AIBU to be angry that this is still happening!

[CosmicCanary]

Bristol News

I know this is not the only girl this has happened to. I know there will be many many girls who have suffered the same humiliation in school just today.

I was one of them many years ago.
So many times i bled through my pad in lesson but I knew asking to go to the toilet in would be met with a NO so i didn't bother. It was a humiliation in its self for the whole class to know you needed the loo. Such a public audience for an other wise private act.

I have already told my DDs should they need the toilet they must ask but if refused walk out of lesson if they absolutely cannot wait and I will deal with school.
They will not suffer the humiliation and shame of leaving blood on a school chair as I did.

There are many many schools that don't lock the toilets and allow access to the toilets for students (and indeed staff). Yes, in my time some individuals have taken advantage of this. They have been dealt with and disciplined (where necessary) as individuals.
In all my lessons this week, one child asked to go to the toilet in a lesson. They had been in a careers interview at break and waited until the task for the lesson was explained. My classes are aware that any incomplete work is to be complete. No problem. No disruption. I'm more irritated by year 11s missing half an hour of lessons for careers interviews that just tell them to join the army!

I suppose this could become another thing to consider when looking at schools, if they need to control the toilets like this it's a sign that the school has a lot of dysfunctional pupils and a serious discipline problem

if they need to control the toilets like this it's a sign that the school has a lot of dysfunctional pupils and a serious discipline problem

I think that is true. It isn't necessarily that the school aren't trying to discipline students but I think sometimes the type of disruptive student actually makes it very hard for schools to discipline effectively. It is certainly something to consider when looking though.

She may well have.
You say all schools you know limit. Well all I've been at or worked in haven't. So there you go.

Well they're lucky. Why do people need to continually be told that some people have sudden gushes. Some people come on unexpectedly. If these have never happened to you you are luckier than me. Congratulations. I choose to let them if they ask, I make a note of who goes. It doesn't disrupt my lesson. It might mean they have to finish off work at home.

GrammarTeacher

Has your school never experienced a student causing trouble when allowed to go to the toilet - vandalism, fighting, bullying?

I can see how even just 1 serious incident might make a school re evaluate their policy.

Weetabix. Yes we have. The individual involved was dealt with and children are still allowed to use the toilets.

What I don't get is that at least at my school there was no one supervising the toilets at break times either so was it really any different in terms of vandalism and bullying taking place?

SnuggyBuggy

The toilets are also busier so lots of students to alert staff to any problems and staff are generally around at break times aren't they? So more likely to hear sinks being smashed up or some of the other problems.

There was still vandalism. I remember in year 11 a boy shit smearing the girls toilets (after spending a year boasting about doing so ). I guess the advantage of students going during lessons is it can be logged. He got away with it because it happened during lunch and no one shopped him.

Teachers must have different digestive systems to some of us then. I can certainly regulate enough to go for a wee in breaks. However, my stomach reacts to some foods, and there simply may be no warning. Good job I never wanted to be a teacher!

How can you possibly think that teachers can just leave classes to go to the toilet.

I know of a case where a teacher stepped outside a classroom to talk to a student and a student in the class took that opportunity to punch a classmate in the head. What would have happened during the 5 minutes the teacher was in the toilet?

guess the advantage of students going during lessons is it can be logged.
If anyone does log it? Even so, if there were 5 students who used the toilet which one was the culprit?

And yes of course, some bad behaviour will still occur but it's about doing the best to stop it.

It's like when a crime takes place and extra measures are put in place to try to stop it from happening again. No they don't guarantee it but it hopes that it will be a deterrent and yes, innocent people might well be inconvenienced but something has to be done.

@Weetabix, I don't remember a lot of staff being around at lunchtime. I don't know if they are stricter these days.

I was a shy early developer and didn’t Feel comfortable asking my teacher if I could go out of class to change. He’ll, I didn’t even like asking to go for a pee. Plus the toilets were horrible and a hotbed of bullying. I ended up with frequent overflows and cystitis.

We did however have a lovely PSE teacher who was sympathetic to menstrual emergencies and had a stash of Jiffy bags in her room containing sanpro and a paracetamol tablet (probably would’t be allowed now) and any girl, any time, could just discreetly pop in and ask if she had anything for the post room.

I don't remember a lot of staff being around at lunchtime. I don't know if they are stricter these days.

It is different now. Not perfect by any means.