‘It’s a school, not a prison. Even inmates enjoy more freedom than students,’ expresses an online observer
2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenAlice Yanin ShanghaiPublished: 2:00pm, 11 Sep 2026A junior secondary school in southern China has faced significant backlash since implementing a quota that restricts students to using the toilet only once during class for the entire term.
This toilet policy was highlighted in a photo reportedly taken by a teacher at Ruyuan County High School in Guangdong province during an internal management meeting in late August, as reported by the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald.
Concerning classroom discipline, the school specifies that each student is permitted to use the toilet in emergencies only once throughout the entire term, according to a PowerPoint slide presented during the meeting to outline the rule.
If students exercise this right a second time, they must request that their parents come to the school to collaborate with the administration on their child’s education. For a third occurrence, the student will face a punishment; however, the specifics of the penalty are not detailed in the slide.
The school emphasised that the enforcement of this toilet policy is part of maintaining discipline in the classroom.
