[Sportschosun, Jang Jong-ho] A high school in China has come under fire after reportedly devising a plan to limit students to using the restroom during class just once per semester. The plan reportedly stated that parents would be called to the school after a second use and that disciplinary action would be taken after a third. As the controversy spread, local education authorities sternly reprimanded the school and ordered it to immediately revise the policy.
According to Hong Kong-based newspaper the South China Morning Post (SCMP), Ruyuan High School in Ruyuan County, Shaoguan City, Guangdong Province, China, discussed measures to manage students’ restroom use during class and self-study periods at a new-semester work meeting held on the 30th of last month.
The controversy began with presentation materials reportedly used at the meeting under the title “Classroom Discipline.”
The materials stated, in essence, that “students may use the restroom only once per semester during class time, including self-study periods, in the event of an emergency.” In other words, once a student used the restroom, further use would not be allowed for the remainder of the semester.
The materials also said that if a student used the restroom a second time, the student’s parents would have to visit the school and cooperate with the student’s education. A third use would result in disciplinary action. The materials did not specify the level of punishment.
The controversy intensified because the proposed rule was also linked to teacher evaluations. The materials said that classroom management skills were included in teachers’ educational and teaching abilities, and that this could affect annual evaluations, promotion, and eligibility for awards.
Criticism quickly poured in online.
Online users responded, “The school isn’t a prison, so it shouldn’t control students’ basic physiological needs,” “What are students supposed to do if they have a stomachache or suddenly feel unwell?” and “It is excessive to set a semester-long limit on the number of times students can use the restroom.”
Ruyuan County education authorities told local media by phone that the measure had been a “policy scheduled for implementation” discussed at the school’s new-semester work meeting on the 30th of last month. It had not yet been officially implemented for students or parents.
The education authorities subsequently sternly reprimanded the school and ordered it to take immediate corrective action. The school also decided not to implement the policy.
Jang Jong-ho, bellho@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
