I'm not actually sure where they plucked the 'quarter' figure from because unless it's hidden somewhere else the article actually says that '90% of teachers said they had atleast one student in their class who wasn't toilet trained'.

That's a big jump from one in every four kids.

As for the rest of the article, I think it's incredibly easy to blame parents, and whilst I'm certain lazy parenting is a factor here, I think we also need to step back and look at the world right now.

COVID caused mayhem for many new parents; my child alone basically didn't socialise between the ages of 18 months and 3 years. And at that age, kids being around other kids is absolutely essential for their development.

Parents are also working longer hours than ever, and money is tighter than it's ever been. Whilst these don't get parents off the hook, the idea that the blame lays entirely on parents is a touch shortsighted.

Access to affordable and accessible childcare would go an awful long way to alleviating some of these issues, but again, there's no silver bullet and no one group is responsible for all of this. Parents need to be better for sure, but society does a terrible job of setting them up for success.

Don't blame this on the teachers - blame the slacker parents.

This is the best summary I could come up with:

Primary school teachers are having to spend two and half hours per day supporting children in their class who are not school-ready, according to research from an early years charity.

Some teachers said the current class of children arriving in reception have the worst behaviour of any cohort, explaining: “Their listening skills are appalling.

According to a survey by charity Kindred², teachers said 37 per cent of children in their reception class are unable to listen and respond to basic instructions.

One parent explained that the children starting reception now would have spent two years, or half their life, in lockdown and just around the people in their immediate home.

One teacher said that parents needed to realise that it was their duty to teach their children simple things like getting dressed, toileting and how to brush their teeth.

Director of Kindred², Felicity Gillespie, said the report “should be a watershed moment for schools and parents because we know that children who are behind before they begin reception are more likely to struggle throughout life”.

The original article contains 724 words, the summary contains 175 words. Saved 76%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

Is it not a requirement before accepting the student?

oi thats shitty