'Control Your Period,' Teacher To 14-YO Who Wanted A Washroom Break. Still Think This Is 2019?

Why the taboo around periods? Stigma around something as natural as menstruation is undeniably a form of misogyny.

Society teaches girls nothing else but to hide the fact that she's on her period. The shame and senseless traditions around menstruation can be overwhelming to say the least. And by not talking about it we reinforce the idea that it is something that shouldn't be talked about ever.

Not just society, sometimes even parents and schools can be an absolute nightmare for young girls when it's 'that time of the month' for them. And we're not just talking about India here.

Case in point: 14-year-old Maisie-Rae Adams claimed that her teacher refused to let her go to the washroom in the middle of class.

The student of Rednock School in Dursley, UK, said that she was asked to ¡®control her period¡¯. After she fought back with the teacher, she was thrown out of class. That's when she ran to the bathroom.

The Independent

But when she returned she wasn¡¯t allowed to enter the class.

According to the Daily Mail, she said, ¡°The class seemed to be in shock at what happened. I grabbed my pad and went to the toilet. When I tried to come back into the classroom the teacher told me that my bag was in another room and I could not go back to class.¡±

Maisie also said that this was not the first time as she had already been given three detentions for asking to go to the toilet while on her period at her school. Her 36-year-old mother, Kelly Adams told the Daily Mail, ¡°When Maisie told me about it I felt so angry that I could cry. Maisie felt humiliated and embarrassed and it is horrible what happened to her. She should never have had a detention for needing to go to the toilet during her period.¡±

Meanwhile, headteacher David Alexander said it was "not as has been interpreted."

Kelly and Maisie, on the other hand, wish to introduce a pink band for students to discreetly tell teachers that it is that time of the month and, in the process, work against the taboo surrounding periods.

Kelly added, ¡°I think it would be a good idea to get the girls wearing a little pink wristband and then it would show the teachers and others that the girl is on her period and that they may be a little emotional and unable to concentrate that week.¡±

The Independent

However, the head teacher of the school, David Alexander said that the school does allow students bathroom breaks if they are on periods. He added, ¡°In fact we have ¡®time out¡¯ cards specifically for that purpose ¨C we introduced to all girls in assemblies at the start of the year. Every girl had the opportunity to carry one. We are sensitive to the needs of all students but especially girls in this situation who are developing emotionally and physically.¡±

Whether it's menstruation or menopause, talking about periods has often been a taboo subject for far too long. Our society really needs to understand this is as natural as any other body function, and grow towards removing the stigma around periods.