Any good resources for writing letters to school? They are changing student toilets to gender neutral

[ChiefWiggumsBoy]

My son has just come home and told me that his pal who's on the student committee has found that the student toilets are to be replaced with gender non-specific toilets. Also, these toilets will open direct from the hallway with no door.

Obviously as this is third hand info, I don't want to go in all guns blazing, but if they're planning to get this done over Xmas I want to get my objections in now. I've just called the school and they can't answer the phone . I left a VM.

This is a very multicultural school, there are a lot of girls who wear hijabs - apparently the teacher's response to this was "they can use their phones in the toilet cubicle to adjust them"! which for a faith school is completely outrageous let alone the other obvious implications.

I've texted a mum of girls for her thoughts and am hoping that it gets round the parents like wildfire because I'm appalled.

Anyway - has anyone had to address this before? How did you approach it? I'm angry at the moment so need to slow down and take time to properly form a good email, but I could use some guidance I think!

Have a look at https://safeschoolsallianceuk.net/. They’ve got some good resources including template letters & factsheets.

I would wait until you have got confirmation from the school, what does he mean there will be no door

Just what I said - there won't be a door from the corridor, just doors on the cubicles. I assume to make it easier for teachers to do spot checks?

Thanks @EmpressaurusOfCats I will have a read through there. I'm fizzing with annoyance about this so I really do need them to confirm before I go off on one but I will go off on one if it's true!

So they are simply removing the outer door from existing loos and making them into gender neutral stalls with shared washbasins? Or converting the stalls to fully self-contained cubicles (with full height walls and doors, and basins in each cubicle)?

The latter is not too unreasonable - although has safety implications if someone is attacked or becomes unwell and collapses within the cubicle.

The former is definitely not acceptable. General privacy and dignity, possibility of filming/looking under or over the gaps, you may want to mention the case recently in thr media where boys were kicking in the doors of these types of stall and 1 girl was badly injured.

If you look over on the other feminism board, this has come up a few times and there are links to quite a few resources.

@BinturongsSmellOfPopcorn I'm not sure yet.

I called and left a VM yesterday and I've called and spoken to a reception staff member who had no idea so I'm hoping it's been a debate experiment or something that has been passed on as truth - but my son was certainly under the impression it would be normal cubicles with an open door from the corridor, shared sinks. I wouldn't be as worried if they were proposing like hospital toilets where they are completely enclosed with sinks etc. but I agree it still poses problems.

If I haven't had a response by COB today I'll be sending an email (I'll be using the Safe Schools Alliance template - thanks for pointing me there @EmpressaurusOfCats) because it's bothering me a lot.

My advice would be to establish the facts before "going off on one".

I agree with using safe schools' template, I'd also ask why they are doing this. It is going to cost money to fix something that isn't broken.

I work in a new build school where the toilets are ‘open’ which means that there is no external door but each cubicle is floor to ceiling and completely enclosed. Central basins outside. I have to say it works well. I have never heard any complaints from pupils about it and far easier for pupils to access as no worries about who is hanging about inside the toilets like in the other model. We also do have a number of accessible toilets which have sinks inside and pupils access those as required.
For your child’s school the question would be to ask what the purpose is of doing this. It can actually be better in many ways in my opinion, but only if set up properly with floor to ceiling doors.

Did you miss the parts where I said "I'm fizzing with annoyance about this so I really do need them to confirm before I go off on one but I will go off on one if it's true!" @anniegun Because that's all the same sentence

That's interesting to know @Skyrain. The school is actually less than 10 years old so surely it shouldn't be a case that the toilets need replacing?

Like I said though, I'll wait for their response and send an email with some more questions if they don't email me back.

Bathrooms are where all the really dangerous school behaviour happens. Bathrooms are where vaping, drug use/sales, and the worst if the bullying happens. Bathrooms are often so vandalised they can’t be used.

If they get rid of the doors and cubicles open onto the corridor it may be because the school doesn’t sufficient resources to keep students safe. Students may have better access to toilets if they are just cubicles.

They're hideous. We have them. Girls triple up on sanitary protection so they don't have to change anything at school as it isn't safe.
Girls also deliberately dehydrate themselves and don't drink at school to try to avoid using the toilet in school.

Because what 11 Yr old wants to be mocked by a 17yr old for unwrapping a pad in the loos. What 13 Yr old wants to wash blood off her hands beside a 15 yr old boy. Let alone a boy who is pretending he has a period because he identifies as a girl.
Don't wait til they have done this. Register your objections now in writing listing the risks and ask for a response.

Let alone issues such as Girls being put under pressure by boyfriend at school to sneak I to the toilet together for sexual reasons.
Have they done a risk assessment on how to prevent rape? On how to prevent pregnancy?

Absolutely ridiculous and I am livid about our toilets.

The ceiling to floor doors mean that if a student’s taken ill in a toilet it’s impossible to get to them. Unless the locks can somehow be opened from outside which again would put girls at risk.

I am just thinking 🤔 disabled toilets are gender neutral too,
just wondering i haven't heard about any alarming issues with those types of toilets,

aren't they similar to the kinds of toilets facilities propersals your son has heard about being implemented at his school ?

@Type2whattodo

Are gender neutral toilets are the same or similar as being like disabled toilets ?

No, accessible toilets have a single, lockable door and all the necessary facilities are contained within the locked cubicle, including the sink. And only one person is in at a time. Whereas, I am sure you must be aware, usual lavatory facilities have a row of cubicles, each with a toilet, but communal basins and bins outside in the unlocked part of the facility. So not the same at all.

We have gender neutral toilets at work. They are all rank, it seems men pee on the floor, leave seats up, leave dirty seats etc etc

The single sex female toilets are never in that state.

.

Disabled toilets are unisex.
These are normal cubicle toilets. Doors and walls are not even 100% to the top so people could slip a phone over to video.
Normal cubicle walls eg not at all sound proof.
Sanitary bins in some but not all so the girls have to queue for those when needed and others are empty.
And a row of sinks outside open to the corridor. So no privacy at all.

So a teacher called me back late yesterday.

Pleased to report that while this was a point of discussion within the student committee, it is definitely not happening, they have no plans at all to change the toilets. She even mentioned the potential issue with Muslim girls and adjusting/removing the hijab and how it wouldn't be appropriate - so I'm going to assume my son's friend had got the wrong end of the stick. She chairs the committee meetings so it was straight from the horse's mouth so to speak!

Glad to have put my mind at rest.