Primary school toilets look like this

[SwordToFlamethrower]

My daughter is 9. God forbid she is one of the girls who start their period young. Not sure how girls age 9 to 11 at primary school are meant to manage their first ever periods with no privacy or dignity when they have to wash their blood soaked hands. The toilet area is open plan too, so anyone walking by can see right in. I took these photos on my way to a "meet the teacher" meeting today. I don't know if the school have checked the law on single sex toilets when they implemented this. I don't even know where to begin. I've been asked to leave it because it's not worth having a row with the school, seeing as they're underfunded as it is. AIBU to say "tough!" What should I do?

[QOD]

I’ve never seen communal loos like that anywhere

[NotACleverName]

I have never once, in twenty years of having periods, had "blood soaked hands." And taking photos in the school toilet is just weird.

[PorkFlute]

I don’t think any of those rapes took place in a primary school did they?

[eelbecomingforyou]

Boys and girls cubicles in the same loo? Unusual. I wouldn’t be happy with that.

[MishMashMosher]

The toilets at my kids school are used by all. No boys or girls toilets. They all just use the same. It really doesn't bother me or them.

[penisbeakers]

🙄

[Amanduh]

The last 3 primary schools i’ve worked in have had two cubicles in each classroom, one boys one girls, and shared sinks. Girls with periods are allowed to use the adults toilets. Yabu and odd

[HettieBettie]

Wow. Just wow. Toilets look fine to me...

[AssassinatedBeauty]

The sinks should be in the cubicles if the toilets for boys and girls are in the same room.

Having said that, I genuinely don't understand the need or rationale for this set up. Why have girls/boys toilets in a shared room like this? What problem is it trying to solve?

[starzig]

Maybe you should introduce her to sanitary towels and tell her she is not meant to catch it. Those toilets look lovely.

[PorkFlute]

Also not sure why it would be worse for a boy to see blood on hands than a girl? Is it because we are supposed to be ashamed of menstruating and pretend to males it doesn’t exist?

[PorkFlute]

starzig

[Elephantinacravat]

Yeah I don't get the point of having the boys and girls together like that?

[OlennasWimple]

Those toilets don't meet the School Standards

[eelbecomingforyou]

PorkFlute - yes. The youngest children involved were 5. The TES has an article about a Year 3 girl who was raped by another pupil.

[WorraLiberty]

Many schools that have this set-up, have it due to lack of space. Two of the old toilets in my local primary have now been turned into an office and a classroom.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

Maybe you should introduce her to sanitary towels and tell her she is not meant to catch it. Those toilets look lovely ffs it easily could he the first one no one was expecting. Even adults have accidents yet can't fathom a nine yr old might have to get used to a few things and might not be the cleanest of attempts at all times...

[dolorsit]

Am I right in thinking that you have taken these photos from the main corridor?

[scepticalwoman]

Schools must have single sex toilets and washing facilities for all children over the age of 8. That's the law. The World Health Organisation is insistent that single sex toilets / washing facilities are important for the protection of women and children word wide and in this country our schools MUST offer the same.
Separate toilet and washing facilities must be provided for boys and girls aged 8 years and over pursuant to Regulation 4 of the School Premises (England) Regulations 2012, which falls within
the exemption provided for in Schedule 22 of the Equality Act 2010
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/719398/Gender-separation-guidance.pdf

[PorkFlute]

We’ll surely in that case the issue is mixed year groups in the toilets? Unless a year 3 boy (age 8) managed to rape someone!

[Bobbybear10]

Blood soaked hands Your DD’s having a period she’s not severing an artery! On a side note what would you have done had you photographed a child using the toilets? Because it’s utterly unreasonable of you to take photos in a child’s toilet! I would be pissed off if you had taken a photo of my child in the school toilets whether you deleted the photos or not! Could you imagine if a child hadn’t shut the toilet door properly and you caught them pulling their underwear up, they could’ve been really traumatised a stranger had photographed them naked!

[Twotailed]

If your periods are heavy enough to leave blood all over the seat and your hands then presumably you’re already carrying wipes (unless you’re grim and just leave your blood for the next person) so why not use those on your hands? And if your hands are literally bloodstained how are you pulling up your pants and unlocking the door and getting to the sink anyway, even if it is a totally single sex bathroom? Surely wipes is the only feasible solution here?!

[Elephantinacravat]

Also not sure why it would be worse for a boy to see blood on hands than a girl? Is it because we are supposed to be ashamed of menstruating and pretend to males it doesn’t exist?. Oh come on, most young girls would be more embarrassed about their periods around boys (especially young boys who don't quite get it yet anyway) than around other girls. I went to an all girls school and it was bad enough trying to hide the sound of my crunching sanitary towel in front of other girls, I would have been mortified having to do it with boys in earshot.

[EK36]

"Blood soaked hands" What?! I am literally crying with laughter! Are we talking about murder here or an actual period? I've not once experienced hands dripping with utereus blood and I'm in my thirties! Maybe a mop should be provided to clean the trail of blood. Apologies to anyone that has actually experienced this.

[Maremaremare]

I'm with you OP - can't stand shared sex loos - whether it be at school or in the workplace.