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Online debate after mum shares a rant over teachers refusing to let students take a toilet break during class.

The mum shared, “What’s the story with kids going to the toilet during class time?

“My daughter told me that her teacher wouldn’t let her go to the bathroom during class. As a result she had an accident and was super embarrassed.”

What mums think

While we totally understand that students are encouraged to use the toilet during recess and lunch time, some children will obviously also need to go during class. Most children will drink more during their break times so of course they will need to rush to the toilet when back in class.

Many parents said they tell their child to go anyway. (Not sure that’s a good idea!) While others argued parents need to teach their children the correct times to go.

One mum shared, “Small children don’t have the capacity to think ahead like that. Oh it’s break, I might need the toilet in an hour… They don’t think like that. I understand if it’s being disruptive but they should have two in class toilet passes a day to use or something”

Another said, “I’ve told all mine that if a teacher refuses to let them go that they should walk out the classroom and go. How dare anyone decide when another human being needs the toilet.”

Jan shared, “Take a kid on a trip in the car. The first thing you ask is does anyone need to go to toilet. No one does. 5 minutes into the trip they all need to go. It’s just a kid thing. Kids are still learning. Let the kid go to toilet ffs.”

Lisa said, “This happens at our school. Very daunting for little kids that need to go but are watching others be refused. It sends stupid signals to kids.”

What the experts say

There are a number of physical problems which can arise when school children are only allowed to access toilets at set times, rather than on a needs basis.

“Having set times for access to the toilet can cause “I’ll go just in case” practices which means the bladder doesn’t get used to holding on until it’s full. Over time, the bladder capacity can reduce, increasing the need to visit the toilet more frequently.

“At the same time, the amount of fluid a child can drink before needing to go to the toilet is reduced. This results in a vicious circle. A child may consciously or unconsciously ration their fluid intake, or avoid drinking altogether, if they fear not being able to go to the toilet when they need to.”

There is potential for long term damage to the bladder as well as risk of anxieties of trying to either conform to the policy, or having to inform the school of any continence problems.

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  • This is a very difficult one. I agree that if a child needs to go then they need to go and should be allowed but at the same time I do think that there are some children that would use this as an excuse just to be disruptive if you are 100% sure that this is not your child I would get in touch with the teacher and discuss this with them.

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  • My daughter also told me that her teacher dont allow the kids to use the toilet during the class and she also stop the children from drinking water during the class so they dont need to go to the toilet, I was very angry when I heard that specially about not letting them drinking the water so me and other parents complained to the principal and after that she give them 5 minutes time to go to the toilet if they need to during the class.

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  • I remember hearing about an adult who sued his school because of bladder problems that began with this kind of policy. I think he won, too.

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  • I would be upset too when this was my child.

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  • That poor girl. Some kids would surely take advantage of being able to go to the toilet at any time, so I suppose that is something that the teachers should be able to use their discretion with.

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  • as a teacher I certainly don’t like to restrict the children to go to the toilet – particularly when they are younger. when I was casual though, I’d have some schools I’d get in trouble from if I let the child go to the toilet during class. It does take discretion though – if a child goes more than twice in one class session without a medical reason, I am inclined to stop them from going after that.

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  • Poor girls! That would be very embarrassing. I can see how annoying it would be as the teacher though. You let one go, then everyone needs to go. But maybe they should start reminding kids to go the toilet just before class starts again? Not sure if they do that already. None of my kids are school age yet.

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  • Happened to my daughter in kindy! I was SO mad and my daughter was a very responsible little girl. She actually needed to go. When I picked her up and she told me that, the next day I had a meeting with the Principal. It’s unacceptable to enforce this!

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  • This is not a new thing. 70 years ago I remember asking to go, told no, and sat there with a pool at my feet. Never again did I go into class without going to the loo first. My teacher, Miss Rogers, apologized to me, as she thought I just wanted to get out of that lesson which she thought I didn’t like. She went out of her way with me and taught me how wonderful that lesson was and that is what I remember these days, not that I had a puddle beneath my chair. Children have to learn how to control their bladder and sometimes they never learn till they get to school because mum always lets them go when they say. It has happened for many years and will happen for many more.

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  • This is just awful. Although as a teacher, I do understand that sometimes children will say that they need to go to the toilet just to get out of doing something. I don’t think I have ever said no when a child has asked to go to the toilet.

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  • This is so stupid. If you ask a young child if they want to go to the toilet they will usually say no because, to them they don’t need to go at that time. I can also understand the teacher saying no if they are doing it too often but not if it’s only occasionally. If all the children go out to recess at the same time, by the time it’s their turn they are due back in class.

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  • This is so wrong. When I was in Grade Prep, the teacher wouldn’t let me go to the toilet and needless to say, I had an accident-then she had the gall to yell at me!!!!

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  • Utterly ridiculous. When you gotta go, you gotta go.

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  • I appreciate going to the toilet during class time is discouraged, but this is ridiculous and I would imagine flies in the face of ‘duty of care’ for students. The embarrassment it can and will cause if someone has an accident, will be traumatic. What about a bit of common sense.

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  • Going in class time was discouraged when I was in school. I don’t think they should be refused to the point of an accident but it does need to be reinforced.

    Reply

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