One in four children are due to start school in September without being toilet trained, a charity has said.
A report by early years charity Kindred found pupils are losing, on average, a third of their learning time each day due to teachers diverting away from teaching and towards supporting children who are not school-ready.
Bristol charity ERIC - the children’s bladder and bowel organisation - has now set up an “emergency intervention” campaign for those starting school next month.
ERIC CEO Juliette Rayner said that, while the problem had been a “growing issue” recently, “this year seems to be particularly bad”.
What do they mean by school? What age are these children?
Where I’m from, the typical age to potty train is 2-4 years, so 25% at age 6-7 sounds very high.
6-7 is really old to be using diapers for a developmentally normal child.
The concern is over “Pandemic babies” who would be hitting 4 this year and entering Reception class at the end of the summer holidays before starting primary school the following year.
In the UK you start school at 4
Maybe you shouldn’t if you’re not potty trained…easy as
Who in their right mind forces their kid into the hellscape that is school at 4 years old?? How to fuck up your kids social and mental developement 101 much?
The British.
I started at 3.
“School” starts at 3 in France. But it’s more like a kindergarten for 3 years, then you enter primary school at 6 where you learn reading and writing.
Compulsory school age is 5, but most start in reception at 4. I do agree though that it’s far too young. People will look at you with three heads though if you suggest it’s too young here though.
It is more about having a place to dump your child for the day. Especially true since no family can get by without dual incomes and extended social support has broken down completely.
Also reception isn’t anywhere near as formal as Year 1. It’s pretty much an extension of the nursery experience which many children will have given the need for both parents to work.
I myself have called it “a place to dump your child”, but in reality even nursery is early years education. The real purpose of these places was meant to be education. Many politicians do think of nursery (and school!) primarily as a place to keep kids busy with little regard for quality of learning.
My son started reception in pull ups and we transitioned to underpants later in the year.
He is autistic and has had some trouble.
Calling out parents for this is not fair and has more to do with social breakdowns and lack of help forthcoming from local government resources.
This is about neuro typical children tbf
If it’s becoming the norm, then yes it needs calling out. This isnt about the kid that isn’t developing at the same rate because of their own unique challenges.
I suspect this has more to do with lockdown and lack of socialising in early years, so it’s been less of an issue if a kid isn’t toilet trained. That plus first time parents not having other children around as much to have reference development rates.
Your kid has a disability.
That’s not what the article is about.
