HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (KCAL/KCBS) – A California high school is putting hall passes in the past and instead requiring students to use a QR code to leave the classroom. Some students feel the new policy is an invasion of privacy.
Jacob Green, a senior at Edison High School, says he doesn’t want to be told when or how long he can use the restrooms on the Huntington Beach campus. A new policy that asks students to scan a QR code in order to leave a classroom is concerning to some who say their privacy is being compromised.
“My opinion of this whole scanning into the bathroom is definitely unfair,” Green said. “I believe they want us to scan in so they can track and see who the kids are going into the restroom… and since they have the time limit, they can see exactly how long they’re gone for.”
Principal Daniel Morris told the Orange County Register that it’s not a strict policy but rather guidelines for students who want to leave class to go to the bathroom, the nurse, the library or the wellness center. He says it’s something not all of the teachers have implemented.
Meanwhile, students are complaining that three bathroom breaks per day with a seven-minute time limit is not enough.
“I have to drink a lot of water. I just don’t think it’s very fair and especially given our time limit,” student Ruby Meek said.
Other students, like Alyssa Williams, oppose the guidelines because of the number of bathrooms at the school.
“We only have three bathrooms in this school, so it’s kind of spaced out weird. So, it takes us at least half of our timer to get to the bathroom,” she said.
There is an online petition that has amassed more than 540 signatures as of Wednesday. The petition aims to replace the current bathroom policy with a “more compassionate and health-conscious approach.”
“I’d rather have my privacy. I mean, my time is my time. If I’m going to spend it in the bathroom where I need to be, I’m going to do that,” student Ky Slater said.
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