The Anoka-Hennepin School District has many rules and regulations that involve student movement throughout classes during the day. These policies are enforced to keep everything running smoothly. It is a requirement by law that children from the age of 7-16 must come to school on  a daily basis to advance their education careers, and if it isn’t followed by the student there is consequences to follow that action just like being tardy or skipping class without a pass.

A severe consequence of not coming to school or arriving to class without a pass is being considered truant and maybe having to go to court because of that decision. Is this consequence too harsh? Students must have passes when they arrive late or when they are coming or going from the class. They must also have passes if they wish to leave the classroom to go to the bathroom or the nurse which is at some teacher’s discretion. Pass policies all depend on how the teacher desires to conduct their classroom.

Many educators find it convenient to make their children use a single bathroom pass for the whole classroom whenever a student leaves. Jeff Richards (health teacher at Blaine) said, “I have one pass for students to use as long as it’s not abused.” There are some teachers who don’t like their students leaving the classroom at all because they feel it’s important for them to be present in the classroom at all times.

On the flip side, some teachers don’t feel it’s necessary for a student to tell them they have to leave because they have to learn to adapt to the adult world. Some teachers see it as the student’s job to decide if they need to be in class or not, it’s the student’s job to take care of what they need to take care of before class starts.

In interviewing our peers here at Blaine High School, we found that high school students feel that they are held to a higher standard and viewed more closely to an adult. Talking to newly arrived freshmen Fifi LeGrand (9) she states, “There is a lot more freedom to do whatever you want like going to the bathroom whenever you want and doing homework whenever.”

But is this always the case? Does this standard follow you until you graduate? Sophomore Alex Pendergast and senior Chufue Yang can both agree that at Blaine they feel it’s up to the teacher if they are going to treat you like an adult or not.

Another issue with passes involves disrupting the class. Students that have to go to the bathroom will often times get up and ask the teacher for a pass or if they can leave. Most teachers don’t like the idea of interrupting the flow of class but in asking Richards he stated, “Everyone NEEDS to stay hydrated all day long for better learning and higher metabolism.  It is needed for learning!” It seems not to bother him much because being a health teacher he sees the need for bathroom passes.

Corey Betland (10) feels that “students [shouldn’t] have to ask, [but] you should have to tell them [teachers] but not ask.” It is necessary to tell teachers where you are going because they are the ones who are responsible for you once you enter the school, however when a student has to demand a pass to complete a human function and be questioned about it is just ridiculous. Jeff Richard’s opinion of the subject is “[its] just common courtesy to ask before you go.”