Imagine needing to use the bathroom during class and having to think twice because you’ve already used your one allowed break.That’s reportedly the situation at a high school in southern China, where an unusual rule has sparked concern after it was claimed that students are allowed to leave class to use the toilet only once during an entire term.The school in question is Ruyuan County High School in Guangdong province. According to the South China Morning Post, the rule was reportedly presented during an internal meeting in late August.And there was a particularly unusual detail. The one-break limit reportedly applied even when a student said the need to use the toilet was an emergency.
What does the school’s bathroom rule say?
A photograph of a PowerPoint presentation from the meeting was reportedly taken by a teacher and later circulated online.According to the report, the presentation said each student could leave the classroom to use the toilet just once during the term.Going a second time could reportedly mean involving the student’s parents. They would be asked to come to the school and discuss the student’s education with the administration.A third instance could result in punishment, although the presentation reportedly didn’t explain exactly what that punishment would be.The rule was presented as part of an effort to maintain classroom order. The presentation also reportedly reminded teachers that managing discipline was part of their responsibilities.It went further, saying teachers’ handling of classroom discipline could be considered during professional assessments, including annual reviews, promotions and awards.That has raised another question: could pressure on teachers to maintain perfect classroom discipline have influenced how strictly students’ bathroom requests were handled?
School says the rule is a rumour
The reported policy has understandably caused a stir, particularly because bathroom use is a basic need rather than something students can always schedule around a timetable.A school official who spoke to the media initially described the claim as a “misunderstanding” and later called it a “rumour”.Meanwhile, the local education authority has received complaints and is reportedly looking into what actually happened.So, for now, the exact status of the reported rule remains unclear.
A school with thousands of students
Ruyuan County High School is considered a model school in Guangdong and reportedly has around 3,200 students across 57 classes and three grades.Previous figures have also shown strong academic outcomes, with about 90 per cent of students reportedly progressing to middle-tier or better universities in China.That reputation makes the reported classroom rule even more surprising to many people.The controversy isn’t really about whether schools should have rules. They obviously need them. The bigger question is where discipline ends and a student’s basic needs begin.
Strict school rules have sparked debate before
The latest controversy also comes amid wider discussions in China about how much control schools should have over students during the school day.In 2025, a parent in Sichuan reportedly alleged that a secondary school in Chengdu required students to remain inside their classrooms during the 10-minute break. The break was allegedly used for studying instead of allowing students to leave the room.A primary school in Shanghai was also reportedly criticised after students were allegedly restricted from using the playground during breaks and lunchtime.These incidents have kept attention on the amount of time students get to rest, move around and simply take a break from lessons.In March, China’s Ministry of Education issued a document addressing 20 types of excessive or unregulated school behaviour. The measures included concerns around interfering with students’ rest, limiting physical activity and assigning excessive homework.Against that backdrop, the reported one-bathroom-break rule has raised a fairly simple concern.Students need discipline and structure at school. But they also need to be able to use the toilet when they need to.Whether Ruyuan County High School actually enforced the reported rule, and how it was intended to work in practice, is now something the local education authority is expected to clarify.
