A full-time toilet trainer is to be employed at Bermuda’s newest pre-school as an increasing number of parents fail to face up to the “daunting task”.Building Blocks Academy is believed to be the first pre-school on the Island to offer the services of a dedicated member of staff as “an added bonus” for busy moms and dads.It comes as Education Minister Jennifer Smith revealed public schools would no longer accept students who are not toilet-trained. She said parents wrongly assumed school teachers would cover toilet training.Pre-school owner McCartney Darrell admitted children still in diapers at about four years old was a problem in Bermuda.She said: “It does seem to be a real challenge for parents to potty train their children, we see it all the time.“There is a lot of work involved, it can be very taxing and time consuming. It’s a daunting task, it’s no fun for parents.“So many parents are working parents trying to juggle work and home life, then there are single parents who are also very busy. Potty training just isn’t always a priority.”Building Blocks Academy is a performing arts pre-school on the top floor of the Salvation Army Citadel on North Street, Hamilton. It will offer specialist classes in art, music, dance and drama for about 60 children aged from 18 months to five years old. It is currently accepting applicants ready for its grand opening in September.It has always been Mrs Darrell’s plan to hire a dedicated member of staff for toilet training and the job has been advertised. The member of staff will be solely responsible for “toilet training and sanitation” to allow teachers to concentrate on their respective subjects.Mrs Darrell said she was looking for someone with “a great deal of patience” who would hand out stickers and “really make a big deal” when children go to the toilet by themselves.Building Blocks Academy also has separate bathrooms for boys and girls, which is unusual for a pre-school, with special training seats on each toilet.It is hoped the pre-school’s emphasis on toilet training will also instil a “sense of cleanliness” as children will be taught the importance of washing their hands.Dame Jennifer announced last week that starting in September 2011 all students at Government schools must be toilet-trained, under Clause 53 of the Education Act 1996.She said: “Toilet training is not a function of education. Teacher training does not cover this aspect as children aged four years and up are expected to start school ready to learn.”Students at Dame Marjorie Bean Hope Academy are exempt from this policy as are those with medical conditions.Mrs Darrell said: “I can understand why the Ministry of Education is doing this. Schools haven’t got the staff or the time to cope with children who aren’t potty-trained. It does seem old for a child not to be potty-trained by the time they go to school, but children are probably at that in-between stage when they are wearing pull-ups, which is in-between diapers and underwear.“There will still be accidents if children don’t make it to the toilet on time.”Mrs Darrell, who has worked at various pre-schools and run her own summer camps, said most parents tended to start potty training at about 18 months. However, she has recently become a first-time mom herself and she hopes to start toilet training her son Spencer when he is just 12 months old.She said: “I know if parents are pro-active and take the time to train their child at an early age, it can happen.“Parents will have success if they put in the time. Kids are like little sponges at a young age so they should get the hang of it like their ABCs and 123s.”She added: “It has a lot to do with age and how quickly a child has developed. Boys are known to take longer to potty-train than girls.”For more information about Building Blocks Academy, e-mail mccartney[AT]buildingblocks.bm or call 505-8070.