Teachers in Switzerland are concerned about a worrying trend in which a growing number of students appear in class wearing diapers. While potty training is normally completed between the ages of 18 and 24 months, many youngsters in Switzerland appear to be falling behind.
Teachers are concerned because children as old as 11 are wearing diapers to school. The leader of the Swiss Federation of Teachers, Dagmar Rösler, raised concern about the rising problem, saying, “When 11-year-olds come to school in diapers, that’s a worrying trend.”
“Parents have a responsibility to make sure their school-aged kids aren’t wearing diapers anymore. Teachers aren’t there to change their students’ diapers. That’s crossing a line,” Rösler added.
According to educational scientist Margrit Stamm, some parents may be putting off potty training due to the convenience of diapers. Stamm emphasizes that it is the responsibility of parents to guarantee that their school-aged children are no longer reliant on diapers. The role of teachers should not include changing diapers, as it crosses a professional boundary.
The problem of students carrying diapers to school is not unique to Switzerland. According to the New York Post, reports have emerged from Buffalo, New York, where parents have also neglected to educate their children on correct toilet usage.
The Buffalo Teachers Federation’s president, Phil Rumore, is concerned about the lack of regulations or procedures in place to handle this issue. He claims that teachers cannot be expected to change diapers since it takes attention away from the classroom, thereby impacting the learning environment.
“There is no policy in place, or procedure in place, to work with the child to either potty train them, to clean them when they have an accident,” Rumore said. “The teacher can’t do it because it takes away from the class.”
According to the Buffalo Teachers Federation, 43 children are not adequately potty trained, resulting in taunting from classmates and other concerns at school.
“I’m not blaming the parents … because in some cases we have an autistic child, or we have a child with emotional problems or physical problems,” Rumore added.
