Is it legal for a teacher to deny a child access to a toilet?

[NotTheMrMenAgain]

I have a friend whose DC, age 13, recently soiled themselves in class because the teacher repeatedly refused to allow them to go to the toilet (and were fairly dismissive about it, by the sound of it). It wasn't a small mishap - the rest of the class were dismissed and my friend called to collect DC.
Understandably, DC is mortified and horrified and my friend very upset and angry. There's been a verbal apology from the head of year to my friend, who said how upset the teacher involved was - but no apology from the teacher to the DC - the teacher had since ignored the child/incident.
AIBU to think this simply isn't good enough? My heart goes out to the poor kid, who knows what kind of mark it will leave and what sort of bullying/mockery it will set them up for.
Is it against a child's basic rights to deny them access to a toilet? It seems like cruelty to me. It this a common policy at secondary school? Apparently they aren't allowed to pop to the loo in between classes, only at break/lunch. When I was a teenager my periods were heavy and I wouldn't have made it til break without an accident!

Access to a toilet is a basic human right

This. I simply do not care if kids take the mick, if a kid needs the loo, they need the loo. Access should never be denied.

Lelloteddy:

Getting nasty because someone disagrees with you isn't attractive.

Trifle, I think quite a few of us on here get what you're saying. Don't worry about that.

I am actually agog that you think this would happen. My school's policy is that I am NOT ALLOWED to let them go.

So if your school's policy was to jump off a cliff, you would blindly do it, would you? I thought teachers were 'professionals' who wouldn't need micro managing.

remoaniac:

Okay. If every child in my class decides they want the toilet, that is okay with you?

So it's ok for teachers to go to the loo during lessons

yes and some do. Of course they do. If I were a teacher and I felt myself flooding during my period I absolutely would go. Do you expect a teacher to mess their clothes?

At primary school there is a TA, in secondary schools the kids are old enough to behave.

If kids don't behave there is a wider issue than the toilets.

As a teacher I do know what it's like to be denied access to the loo. Not sure if it's been said, but as a teacher I'm NOT allowed to leave the class to go to the loo. If I am on break duty and have classes straight after each other all morning (as happens a couple of days a week) this means I can't "go" from 8.30 until after 12.30. This is not unusual for teachers. If I need to (periods, IBS, or whatever) I just can't. Leaving a full class alone for even 3 minutes would create major disciplinary problems and I'd certainly be disciplined myself. I'm sure teaching isn't the only profession who have this restriction.

That's terrible. I teach adults and they are free to go to the toilet whenever. I also go to the toilet during class time if necessary - it's a non issue. Classes are 90 mins long.

We have a strict no toilet policy and lots of banks of loos. I don't always stick to it - I let children go first thing and last thing if I know them to be sensible. We also have a scheme of passes which are given by the nurse for those children with Bowel related illnesses.

I have crohns so I know what it's like. Pre bag I have had to ' be excused' and I have told them why. I think like most things it's a bit of give and take.

in secondary schools the kids are old enough to behave.

Ok, so I think I've found the fatal flaw in your reasoning...

Pseudonym99:

I don't need micromanaging. I am perfectly capable of saying "No" to 99.9% of requests and "Yes" to the one student I believe is going to poo themselves, even when doing so will result in me (not them) being reprimanded.

Your view that following my school policy is a police matter is just hilarious, though.

I know a teacher who went into labour during a lesson. Amazingly she was able to leave the classroom and the children didn't have to witness the actual birth. Bodily functions, what can you do?

Okay. If every child in my class decides they want the toilet, that is okay with you

It doesn't happen. And if it does, you are a professional and you can use discretion. I firmly believe that you can tell who's taking the mickey and who isn't.

And if a girl ends up with blood all over her clothes, I guess you'll realise the HUGE error you've made.

As I said above, it's a matter of discipline. If a teacher has a firm but fair hand, kids won't mess around and that include loo requests.

grannytomine:

We don't have a policy for that - a t student in labour is free to go

I think you need a policy.

Maybe we should just relocate lessons to the toilet trifle- then everyone will be happy. Or have pottys in the corner. Medical reasons are covered by exit cards, teachers use their discretion when asked repeatedly and teenagers like to get out of lessons and needing the loo is an easy option. So all you enraged people please devise a policy that means I am not standing in front of 3 kids rather than 30 because they have a test they don't want to do so all magically need a poop.

There is also the real risk of girls getting urine infections by hanging on too long and not drinking enough at break or lunchtime because they are afraid they will need the toilet in lessons.

This is a medicaland a health issue and schools ought to be sensible. This ought to be talked about more and female teachers ought to put pressure on heads who make these stupid rules.

I'm a former sec teacher. I used to use my common sense. You know who's trying it on and you know who is just wanting to escape the lesson.

Ok, so I think I've found the fatal flaw in your reasoning

No you haven't. At my school we didn't dare mess around if our teacher left the classroom because we knew the teacher next door would hear and be in to tell us off. I don't remember teachers leaving the classroom very often - and I don't remember pupils leaving the classroom to go to the loo very often but I am sure it happened, especially as I was at an all-girls school so there must have been quite a few girls on their period at any one time.

If a school has a sensible approach to discipline, messing around in toilets will not be an issue. If it needs to ban pupils from using the toilets, it has much bigger problems. If it needs to micro-manage teachers and take away their professional discretion, it has much bigger problems.

remoaniac:

Of course it would happen! Students would cheerfully plan to do this to avoid a test, get away from smelly Mrs Trifle with her BO problem (I don't have one - just an example) or stage a mass protest because their teacher didn't give them sufficient notice before requiring pens down.

It would be carnage in half the schools around the country.

Are you okay with that?

The point is that removing the policy removes discretion as well. The students would simply say they were allowed. And they would be right.

Bit daft. We were always allowed to go to the toilet between classes

I love it when people who have never taught before and have never had to juggle 30 students wade in thinking they know best. I don't let my students go to the toilet if it's the first lesson, after break or after lunch. Teachers should use their discretion. We are not perfect and don't always get things right.

Just because you went to school doesn't mean you know what it's like to be on the other side.

mumsneedwine:

It's like the Twilight Zone in here.

mums You need to make your lessons more interesting if you fear a mass walkout. You are playing god with people's health by denying them the toilet.

But it's quite amusing for the end of term. I'm still chuckling over the 'senior school children know how to behave' 😂😂😂. They do know how to do it, it's just that some of them don't want to. They are teenagers, it's in the job description

Girl when did bladders work by lesson times?

I taught for over 30 years. I never denied a pupil access to a toilet. I know that bladders can want to be emptied at other times. If someone drinks a lot over lunchtime they might well need a wee 30 mins later. I would.

You are being cruel. And your pupils risk urine infections by holding on.