When you’re a kid, lots of things can feel embarrassing: your parents shouting “love you!” at the school gates, a bad hair day, getting tongue-tied in front of your crush. For many kids, having a poo at school is on that list too. It shouldn’t be a big deal, but 76% of children who took part in a survey for Andrex say they don’t feel comfortable going at school, even when they really need to.
Clare White*, a secondary school teacher from Northern Ireland, says it’s extremely common – to the point where pupils will even fake illness when they’ve been desperate. “Pupils have come to me and said that they haven’t felt well and I’ve sent them home,” she says. “After speaking to parents, you find out they weren’t unwell, they just needed a poo. It’s quite common.” It means kids are missing out on valuable learning time and, in some extreme instances, are having accidents from avoiding going, she says. Even for children who aren’t sent home, the distraction and discomfort that comes from not using the toilet can really affect a child’s ability to focus in the classroom. In Andrex’s survey, 65% of the children who struggle with pooing at school say they find it hard to concentrate when they’re holding a poo.
