Research: Half Of The Children Do Not Poop On School Toilets.

Research: Half Of The Children Do Not Poop On School Toilets.

Whether to poop at school or not is a topic people rarely talk about, but children face it every day. A poll by the Landelijk Ouderpanel shows that half of the children never poop at school. More than a third of these children suffer from stomach or bowel problems because of this.

Big Differences Between Primary And Secondary Education

Many children prefer to hold their stool rather than poop on the school toilets. On average, this applies to 51% of the children, but there is a large difference between primary and secondary education. In primary education, 38% of the children do not poop on the school toilets, while in secondary education the percentage is much higher: 75% of the parents say their child prefers to hold their stool.

Petition For Better School Toilets

Holding stool can have unpleasant effects. Of all parents whose children do not poop on school toilets, more than a third say their child has had stomach or bowel problems from not going to the toilet at school.

The MDL Fund has started a petition for better school toilets. By collecting as many signatures as possible, the fund wants to show politics that this is a big problem. New rules for school buildings must pay more attention to good toilets. School toilets must be clean, lock properly, and offer enough privacy. This is important for a healthy and safe school environment. This way, no child has to sit in class with stomach pain.

Dirty Toilets And Little Privacy

Why do so many children not want to poop on the school toilets? The most mentioned reasons are dirty toilets and too little privacy. Many toilet cubicles have thin walls and large openings under the doors, so all smells and sounds are easily noticed. And according to 52% of the parents, the school toilets are dirty.

In secondary education, many parents also name another reason. Namely, other children who smoke or vape in the school toilets. According to 34% of the parents, this is a reason their child does not poop at school.

Solutions According To Parents

What can schools do about this problem? Parents think it is a good idea if keeping the school toilets clean is discussed in class. Also, 35% of parents think there should be more supervision near the toilets. Still, many parents (27%) think the school already does enough: they think parents should teach their children to keep the toilets clean themselves.

About the research

778 parents took part in this poll. Want to talk about important school topics? Then sign up for the Landelijk Ouderpanel.