To think secondary schools should not have unisex toilets?

[seriouslylong]

So my daughter started secondary school this year in a temporary sight and yesterday moved to the permanent sight. She came home and told me they only have unisex toilets in the school

I looked on a local Facebook page this morning and there was a parent on there asking for opinions.

I don't think boys and girls should have to share a toilet! They need their privacy at this age!

What are your thoughts? Also would be interested to hear if your children have unisex toilets at school?

If the toilets had an adult supervisor then perhaps I would feel okay about this.

But no supervisor? No way would I be ok.

Actually lunar1 makes a good point.

So no, I would not be okay with this at all.

The university I went to did this and I didn't mind, however for teenagers going through puberty I don't think it's appropriate at all.

I remember being 13/14 years old and having girls two years above me snicker to each other because they heard me opening a pad. I imagine it would be a lot worse if a boy heard and made jokes/told everyone that a girl was on her period.

Bad this is a brand new school.

Check out health and safety regs - single sex cubicles are only OK if the cubicle includes a sink.

If it's new build can you check planning and building regs?

Where are the sanpro vending machines?

..and are the boys losing their urinals too?
Didn't one of the unis have dirty protests about the lack of urinals?

I think it's absolutely fine.

Most people have a unisex toilet at home.

No one will be getting changed in the toilets or running about naked.

Boys should all be educated about girls and periods so I can't see any problem if they hear the rustle of a sanitary towel being changed. It would be a bit of a special snowflake who felt boys shouldn't be exposed/educated to about periods and girls shouldn't feel embarrassed about it - if they do they need to be taught not to be ashamed, this is a great way to normalise periods for both sexes.

Lots of bullying and messing goes on in girls toilets (can't speak for boys toilets as no experience) so having boys around too should reduce that. Girls on girls are often really mean. I would have much preferred unisex toilets at school.

Why on earth would anyone walk out of a cubicle with blood on their hands?

I'm sorry but I think this is made up in order to justify not wanting unisex toilets. You would wipe any blood off with loo roll before you pulled up your pants and opened the lock/door handle.

Why is it worse if a boy hears a rustle of a sanitary towel than if another girl hears it? Girls are much more likely to tease or be mean about it than boys are.

I had blood on my hands just this week after changing my pad. Luckily I was in a self contained unisex toilet at work so could wash my hands in private. Dry toilet roll is not going to get blood off your hands.

And obviously the correct set up would be to have girls', boys' and unisex toilets.

Just because you 'cant' see the problem' isn't a reason for your view to trump anyone else's. Plenty of us were really sensitive shy teens (and younger) who would have hated this set up. I guess being told at age 11 that I was being silly is what should have happened - luckily I was at a girls' school so didn't get told to just suck it up.

I really hate unisex toilets, we have them in work and everyone hates them both male and female so I don't get why we have to suffer them. As it stands there are 2 lots in each floor so people have kind of unofficially dedicated one for women and one for men.

I don't think it's fair to ask young girls to share facilities with boys when they are on their period.

A girl was raped in the toilets at my school and they were single sex so it's not that single sex are safer per se.

Unacceptable in those circs. Where’s the dignity?
Teenage girls need sex-segregated toilets
I remember washing the blood out of my skirt at the sinks more than once. Checking myself in the long mirror to check mattress- like san pro could not be seen. Using the mirror to sort out bras as well. Hated bras back then, they were so uncomfortable.

It would be a bit of a special snowflake who felt boys shouldn't be exposed/educated to about periods and girls shouldn't feel embarrassed about it - if they do they need to be taught not to be ashamed, this is a great way to normalise periods for both sexes.

Wow. Special snowflake? When I was at school (100 years ago) some of my friends would make sure the hand dryer was on when they were in the toilet, as they were so self conscious about other people hearing them pee. Refusing teens any privacy and telling them to get over it is appalling.

No way. So much bullying starts in secondary school bathrooms, now they're going to mix the sex. I hate mix bathrooms as an adult.
There'll be no privacy in the future.

All of the non-segregated toilets I have seen in schools are a big improvement on what I experienced as a student. True rooms with far more privacy and security than cubicles afford and public sinks. They offer far less potential for bullying, vandalism and truanting.

I've even seen toilets shared by toilets and students, again, a great idea.

Oh look the "I've never had a period accident, toilets at home are unisex" person has arrived.

Girls can start at any time from.9 upwards. Anytime anywhere. Its not always going to be a perfectly managed event one can predict to the secind when it will arrive.

Of course girls need privacy of so for sex facilities for that.

Home toilets aren't open to strangers who share at your boobs and call you a slag cos their mates think it's funny.

Not the same thing

I don’t agree with unisex toilets full stop never mind being a teenager at school.
Young girls (and maybe boys?) are self conscious enough. I can’t imagine my dd would go to the lounge o at school if this were the case at her school.

I can't get past the stupidity of the "toilets at home are unisex"

do you invite strangers into your home?!

Behold, PurpleAndTurquoise has spoken. It’s all ok and us silly women should shut up and stop being special little snowflakes.

Also if anybody is out and about and needs the bog, PurpleAndTurquoise opens up their home toilet for anybody to use, so do feel free to pop in for a shit. They also have magic bog paper that can clean all the blood off your hands.

toilets with boys to one side and girls to the other side with shared sinks!

The toilets at the secondary school I work at are like this. No complaints and no problems.

I would add that there is no door by the washing facilities; they open out onto the main corridor.

What about girls privacy? And the boys privacy as well actually?

Why can't we just keep things as they're? Who actually wants unisex toilets.

Most people have a unisex toilet at home

Yes,because it's exactly the same thing isn't it

Why can't we just keep things as they're? Who actually wants unisex toilets.

The argument for non-segregated toilets is primarily that they reduce bullying. In my experience, in a range of schools, they feel far safer.