Parents want a ban on children in nappies starting school as 90% say pupils should be toilet trained, survey finds

A backlash is growing against the increasing number of parents who are sending their children to primary school in nappies. Nine in ten people believe children should not be allowed to start school until they are toilet-trained, a survey by early years charity Kindred² shows. While experts say that most children are capable of learning how to use the toilet by the age of three – unless they have special educational needs – recent research has shown that 25 per cent of them are arriving at their first class, reception, without this basic skill. A backlash is growing against the increasing number of parents who are sending their children to primary school in nappies Felicity Gillespie, the Kindred² charity's director, said: 'Our survey findings suggest a large majority of the public believes we should not allow children who are not toilet trained into schools. Nine in ten people believe children should not be allowed to start school until they are toilet-trained, a survey by early years charity Kindred² shows Mrs Gillespie called the situation a 'child development crisis', adding: 'We know some schools are already setting up special units alongside reception classes because so many children are starting school still in nappies or lacking other basic skills.'