't had any letters or emails about it, it is just so wrong.”
They shared that unfortunately enough, the gated locks on the restrooms have to be unlocked by a teacher during breaks and that they do not always get around to doing just that.
“There are always long queues, and some days my child doesn't even eat because there isn't time to queue for food and the toilet,” the parent said.
The parents are not the only ones complaining about the policy. Frustrated students have also voiced their concerns.
"We are children, we don't need to be locked up,” one 14-year-old student said.
“It shows an extreme lack of trust, which is understandable as we are kids, but the level they are going at is getting out of control.”
The student shared that the school closed the restrooms during class time to prevent pupils from “vaping” and chatting with others in the restrooms during class time.
They suggested alternatives to barricading restrooms, including installing smoke detectors and thermal cameras.
The school district defended its decision by claiming that students could access hall passes to use the restrooms during class time if necessary.
"Pupils are able to access all toilets before school, break times, and after school. If a pupil requires access to the toilet during lesson time, they request a pass from their teacher and are allowed access,” Castle View’s Head Teacher Steve Durkin claimed in a statement.
Additional school districts across Essex have taken similar measures to combat misbehavior and promote active learning.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.