Bowie High School enforces a rule that students may not leave class during the first or last 15 minutes. This prevents students from being able to use the bathroom during those times.

This rule should not be in place, using the bathroom is something we all have to do and should not be limited. Sometimes a person has to pee.

People should be able to use the bathroom whenever they feel they need to. Teachers already only let one student leave at a time, why can’t they leave during the first 15 minutes of class?

Human beings have bodily functions they go through that they can’t always control. If a person can’t control when they have to use the restroom, then how can the school? If someone has to pee during the first 15 minutes of class then they have to pee.

In most classes the first 15 minutes are mostly chill time to let everybody get to class and put their things away. Many teachers have mini warm ups for that first bit of class to give students something to do, but oftentimes students just end up talking to friends or doing nothing. If nothing is going on during the first 15 minutes of class wouldn’t that make it the best time to go to the bathroom? If nothing is happening then there’s nothing to miss.

Sometimes female students don’t realize they’re on their period until after they’ve been sitting in class for a little bit. Many teachers would allow students in this situation to leave class even during the first 15 minutes, but explaining this to a teacher is often really awkward to students. This happened to my friend and she sat in class and waited 15 minutes because she didn’t want to talk to the teacher and ask to go. 

The school district has the 15 minute rule in place because they expect students to be able to use the bathroom during passing periods, but sometimes that isn’t possible. There are many reasons that a student may not be able to use the bathroom on their way to class. I have had it happen that a teacher let me out late and I didn’t have enough time to use the bathroom without being tardy in my next class. I have also had times where I’ve tried to go to the bathroom on the way to class and couldn’t because there were 30 girls crammed in the bathroom vaping.

Regardless of the reason, students aren’t always able to use the bathroom on their way to class and still be on time. The 15 minute rule should be removed. However, if the school would like to keep the 15 minute rule in place, then they should extend the passing periods so that everyone actually has enough time to use the bathroom on the way to class.

The 15 minute rule inconveniences students and should not be in place at Bowie.