Children Start School Not Potty Trained - Really!

ONCE again I'm shocked by a report published this week.

An online survey by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) reports that 62% of primary school staff have noticed an increase in the number of children wetting or soiling themselves during the school day over the past five years.

ATL surveyed 848 education staff working in state-funded, independent and academy primary schools in the UK during October and November 2011. Respondents suggested the main reason for the increase was a lack of toilet training.

Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of ATL, said: "Having to deal with increased numbers of pupils who have not yet been toilet-trained puts extra pressure on education staff when they already have enough pressure on them."

A foundation stage teacher and member of senior management said: "Parents do not spend the time training their children - they feel it is the school's job." Another foundation stage teacher said, "Our parents just have no idea when and how to toilet train their children. We are having to put on a workshop to support them."

I find this report unbelievable. Can its findings be true? I know it was a long time ago but I managed to toilet train my 3 children before they started nursery. I didn't have to attend a course or receive a letter telling me I should be training them. 38% of schools surveyed said they do not provide written information to parents of school starters about making sure their child is toilet-trained before starting school. Surely parents today don't need everything spelt out?

I recognise that sometimes events in a childs life hinder toilet training. Indeed, 61% of the surveys respondents believe they have a good understanding of the reasons, whether medical, physical or psychological, that might cause children at their school to have continence problems.

As a parent I wanted to toilet train my children as soon as they were ready, as it is so much easier, after the initial few weeks. You don't need to drag around a changing mat, nappies etc. The cost of nappies mounts up, this provides an added incentive to toilet train. I'm unsure as to how to take this report, is it scaremongering yet again?

Perhaps some of the fault does lie with the school - not for not running toilet training classes for parents of new starters nor for not sending out letters stating children need to be toilet trained but perhaps they need to encourage children to go to the toilet. Often children are so busy they simply 'forget' to go to the toilet. Starting school is a big challenge for children, perhaps teachers of new starters should build in regular breaks into the day where pupils are encouraged to go to the toilet.

What do you think? If you have young children did you need help toilet training your child? Was your child toilet trained when they started nursery or school? Do you feel toilet training is the parents' or schools' job?

Photo by Flickr djwudi