Have you ever gotten the painful urge to use the bathroom but realize it’s the end of class? Or do you want to get your business out of the way before entering the classroom to prevent interrupting learning time? Well, with our school’s current rules and regulations regarding the restroom, that is not a possibility for you or your bladder. 

     First off, I feel going to the bathroom is an action all students should be permitted to do, regardless of the time. After all, the nervous system is responsible for producing vasopressin, a hormone that determines the amount of urine, and limits its production when in excess amounts. An individual cannot control the urine production, or the amount of vasopressin produced. If this is ignored as a result of a student having to wait, or being denied permission to use the restroom, complications such as a UTI (urinary tract infection), or a neurogenic bladder may arise. This can thereby decrease a student’s quality of life all as a result of a high school bathroom system that can easily be altered. 

     Moving on, staff may be seen as a problem stopping the system from being changed. One may propose that the bathrooms require supervision outside of the door to help regulate those going in and out. And yes, teachers are going to be in classes during passing periods and the beginning and end of the period, but I feel I have found a solution. Similar to lunch aids, I feel the school district should hire hall/bathroom monitors, taking the responsibility away from teachers. Not only does this allow teachers to get their prep and lunch period back, but it also allows for the bathroom to be open all throughout the day, allowing the best of both worlds. While some may feel that getting employees would be difficult, the school can get parents to volunteer or have the PTO assist with this. 

     Finally, the issue of having students in the restroom for the wrong reason may be a concern. Actions that are concerning may consist of using the restroom to skip class, as an excuse to walk around, or as a place to use illegal substances (such as a vape). Rather than attempting to punish those partaking in these actions with detention or other insignificant consequences, students caught doing such should no longer have the privilege of going to the public bathrooms, and instead must use the nurse’s bathroom. This would allow those who do not care about their record to be penalized in an impactful way, to prevent further issues. While students may get away with these deeds from time to time, the hall/bathroom monitor should be instructed to randomly check in once every 30 minutes to limit the number of students who get away with such wrongdoings. 

     Clearly, the bathroom system can use a revamp. In this article, I have provided most issues that may be run into during the change of the system, and solutions to fix them. I hope that Freehold Boro can slowly transition into a better method of regulating the bathroom, and that students no longer have to deal with the discomfort surrounding the restrictions.