An American high school has sparked major outrage online after revealing just how many times students are allowed to go to the bathroom per week.
Arrowhead Union High School, located in a suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has rolled out a new ePass system, which functions as an electronic hall pass that students are required to use to take bathroom breaks during school hours.
After finding out just how many times pupils are able to go to the loo, people have rushed to social media to share their thoughts - and, let's just say, they're far from happy.
One Instagram user questioned: "What about girls with heavy periods? I was one of those. I needed to go to the bathroom 2 or 3 times in a day to change pads, etc., throughout those 7 hours I was at school."
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"Even prisoners can use the restroom when needed," hit out a second.
A third chimed in: "School nurse here. Come to the health office and I will give you an unlimited bathroom pass. FYI, NO one, especially a school board, can dictate how many times any student can use the bathroom. Period."
"This shouldn’t even be something on the table. Let those kids go to the bathroom," demanded a fourth while a fifth chirped: "I would p*ss in the hallway just to prove a point if someone said 'No you can't go right now.' Sorry bro, can't hold it."
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Another confessed: "I'd be suspended bc this bladder weak af."
And a final Instagram user advised: "Just get up and leave. Deal with the consequences later. Get your mom involved anyway and press the issue.
"If the school admin team wants to waste time dealing with it, let them."
So, what's the actual number then which has prompted all this controversy?
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Well, under the new system, students are restricted to just three bathroom visits per day and seven total visits per week.
Additionally, the system also puts a limit on how many students can check out passes simultaneously, which creates additional barriers for bathroom access.
JP Moen, an Arrowhead student who recently addressed the school board about the issue, explained: "I feel like this system should not have been implemented."
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The cross-country athlete also added that the system penalises him for staying hydrated for his sport.
"Say I drank a lot of water that day, and I try to go to the bathroom two periods in a row, you can't go. It's messed up," Moen pointed out.
"You only get three a day and seven a week, and if you are having extenuating circumstances, it doesn't matter, you literally can't go to the bathroom," said fellow student, Gabi Eggers.
Despite the backlash, the Arrowhead School's superintendent, Conrad Farner, defended the ePass system in a statement, saying it 'ensures safety, maximises student learning, encourages responsibility and minimises inappropriate behaviour'.
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He added that the district provides accommodations to students who need extra passes or additional time.
Tyla has reached out to Arrowhead Union High School for further comment.
Rhiannon Ingle