ABSTRACT VIEW
THE MARGINALIZATION OF BREAK TIME FREEDOM: A STUDY ON THE "TOILET SOCIALIZING" PHENOMENON IN CHINESE SCHOOL EDUCATION
M. Ma1, J. Tian2, J. Yang1
1 Guangzhou Xinhua University (CHINA)
2 China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) (CHINA)
In the contemporary Chinese education system, schools, in pursuit of higher teaching quality and student performance, commonly implement continuous classroom instruction and compress break times, leading to the gradual marginalization of the traditional "ten-minute break." The direct consequence of this educational model is that students, seeking respite from classroom pressures and opportunities for social interaction, have turned to the restrooms, thereby giving rise to a new phenomenon of social leisure—"toilet socializing." "Toilet socializing" refers to the informal social activities that students engage in within the restrooms, using the brief time they have to go to the bathroom to escape class pressures and seek social opportunities.

This paper comprehensively explores the causes, characteristics, and impact of the "toilet socializing" on the school education model through qualitative research methods such as in-depth interviews and case studies. Through in-depth interviews, we have collected first-hand information from students, teachers, and parents, directly reflecting their personal feelings and views on the "toilet socializing". Selecting typical cases for further analysis has allowed us to delve into the specific situation, causes, and impact of this phenomenon on students' psychological health and social skills, revealing the tension between the educational model and student needs.

The research findings indicate that the "toilet socializing" is not only a manifestation of students' desire for free leisure time but also exposes the shortcomings of the existing educational model in meeting the comprehensive development needs of students, providing important insights and suggestions for school education reform. Public opinion generally tends to support restoring students' break time freedom and calls for schools to create more free and leisure spaces while ensuring student safety. Based on the research findings, this paper proposes a series of educational reform suggestions, including the reasonable arrangement of break time, enrichment of students' after-school activities, and strengthening of teacher-student communication. These suggestions aim to balance students' freedom with safety, promote the comprehensive development of students, and provide a reference for the optimization of the Chinese school education model.

Keywords: Toilet Socializing, Break Time Freedom, Educational Model Reform, Student Mental Health, Social Skills.