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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Mixed-sex toilets in schools - children's actual views?

132 replies

Oldstyle · 12/02/2019 19:19

Do we know what kids actually think about this? Planners & policy-makers seem to feel it's not a problem, and that it lessens bullying (no idea how) although it is currently illegal in Wales for children over 8 years old apparently.
Lleisiau Merched Cymru/Women's Voices Wales are asking for feedback from girls (or boys) who have mixed-sex toilets in their schools. Ideally from Wales but also from other parts of the UK. So is there any real-life evidence either way?

OP posts:
ClaraMatilda · 12/02/2019 19:30

There was that BBC documentary No More Boys and Girls which was meant to be about getting rid of sex role stereotyping in a primary school class.

As I remember, the children were happy with all the changes except the mixed-sex toilets, which both the boys and girls disliked - I think there were a few children saying on-camera that they didn't want to use them.

A nice illustration of how making everything mixed-sex isn't a good way to combat the harmful stereotyping.

Beamur · 12/02/2019 19:58

Just asked DD age 11. Not at all keen.
Her words 'I just wouldn't go to the toilet at school'.
Can we ask schools to monitor the rise of UTI's as girls boycott the toilets and probably stop drinking enough water during the day?

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 12/02/2019 19:58

DD thinks the boys toilets stink and she's right.

Had to deal with mixed sex toilets recently and the amount of piss (I'm assuming from badly trained small boys) all over the seats was minging.

donajimena · 12/02/2019 20:00

Sorry to derail but from a personal experience today I went to my sons school and passed the mixed toilets. I can confirm that they stunk to high heaven.

Comefromaway · 12/02/2019 20:00

Ds hates the idea too. He thinks both he and the girls need their privacy and he wouldn’t be comfortable going to the toilet with a load of giggling girls around.

Greensleeves · 12/02/2019 20:03

DS2 (14) says "I wouldn't have a problem with it personally, but I imagine the girls would - I don't see that the girls have done anything to deserve sharing toilets with the boys"

Ineedacupofteadesperately · 12/02/2019 20:12

Dd1 hated the mixed sex toilets up to age 8 in her school, she used to avoid and come home bursting.

Greensleeves · 12/02/2019 20:16

DS1 (16) says he thinks's it's borderline abusive - to the girls.

OldCrone · 12/02/2019 20:16

it is currently illegal in Wales for children over 8 years old apparently.

Is it? Do you have a link to the law which applies to Wales? I could only find one for England.

Katvonfelttipeyebrows · 12/02/2019 20:20

It's a "would rather not" from the teens in this household too

OldCrone · 12/02/2019 20:20

A nice illustration of how making everything mixed-sex isn't a good way to combat the harmful stereotyping.

It was also a good illustration of how the programme makers hadn't understood the difference between sex and gender.

The idea that women can't be lorry drivers/ mechanics/ plumbers = gender - there is nothing about women's bodies that makes them incapable of doing these things.

Single sex toilets are about having separate facilities because boys' and girls' bodies are different.

GGMummy3 · 12/02/2019 20:22

My daughter hates having to now at reception and she's only 4.

I remember having to get changed for PE in the same classroom as boys at 10 years old in the 80's and it still pisses me off now!

Nemesia · 12/02/2019 20:23

There is a unisex toilet block at my dd's secondary school. The girls hate using them because the boys wee on the seats/floor. DD says the cubicles smell too. However there are also single sex toilet blocks so I think the girls mostly use them.

drspouse · 12/02/2019 20:25

I took my Brownies to a holiday home and as (pre magic sex change rubbish) there were only female people there I put a sign on the mens' loos saying GIRLS LOOS.
They still wouldn't use them.

peachsquish · 12/02/2019 20:28

Primary school age dd's answer to what do you think of mixed boys and girls toilets?
"Eww that's just gross"

ThomasRichard · 12/02/2019 20:31

A friend’s DS’s senior school introduced the exciting idea of mixed sex toilets in a big assembly. Friend’s DS is autistic, went away and thought about it and then took himself to the headmaster’s office to tell him that he didn’t like the plan and would feel embarrassed sharing with the girls. The plan was quietly dropped.

AornisHades · 12/02/2019 20:35

I can't even ask my autistic daughter for fear of her getting anxious about it. She barely uses the toilet at school because it's scary as it is. Boys being in there would terrify her.

BertBox · 12/02/2019 20:50

My nine years old's view - "no, I wouldn't like it".

Rogueaccountant · 12/02/2019 20:53

So who in Hell does like it?

Perverts?

IamThereforeIdontIdentify · 12/02/2019 20:55

I'm not in the U.K. but my daughter's classroom got switched due to class size and her class now use different toilets (aged 4&5). There are two separate toilets and they're each for all the children. She complained tonight that it wasn't fair because when she went to the toilet at school now she always has to sit on pee.

Safe to say she doesn't like mixed sex toilets.

And she's clear it's the boys peeing on the seats!

Luckily parent evening coming up so this will be raised as a major issue as she's stopped drinking during the day to avoid sitting on pee.

AornisHades · 12/02/2019 21:15

Surely it's adding to the overall toilet time across the school if all the boys have to use cubicles too.

EatShitBoswell · 12/02/2019 21:16

I remember having to get changed for PE in the same classroom as boys at 10 years old in the 80's and it still pisses me off now!

I remember that in primary school during the 90s I remember the girls used to hide under the tables to get changed while the boys would run around the room climbing on the tables peeking underneath while the girls desperately tried to hide. Vile.

TerfectlyImperfect · 12/02/2019 21:34

www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/dundee/826939/womens-campaign-group-calls-for-urgent-investigation-into-gender-neutral-toilets-at-tayside-schools/

Don’t know if the link will work but saw this in the paper today. I’ll keep an eye out for updates....

Dothehappydance · 12/02/2019 21:36

At my dd's school the toilets are single cubicles with a row of sinks that face the corridor. The actual cubicles are male/female but together.

She is absolutely not bothered about it, and looks at me with a very puzzled expression whenever I ask her about them.

(She is yr 8 and almost 13)

BettyDuMonde · 12/02/2019 21:38

Boy/male pee definitely smells worse than girl/female pee - we are just mammals, after all.

I hope that the additional time required to get all pupils in and out of cubicles doesn’t impact on handwashing time - threadworm seems more common than nits nowadays.

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