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Original poster

Keep school toilets single sex

37 replies

ChristinaXYZ · 15/02/2022 12:04

As a result of a number of decision being made by schools or local authorities which parents have to compete to reverse there is an attempt being made to pre-empt these decisions so parents don't have to fight a rear-guard action after a decision is already made.

The biggest resource would be something showing a large number of people don't agree. You know the sort of thing - where lots of people indicate their agreement with a statement? And if said process is named on here ends up being put in the cupboard under the stairs? To have this would give parents something to show the level of dissent.

Well such a process has begun. To find it you might browse the activism page on Ovarit - you don't need to be a member of Ovarit to read the page ovarit.com/o/Activism/hot or use google and look for the site actionstorm which hosts such things.

OP posts:
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ScrollingLeaves · 19/02/2022 22:38

Bump

justfiveminsofpeace · 19/02/2022 12:59

Signed. Thanks for sharing link to this

AtrociousCircumstance · 19/02/2022 12:54

Bump

FemaleAndLearning · 18/02/2022 15:17

Biological sex is not a preference. The guidance is there for a reason. Mixed sex toilets are not appropriate. Mixed sex is NOT a unisex toilet. Unisex are single rooms with wash basin, toilet and sanitary that open onto a public corridor

AtrociousCircumstance · 18/02/2022 15:08

Bump.

Soontobe60 · 18/02/2022 09:02

@DaisyWaldron

My children's school has a mixture of single sex and mixed toilets. The kids I know who have expressed a preference all prefer the mixed ones, but a combination of both seems ideal, to accommodate everyone's preferences.
I would hazard a guess that they say they prefer mixed sex toilets, but IRL would really prefer single sex ones!
Mummyoflittledragon · 18/02/2022 08:57

Signed. Thank you.

Pthagonal · 18/02/2022 07:34

Signed.

BigPurpleEgg · 17/02/2022 22:28

Thats what I thought. I'll do a bit more research and write to the governors. I feel like the school already think I'm 'that parent' or have a toilet obsession after I insisted on a toilet pass for her, but I had heavy periods too as a teenager and its shit enough without all this shared toilet business

DomesticatedZombie · 17/02/2022 21:32

@BigPurpleEgg

So in my daughters school, the toilets are all mixed. The cubicles are floor to ceiling but the sinks are shared so nowhere to wash blood from hands etc privately. Is this illegal? Google is confusing me. She isn't even remotely anti trans (nor am I), her best friend is non binary. But she is 13 and has very heavy periods and she doesn't want to share a toilet with boys. Can anyone help me with what to say to them? Or is this just how it is now? I wouldn't work somewhere with toilets like that so don't see why she should have to suck it up?
Strictly speaking it doesn't meet the guidelines Justme posted above. Nor Health and Safety. Mixed sex toilets are supposed to be entirely enclosed, with a sink inside the cubicle. However many schools/venues seem to be completely ignoring the regs/rules/guidance.
BigPurpleEgg · 17/02/2022 20:53

So in my daughters school, the toilets are all mixed. The cubicles are floor to ceiling but the sinks are shared so nowhere to wash blood from hands etc privately. Is this illegal? Google is confusing me. She isn't even remotely anti trans (nor am I), her best friend is non binary. But she is 13 and has very heavy periods and she doesn't want to share a toilet with boys. Can anyone help me with what to say to them? Or is this just how it is now? I wouldn't work somewhere with toilets like that so don't see why she should have to suck it up?

KittyLeMew · 17/02/2022 20:31

SIgned

Justme56 · 17/02/2022 13:51

This is the department of education guidelines on toilet facilities in schools. It is from 2015 so not sure how up to date it is. However looking at the interpretation from organisations who put in these facilities the guidance is that if toilets are provided in blocks there needs to be single sex provision for those aged 8 or over. If the toilet is a single unit eg one toilet in a corridor it can be unisex. I would certainly question a school on what advice they have taken in making all toilets unisex. I don’t see a problem in making some unisex but definitely not all of them.

Keep school toilets single sex
ScrollingLeaves · 17/02/2022 13:25

Bump

AtrociousCircumstance · 17/02/2022 10:21

Bump.

WaltzingToWalsingham · 16/02/2022 12:27

My DC's primary school have recently done this too. I only found out because my younger DC was complaining that the toilet seats were often wet with wee; on questioning, it transpired that all the toilets are now unisex. My older child was surprised to hear this, as the toilets had been single sex when she attended the school a few years ago. Needless to say, the school did not inform parents of this particular "upgrade".

I would have no objection to some of the toilets being converted to unisex, as long as some were left single sex for those DC (boys and girls) that prefer it. The fact that all of the toilets in a primary school have to be unisex makes me wonder if the true purpose is not to make things easier for the tiny number of trans/NB pupils that may require them, but to quietly groom all girls children at an early age, so they think it's no problem to have to wipe somebody else's urine off the toilet seat before you can use it. So they think it's fine to have to deal with period blood and accidents in front of the boys. So they think it's normal not to be able to have privacy at these most private moments. If girls are taught to accept these indignities in primary school, how much more compliant and uncomplaining they will be in secondary school and beyond when the stakes are higher.

AtrociousCircumstance · 16/02/2022 12:09

Bump.

endofagain · 16/02/2022 08:26

Just reading this and the "Everyone's Invited" thread. It is just dreadful. I know someone whose child was raped in school. The HT and governers did everything they could to cover it up. Their behaviour was disgusting. Given the level of rape, sexual assault and bullying in schools, how can anyone think mixed sex toilets are a good idea?

Voice0fReason · 15/02/2022 22:43

Signed.
My kids would have hated this, despite being very supportive of trans people.

UsernameIsNotAvailableRightNow · 15/02/2022 22:09

[quote ChristinaXYZ]@UsernameIsNotAvailableRightNow is that legal?[/quote]
I have no idea tbh it just seemed very strange to me. Why bother having policies if you're not sticking to them.

AtrociousCircumstance · 15/02/2022 21:54

Yes thanks for sharing - bump.

Appledrop · 15/02/2022 21:29

Signed and thanks for sharing.

Original poster
ChristinaXYZ · 15/02/2022 20:52

@UsernameIsNotAvailableRightNow is that legal?

OP posts:
Pixiedust1234 · 15/02/2022 19:57

Signed. Thank you for this.

scootalooser · 15/02/2022 19:56

@UsernameIsNotAvailableRightNow I think your school is in breach of the rules there and I would raise it with governors, council, dfe etc

@DaisyWaldron that is so refreshing and good to hear, so much angst round our way about it all.