It’s certainly not new that children aren’t being potty-trained early. According to statistics from YouGov, approximately 24% of children are not potty-trained before they start school. This has been a rising trend ever since the pandemic. Now, Florida schools are looking to change things regarding this matter. They’re saying children must be potty-trained before starting, and they’re looking to implement a policy on this.
According to @10tampabay on TikTok, Pasco County Schools issued a potty-training warning to locals. They claim that many students aren’t potty-trained by the time they start Kindergarten. As a result, they say it’s “impacting the learning” of all students. At a district meeting, one superintendent says this responsibility should not fall onto the kindergarten teachers.
This trend has been seeing an uptick since the “Covid pandemic,” according to Pasco County Schools. It was estimated that “at least 10 students in each of 52 elementary schools aren’t potty trained.” This is a problem because it interrupts teachers and children who are there to learn. Now, Pasco Schools is trying to implement a policy stating that “students must be able to independently use the restroom” before entering kindergarten.
There would be consequences if a child were sent to school without proper training. They would make it so the child would miss up to a week of school until they are “properly trained.” However, there would be exceptions for “students with special needs.”
This isn’t a unique policy and has, in fact, been seen previously in other areas. In 2024, a Utah representative introduced a bill requiring kindergarteners to be potty-trained before starting school. If they weren’t, they would be referred to a social worker.
This Florida video sparked commentary from across the U.S. Commenters shared their opinions on the matter, some of them heated and divisive.
As one commenter mentioned, “The fact people are blaming everyone but the parents is amazing to me.” A teacher shared in the comments, “Teacher here. The number of 3rd graders not potty trained is scary.” One commenter also pointed out, “Also it’s illegal to not send your kid or have your kid enrolled in a school after the age of 6. So what are you going to do if a child isn’t potty trained and they’re older than 6?”
It’s clear that many parents, teachers, and administrators alike feel passionately about the subject.
