A proposed Utah law would make it illegal for parents to send their children to kindergarten without first potty training them.
The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Douglas Welton, would also create guidelines for referring families who don’t comply with policy changes to social workers.
Republican lawmakers said they had no choice but to do so. Write HB331 Three kindergarten teachers were asked to wipe students’ butts and check diapers after being told they were “thinking of quitting”.
“They say, ‘This is too risky.’ I’m not going to risk potty training my child. They need to be potty trained and ready to go.” ” said Welton. he told Desert News.
“We’re asking teachers, who we think are already a little bit distrusted by certain segments of the population, to help kids get to the bathroom more easily. It’s a big risk for a lot of people. It’s something you don’t want to take on, and you shouldn’t take it on.”
The bill itself would require the State Board of Education to enact new rules that would make toilet training a condition of kindergarten admission.
The revised bill states that a parent or designated adult would be allowed to assist with toilet training if necessary.
Students who enter school without the required potty training will be removed from class and referred to a school social worker or counselor for resources.
Students will only be allowed to return to the classroom if they are able to go to the bathroom on their own.
The proposed bill provides an exception for students listed in their Individualized Education Program who suffer from a medical condition that prevents them from potty training.
Welton said the bill would help children and their teachers, especially since the number of students attending full-day kindergarten classes has skyrocketed in recent months, especially after another bill expanded classroom access. argued that it was essential for the safety of
According to data from the State Board of Education, 77% of registered kindergarteners are enrolled in the full-time option this school year, up from 34% a year ago.
“This is pretty universal. It goes beyond the state of Utah. There are about four times as many kids coming into kindergarten who aren’t potty trained,” Welton said.
Teachers have expressed concerns about the legal risks of coming into contact with children who have soiled themselves, but leaving children unattended raises many hygiene and moral problems. Become.
School nurses have dealt with such issues in the past, but the influx of kindergarten enrollment has overwhelmed them, Weltson said.
“If we quadrupled that, we would have to hire a significant number of school nurses,” he says.
The bill received a favorable recommendation from the House Education Committee on Wednesday.
If passed, it would go into effect in time for the 2024-2025 school year.
