Unisex toilets in Secondary School

Just been discussing it with OH who went to an all boys school and he said that some boys used the bathrooms for more than just...well, I'm sure I don't need to spell it out!

It's unacceptable. If you were 12/13 and your period had started unexpectedly it is ridiculous to expect the girl to use the sanitary dispenser watched by the boys. I have never been so pleased that our dc are at single sex schools than when I read the OP.

Single sex loos waste a huge among of space. In my university Dept they alternated in the stair well between floors. 8 loos, 5 unisex ones would have been plenty. We defiantly could have used the extra storage space.

They're kidding themselves if they don't think that any perving will go on. There are always a few creeps in a big group of men/boys.

What utter tosh! It doesn't happen. The toilets are far easier to supervise like this. The supervisors don't need to constantly open the boys, then the girls toilets to see if anyone is doing anything they shouldn't, they simply stand and watch. The boys designated cubicles are on one side, the girls on the other. It is a far safer and pleasant area for all concerned.

There is abolutely no chance of someone getting away with peering or perving at all!

Seriously, the kids have just taken to it. It's the norm now.

In an ideal world there would be male loos, female loos and unisex loos for children up to age 12. Then there would be little worry about kids having issues or parents worrying about pedophilia. It is a huge worry with sons. When my strapping 11 year old is still in the loo fifteen minutes after he'd asked to go in the supermarket I am on tenterhooks. Do you have a son exotic fruits?

I wouldn't like it, but judging by all the threads on MN about people taking boys of over 6 yrs into the ladies-utterly regardless of what any girls or women think-I would have thought it would have been highly popular.
It is rather hypocritical to say that you want them everywhere except schools. If teenage girls don't like it at school, why should they be told to like it elsewhere?
Either all toilets go unisex or they stay male and female IMO. Personally I go for separate -and all boys over 8yrs should not be in the female toilets.

I would remove a child from a school if loos became unisex. If I, or society as a whole, don't feel comfortable, then why should my child be made to put up with this!

And men's toilet habits are gross! I have three lovely boys/men in my household and I have my own loo because they are so vile!

All the men's toilets I've ever been in absolutely stank. Men in public are disgusting in their toilet habits.

I also know of someone who was arrested for going into the women's toilets at a station and peering over the top of a cubicle. They're kidding themselves if they don't think that any perving will go on. There are always a few creeps in a big group of men/boys.

hmm.. back in the old days i didn't go wee at school because of people smoking in the loos/ intimidating presence...

i used to go home and wiggle the last 100yds...

Let's not think its some sort of new age equality. It's cost saving and that's all there is to it.

We have unisex toilets at our secondary school. They were re-built during the last summer holiday, so we are almost at the end of the first year.

It's really worked. The kids were initially a bit about it, but all said, it's been fine.

There are two rows of cubicles on either side of a big font style wash basin. One row has the girl symbol on the doors, the other has boys, so really, they are still separate. The only thing they share is the sink.

Staff do not share these toilets. (Unless it's INSET and the kids aren't in) It's not appropriate or sensible to put teachers and students in the same place, even if there is no where to hide iyswim!

As someone else said, it's no different from when they go swimming. In fact, slightly better, because they've got more clothes on!

From what I've seen, the kids have adjusted very quickly and it doesn't phase them at all. It's only the parents that seem to have a problem with it and I would imagine that's because they haven't experienced anything like it before.

I work in a new-build school built under BSF.
We have unisex toilets and a separate block of unisex toilets for staff.

The kids tell me they hate them so just don't go all day. I tend to do the same. Don't know why, I just feel uncomfortable with it.

Talk of preventing bullying etc is all very well, but I honestly think they were built that way because it was cheaper, and saved on space. Every other damn thing has been to do with penny pinching.

They have these at my DSs school, which is about four years old. The loos are in an open area off the main corridor. There is a row of cubicles on each side, one side for boys and one side for girls, with a central island of sinks in the middle. No room for bullying and there is a cctv camera right there too. DS says he prefers separate loos as there are urinals in the normal sort, but that's the only objection he can think of. I think it's fine and as he's had a few problems with bullying, I think the fewer closed in areas, the better.

why would it matter if a girl has her period??? no-one will know...

Really? So, a girl gets her first one while at school, or is irregular and unprepared, or 'floods'. She may need help - much easier in a girls-only loo.

Call me old fashioned but this one gets a BIG fat no from me: unisex toilets - I don't think so - can you imagine the comments people would raise if this happened outside of school, I don't know about you people but I live in the real world where most standard toilets are male and female not unisex!! And I for one wouldn't want it any other way!! Just a quick point, in these schools with unisex toilets - what about the staff toilets - what do they have??

That sounds like a really grim job bruffin!!

I don't really see what the problem is. Are there gaps down the side of the cubicle doors or something? If not, then no one will see anybody dealing with their period etc.

The only objection I would have (as a female) is that the loos would be messy. All those teenage boys peeing on the seat (presumably no urinals?). That could be dealt with by having separate boys and girls cubicles inside the loo I suppose.

I do not get the problem with unisex toilets. I always had them in our school and see no problem.

The toilets are supervised - there is always someone at the entrance and the names are recorded if they go to the toilet during lesson times.

I wouldn't worry about them just putting up with it - teenagers are very vocal! They'll say if they're not happy.

The school that was featured on educating essex, moved into a newly built site after the programme finished.
The HM did a survey of the school and what was needed in the new school and the item that came to the top of the list was nice toilets. They now have a communal toilets which have been built so the cubicals are built in a circle round the outside with the sinks etc in the middle but also there is nowhere that can't be seen from the outside of the structure, so nowhere to hide.

My school was large and open, it happened in a crowded corridor and a full assembly hall on a number of occasions.

It shoudln't be more difficult, it should be impossible.

Not so impossible when boys and girls are expected to share the same toilets.

I wouldn't want to share public toilets with men, I don't see why girls should be any different.

Nyac, I'm very sorry to hear that, but if unisex toilets are large and open surely that would be more difficult.

I guess the idea is that there will always be people about.

I was bullied horribly in our toilets personally I think having cubicles off a communal space open to both pupils and staff could work well.