Mikhail Puchkov: "There can be no ban on a student going to the toilet during class!"

      19 November 2025 10:47 Society

      The Minister of Education and Science of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, Mikhail Puchkov, commented on a situation that has caused wide public resonance — reports that schoolchildren were banned from leaving class during lessons to use the toilet.

      On his VKontakte page the minister noted that such restrictions are unacceptable: “Let me state immediately that there cannot be a ban on a pupil going to the toilet during a lesson! This is truly an insult to human dignity!”

      He emphasized that when a pupil has a physiological need they cannot concentrate on the educational process, and this directly affects the quality of education.

      “On the other hand, a lesson is a lesson; a pupil must be present at it, and that is a mandatory condition. Therefore a pupil leaving and being absent during a lesson is an irregular situation for the educational process and for the teacher. After all, the teacher and the school are responsible for the child while they are on the premises of the educational organization. What if at that moment the child is injured? Or breaks something?” he wrote.

      The minister cited an incident at Vozrozhdenskaya School in the Knyagininsky District, where students also complained about being forbidden to leave during lessons. That day a faucet was ripped out in the school toilet, even though the institution had recently undergone major renovations.

      “There is a break for going to the toilet. And for pupils to be able to calmly get there between lessons, toilets must be clean and equipped in accordance with SanPiN (for example, cubicle doors are mandatory)! A child should not be afraid to enter the school toilet! Then they will ask to be excused from class less often,” he added.

      Puchkov ordered additional explanatory work with school principals to eliminate misunderstandings regarding visiting the toilet during lessons.

      Recall that students of School No. 85 in Nizhny Novgorod filed a complaint with the head of the League for a Safe Internet, Ekaterina Mizulina, alleging a ban on leaving for the toilet during lessons. Later the school administration denied that such restrictions existed.

      The Nizhny Novgorod Department of Education reported that additional work with teachers and students on this issue will also be carried out in city schools.

      NIA “Nizhny Novgorod” has a Telegram channel. Subscribe to stay informed about major events, exclusive materials and operational information.

      Copyright © 1999–2025 NIA “Nizhny Novgorod”. When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA “Nizhny Novgorod” is mandatory. This resource may contain 18+ materials.