Giselle Bradshaw | A school rule should never humiliate a child

What should have been an enthusiastic first day of school for a grade-five student at a Kingston primary school instead became a day of embarrassment and humiliation.

The student asked to use the restroom multiple times but, by the time she was granted permission by her teacher on her third request, she had a bowel movement in front of her entire class. She is now reportedly too ashamed to return to school.

This should never have happened.

The incident exposes a troubling reality: school rules, when applied without regard for children’s basic needs, can undermine the dignity schools are supposed to protect. Discipline cannot justify ignoring a child’s need to use the bathroom, particularly when a child repeatedly communicates that it is imperative. This situation demands accountability from the school and transparency from the Ministry of Education regarding its response. There need to be more than reactive assurances after harm has occurred. We need clear standards and proactive measures that prevent children from being humiliated in the first place.

ILLUSION OF DISCIPLINE

The justification for restricting bathroom access is often rooted in concerns about discipline and classroom management. The Ministry of Education has emphasised adherence to rules and order within schools. Too often, the expectation is that children must conform at all costs, even when doing so risks undermining their rights, dignity and wellbeing.

There is an important distinction between managing a classroom and denying a child a basic bodily need. The need to use the bathroom can be urgent, unpredictable and beyond a child’s control. Adults therefore have a responsibility to listen when children say they need to use the restroom, particularly when a child makes repeated requests. Effective classroom management should never come at the expense of a child’s health or dignity.

WHERE IS ACCOUNTABILITY?

The school’s response to this incident is equally concerning. The child’s father, Jason Bell, reported that, when he reached the school, he found his daughter in a distressed state underneath some stairs, with her clothes soiled. Mr Bell attempted to speak with school authorities but was reportedly unable to do so. His child now refuses to attend school.

When a child experiences such profound embarrassment at school, the adults responsible for her care should respond with urgency, compassion and accountability.

The child deserves a sincere apology.

MINISTRY’S RESPONSE

The student’s father has reported the incident to the Ministry of Education and Youth and the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA). These are appropriate channels, but reporting an incident of this nature cannot be the end of the process.

Will the incident be properly investigated? Will guidance be issued across the education system on how schools should respond when children need to use the restroom? Will the child and her family receive appropriate support to help her return to the classroom? The education minister has indicated that an investigation has commenced. That is necessary, but it is not sufficient.

We must also ask how the situation reached this stage in the first place.

Is adherence to a school policy more important than basic human dignity and decency? If a policy can be applied in a manner that results in a child being publicly humiliated, then that policy, or the way it is being implemented, deserves scrutiny. The education system needs clear guidance on this issue, particularly as discussions continue around reforming the Education Act and the disciplinary powers exercised by school administrators.

Schools need practical protocols that balance legitimate concerns about classroom management with the reality that children have bodily needs that cannot simply be postponed until authorised time slots.

CULTIVATING TRUST

Her classmates witnessed her humiliation. Parents may question whether their children will be treated with dignity when they are not there to advocate for them.

Children spend a significant portion of their lives in school. They should be able to trust that the adults entrusted with their care will take their needs seriously. They should not have to fear being embarrassed for expressing a basic bodily need. The student who soiled herself did nothing wrong. She should not carry the shame of what happened. The responsibility lies with the adults and institutions charged with protecting her well-being to examine what went wrong, acknowledge it, and make sure another child does not experience the same thing.

The education ministry and the school now have an opportunity to demonstrate what accountability looks like. That means more than investigating after the fact. This translates to adhering to the core principles of child rights proactively by reviewing the rules, listening to children, supporting educators, and establishing clear standards that put children’s dignity at the centre of school discipline.

No school rule should ever be so rigid that it requires a child to sacrifice her dignity to obey it. Let children go to the bathroom!

Giselle Bradshaw is a youth policy committee member at Fi We Children Foundation (FWCF). Send feedback to info@fiwechildren.org or follow them @fiwechildrenja on Instagram.