I'll provide a weak counterpoint. Yes, if a student claims in good faith that they need to use the bathroom, there is no excuse for not letting them go. However

I'll provide a weak counterpoint. Yes, if a student claims in good faith that they need to use the bathroom, there is no excuse for not letting them go. However, expecting students (some of them) to behave in good faith is silly. Students will often abuse this privilege (assumption of good faith) to go to the bathroom to escape the strict classroom environment, to socialize with their peers, or do whatever they want. The school sees this as a challenge to their authority so they crack down as in TFA. (Never mind the fact that schools are making a smelly room with toilets and a sink a more attractive place to be than the classroom for some students is itself sickening to the core.) Edit: I'm not one to complain about downvotes, but this time I don't get it. Am I wrong? These are things I've observed in a variety of schools, and in relatively well-off areas at that. I'd imagine the problems are far more acute in areas of lower socioeconomic status.