To ask what you think to this school new rule?

Gossipy parents are the worst 🙄

Children don't need a water bottle on hand at all times. Brain hydration is important, absolutely, so a glass of water in the morning before school, water laden fruits and vegetables and regular drinks of water during the day is plenty. Water during breaks satisfies that requirement

That's fair enough, however we are talking about children here. Plus some people have undiagnosed bladder/bowel issues and is it really worth embarrassing a child by them having an accident in class? I had undiagnosed IBS as a child/teen and I am incredibly fortunate that teachers didn't stop me going to the toilet because I absolutely would have shit myself several times in front of the entire class.

I think that you just reminded me of one of Hugh Grant’s rants, and they are delightful to watch. So thank you!

WHY DOES EVERYONE NEED A WATER BOTTLE!!! 😁

Do you how many times teachers have had to get children who are messing around in toilets....? Yes some children have toilet passes but the others have ample time to go to the toilet at break and at lunch. Its so hard for teachers when they don't have a TA and a child or children are missing from the classroom.

Thank you.

As an anaesthetist I can tell you that happens rarely and only during operations that are many many hours long - surgeons (and anaesthetists for that matter), like people in many other jobs where they don’t have constant access to water, are perfectly capable of going a few hours without drinking.

This idea that there will be adverse health outcomes from not constantly slurping water is a (highly successful clearly) marketing construct of the bottled water industry. It’s bizarre how quickly it has become accepted as a basic truth.

It's not worth even explaining anything to you. You have no clue and you won't listen anyway.

But no, most primary classes don't have TA these days, and virtually no secondary classes do. And arranging for another member of staff to come in? That's frankly, laughable. There are none.

That's brought back flashbacks to "the pencil sharpening club"
Gosh that class could rattle through a pencil, yet strangely make few marks with it

Go into a school for one day. Any school. You will realise why they’re putting this rule in place.

Obviously they can't leave children unsupervised. But they absolutely are allowed to use the toilet if they need to, as long as they arrange for another staff member to supervise while they go. There are often teaching assistants in most primary classes anyway.

Another survior of 80-90s education on a drink (200ml?) at breakfast, a sip/ glug from the fountain in the toilets at break, a small cup on the lunch tray (150ml?) at lunch and that was that until home time.
I avoided school milk as much as I could get away with too

Children weren't floundering with dehydration and nothing significant has changed since then to make constant access to bottles an essential part of survival to children without specific health concerns. Having a bottle avaliable to drink more at suitable intervals is a fair middle ground, but it doesn't have to be constant.

Bottles can be mis-used for disruptive and evasive behaviour. In my youth group, if it's a bit of a dry, talky badgework night, it's funny how much more the children drift off to the corner with the bottles, and how many more toilet requests we have compared to more active, engaging nights. And these are children that want to be there. In schools, it can be far worse, and it is reasonable for schools to manage access to water to cut disruption and off-task behaviour.

I feel like you may have been out of the classroom and in the toilets when debating was being taught at your school.

A teacher can walk out, leaving their class unsupervised, to go to the toilet? No they can't.

I agree with you, but are we really calling lessons "teacher input" now?

Well, when you have half the class doing the water bottle challenge rather than maths, you may think differently.

My DC aren't at that age yet so I might change my opinion. But I don't think they need them all day long. It was the 00s when I went to school we were not allowed to have drinks in class. We were allowed to go to the toilet if we really needed to but it wasn't really allowed.

DS is now 3 he is constantly making me stop the car because he 'has' to pee. He hardly ever does have to it's just something to do. I can absolutely see him needing the loo constantly as an excuse to get out of the class room.

Like when we were kids and would spend ages sharpening pencils at the bin

Which is exactly why a classroom environment isnt ideal for many children. Not being allowed to use the toilet? Or have a drink when thirsty?
Its so bad for children to hold a full bladder or bowel. A lot of children have overactive bladders or suffer anxiety in the absence of an accessible toilet.
And I have never worked anywhere where im not allowed to use the toilet or have a drink if im thirsty. And I dont know anyone that does. Teachers seem to always have a mug of something on their desks all day long. They can dismiss themselves for bathroom breaks. Your point is invalid.

Good on the school I say! At the high school I work at, all drinks must stay in bags, for reasons that many others have cited. They can be filled at break and dinner only.

We are one of “those schools” that doesn’t allow kids to go to the toilets during lessons (bar medical reasons or a genuine reason - ie kid is obviously desperate). Sadly that rule had to be introduced because most visits to the toilet were just to get out of lessons / meet up with friends / go on phones.

Any chance kids are playing with waterbottles, knocking them over, chucking them at each other?

It does! But apparently shitloads of parents don't because it continues to be on the increase in kids despite people supposedly being aware 🤔

Weird, right?

I'm a teacher, trust me, there's always more than one!