teacher refused a pupil a toilet visit

Darksparkle

peachyprice wrote: »

You do know not all schools are like that?

If the teachers are all in the corridors guarding the toilets the lessons aren't going to start on time anyway.

When did I say it happens in all schools?

It was done on a rota, the teachers covered doors when they didn't have a class. Or it was the year heads who didn't have a class anyway.

Alikay

I'd expect an experienced teacher with some knowledge of his/her pupils to make a reasonable judgement on whether a particular request to go to the lavatory is granted. A blanket rule on in-lesson toilet visits seems a blanket disregard for pupils dignity IMO. I'm 55, and have only experienced those unexpected needs for urgent toilet visits a couple of times in my life, but was permitted to deal with them when they happened. It's outrageous to force someone into a humiliating menstrual or bowel incident via imposing a blanket ban on toilet visits. It may be necessary during turbulence on an aircraft, not in a school lesson: Individual judgement should be used, with the teacher being backed by the head if they happen to get it wrong.

euronorris

There's a lot of black and white vision going on in this thread. For some, there doesn't seem to be any grey area where a pupil can become sick very suddenly in a class (it happens), having been fine earlier on, or simply being caught short by period starting unexpectedly early during a lesson, or suffering from migraines occasionally (not enough to warrant a note to the teachers, or anyone else for that matter), or someone just having a small bladder and needing to use the toilet more often than most people (it's not a medical condition, it's just who I am) and therefore getting caught out every once in a while!


And we are talking infrequently here. From the OP, and her follow up post, it sounds most likely to me that the pupil in question went to school feeling fine. Stomach bug started to hit during the lesson (hence the cramps mentioned in the OP, and her being unwell now), and she was caught short.


Have these situations seriously never happened to some people?! I find that impossible to believe!

peachyprice

euronorris wrote: »

And we are talking infrequently here. From the OP, and her follow up post, it sounds most likely to me that the pupil in question went to school feeling fine. Stomach bug started to hit during the lesson (hence the cramps mentioned in the OP, and her being unwell now), and she was caught short.

In which case the pupil should have told the teacher she was unwell, not that she needed the toilet. This is a secondary school age child, not primary school age, she should have been able to articulate that she was unwell.

Person_one

peachyprice wrote: »

In which case the pupil should have told the teacher she was unwell, not that she needed the toilet. This is a secondary school age child, not primary school age, she should have been able to articulate that she was unwell.

But... It doesn't matter why you need to go to the toilet surely? If you you do, the underlying reason won't make that much difference to the outcome if someone in genuine need is prevented from emptying their bladder.

Georgiegirl256

euronorris wrote: »

or someone just having a small bladder and needing to use the toilet more often than most people (it's not a medical condition, it's just who I am) and therefore getting caught out every once in a while!
!

If you're having to go every hour, then it very well could be a medical condition....an over active bladder.

I'd class myself as having a small bladder. My Mam jokes that when I was younger I'd probably been in every shop toilet in the town. I can never remember ever having to go during a lesson though, nor can I remember any of my classmates ever having to go.

Obviously the teacher needs to use their discretion, but for the main, most people can hold on until break time.

euronorris

peachyprice wrote: »

In which case the pupil should have told the teacher she was unwell, not that she needed the toilet. This is a secondary school age child, not primary school age, she should have been able to articulate that she was unwell.

She might not have known at that point. Only that she suddenly had the urge to use the toilet.


I've had it happen to me, and only realised my stomach was upset once I got there.

euronorris

Georgiegirl256 wrote: »

If you're having to go every hour, then it very well could be a medical condition....an over active bladder.

I'd class myself as having a small bladder. My Mam jokes that when I was younger I'd probably been in every shop toilet in the town. I can never remember ever having to go during a lesson though, nor can I remember any of my classmates ever having to go.

Obviously the teacher needs to use their discretion, but for the main, most people can hold on until break time.

Nope. Had plenty of testing, including diabetes, kidney and bladder function etc. They never could find a reason, so they just said I had a small bladder.


I agree, most people can. But people do get caught short. It happens.

peachyprice

Person_one wrote: »

But... It doesn't matter why you need to go to the toilet surely? If you you do, the underlying reason won't make that much difference to the outcome if someone in genuine need is prevented from emptying their bladder.

Of course it matters, euronorris is saying it was probably because the girl has a stomach bug coming on, obviously that, unlike a normal pee, can't be held, if it's coming it's coming, but at 12/13 years old with no history of a 'small bladder' or underlying medical condition it should be possible to hold a pee. To get to the point where she just couldn't hold it she must have needed to go for quite some time i.e. at break.

Telling a teacher you need the toilet and they'll think you're pulling a fast one, tell a teacher that you need to leave because you have an upset stomach would, in 99% of cases, get quite a different response. I can always tell if any of my children 'need a pee' just because, or if they're in urgent need of a toilet because of illness.

pigpen

euronorris wrote: »

Nope. Had plenty of testing, including diabetes, kidney and bladder function etc. They never could find a reason, so they just said I had a small bladder.


I agree, most people can. But people do get caught short. It happens.

My 15 y/o has an irritable bladder the eneuretic nurse said it is probably that every time another bit or urine passes into her bladder it causes it to twitch and feel like she is going to wet herself.. Her bladder capacity is at the lowest end of average. She had medication to try to stop these contractions of the bladder which stopped the dribbling she did frequently.. she also had other medication to try to stop the night time wetting which she did until 13!

She still has to go 'right now' the second the urge comes on and cannot hold it but we have got to the point she can go 2 hours between toilet trips.. she had to drink loads and hold it as long as possible to stretch her bladder.. it took months but things did improve!