Parents in Welsh county told to come to school to change nappies if their child is not toilet trained
Parents in Blaenau Gwent, Wales have been told they have to come to school to change nappies if their children are not toilet trained.The local authority told parents that it was their responsibility to ensure children knew how to use a toilet before sending them to school.A new policy, implemented by Blaenau Gwent council, means teachers will no longer change pupils’ nappies or pull-ups unless there is a “medically recognised need”.The council said: “It is a parent/carer’s responsibility to ensure their child is toilet trained, however based on data collection from schools on their experience of very high levels of pupils coming to school in nappies we have introduced this policy.“The policy states that parents will be expected to go to school to change their child’s nappies/pull-ups.
“The policy does not apply where there is a recognised medical need and appropriate evidence of this has been provided.”It said it would continue to support parents and carers by signposting to help and advice.The move, first reported by the BBC, is supported by teaching unions, which have said children need to be able to come to school ready to learn.Laura Doel, national secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT Cymru, said: “It’s important that children hit their early milestones and arrive at school ready to learn.“The early years of a child’s life are so important to their development, and it’s vital that everyone involved in their lives supports them to flourish.
“We have had some school leaders reporting that an increasing number of children in school are not always hitting those key milestones before they arrive, including their self-care needs,”It comes after a report by early-years charity Kindred2 last year, which found that one in four children in England and Wales were not toilet trained,The charity also found only 50% of parents thought they were solely responsible for training their child,Juliette Rayner, CEO of Eric – the children’s bowel and bladder charity – said there was less support available for parents than in previous generations,She said: “We’ve seen a deluge of coverage shaming parents for not adequately preparing their children, but these kneejerk reactions miss a crucial point: when things go wrong, there are far fewer opportunities now for parents to get help.
“Toilet training can be more difficult now than in previous generations, due to many social and economic factors affecting families.“A change in focus for health visiting and dwindling numbers means the profession has less capacity to provide help and guidance, contributing to the lack of support services and advice to help people who are experiencing problems.“The knock-on effects of the pandemic and cuts to essential children’s services in recent years have contributed to this issue and, if not addressed soon, it could have serious implications for children’s health and education.”
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