Scandal on social media over teacher’s request to teach children to go to the toilet during recess

A Ukrainian named Liliya shared information on Threads from a parent chat in which a class teacher asked parents to discuss with their children the importance of going to the toilet during breaks, not during lessons.

The teacher noted that, in cases of medical or physiological reasons that prevent children from going out for breaks, parents should inform her personally so she can warn other teachers.

Ukrainians expressed different opinions on this issue. Many commentators supported the school’s position, emphasizing that breaks are designed to satisfy natural needs, and continuous exits from lessons interfere with the educational process. They noted that students often go out in pairs, which distracts classmates and disrupts the lesson.

One of the teachers said he had never previously restricted students from going to the toilet, but he noticed that high school students began abusing this. During breaks, many of them sit with their phones or go for coffee, and when the lesson begins, they ask to go out “for water” or to the toilet. In his opinion, this hurts the quality of education.

Other participants in the discussion pointed out that the problem often arises when children leave not out of urgent need, but “for company”. In a class of 25 students, up to half may be asked to go out during a lesson, which significantly complicates lesson conduct.

However, most commentators consider such requirements outdated, as a child should not have to beg for permission to go to the toilet; tolerating it is harmful to health. Some teachers noted that if a student really needs to go out, he can do it without attracting unnecessary attention.

One teacher with 20 years of experience in the service said that she always allowed children to go out without unnecessary explanations, provided that this does not interfere with others. She noted that there was no abuse and emphasized that children, like adults, need to be distracted from time to time – to drink water or relax.

Users also mentioned typical problems in schools: queues for the toilet during breaks, or cases in which children had to endure until the last moment due to strict prohibitions, which led to unpleasant situations.