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Secondary education

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Original poster

Unisex toilets in Secondary School

88 replies

WC · 01/04/2012 13:38

DDs secondary school (Holland Park, in west London) is currently being rebuilt and the new building is nearly ready. I have just read in a newsletter that instead of separate girls and boys toilets there are going to be unisex toilets for all. My initial thought was that it was really weird and DD doesn't like it. I was just wondering if this was usual in new builds these days and if others have experience of schools doing this.

OP posts:
workshy · 01/04/2012 13:45

I actually think this is a really good idea

how much bullying actually goes on in school toilets? put the opposite sex in there and it's got to reduce it

as long as there are plenty of cubicles and no urinals (which stink!) then I wouldn't have a problem with it

I can imagine if there are any muslim girls at the school though then their families would probably have issue with it (before I get flamed I base that statement on the fact that our local grammar is mixed sex and there are several families who send their increddibly bright girls to the high school because it is single sex, rather than give them a grammar school education)

Hassled · 01/04/2012 13:51

I think quite a lot of the pupils might feel uncomfortable with this. It doesn't sit well with me and I don't really know why. The thought of some poor 12 year old dealing with her period with a lad in her class in the next cubicle - I'd have found it hideous at that age.

1950sHousewife · 01/04/2012 13:54

That is one of the worst things I can imagine for a teenager.

Imagine if you're that teen boy having a poo and having girls giggling outside the cubicle. Imagine if you're that teen girl trying to change a tampon and trying desperately to not let the rip of the paper be audible to the group of lads outside. And thinking of 'The Inbetweeners' - with the pooing photo...

It's just wrong and if it's being done to reduce bullying I just can't see how it will do that.
I personally can't stand restaurants where the loos are unisex. Gak.

Original poster
WC · 01/04/2012 13:56

There is quite a high proportion of muslim kids at the school; I can't imagine why muslim parents would have specific objections though. DDs main objection was "girls have periods; and boys stink", which is fair enough :o DD says the girls toilets are normally crowded with girls putting on make-up in the morning - so maybe they want to reduce that! There was a case of sexual assault at a school in the area a few years back where a girl was forced to give blow jobs in the boys toilet, so it could be that they are mindful of that as well as bullying.

OP posts:
Colleger · 01/04/2012 14:28

Having just come home from France where there are many unisex loos I never want to see a man pee in a urinal ever again!

There could be issues of sexual bullying in unisex loos. I think it's a terrible idea.

thisisyesterday · 01/04/2012 14:29

well i think it's a great idea and ALL toilets should be unisex.

just cubicles though, not urinals.

if they're all going into separate cubicles I really can't see what the issue is tbh.

thisisyesterday · 01/04/2012 14:30

why would it matter if a girl has her period??? no-one will know..

CakeMixture · 01/04/2012 14:36

I would not want to send my dc to a school with unisex toilets.

It sounds like an experiment to me.

1950sHousewife · 01/04/2012 14:40

I have a horrible feeling this will lead to a great deal of constipated children. It was bad enough having to go in our unisex toilets. Imagine if the guy you fancied was right outside the door and you'd done a number two.
Blush x 100000

Nyac · 01/04/2012 14:41

Given the number of times I was sexually assaulted (groped) at secondary school, and given the fact that schools do not take sexual assault or sexual harassment and bullying seriously, this is an extremely bad idea.

noblegiraffe · 01/04/2012 14:43

It depends on the toilets. If it's Ally McBeal sort of unisex toilets, like normal toilets but all allowed, then that's bad.

On the other hand if the toilets are individual cubicles complete with their own sink and hand dryer off a main corridor, with no area to congregate, then that's fine.

PotteringAlong · 01/04/2012 14:47

The school I work in was rebuilt under BSF and we have unisex toilets. It's very common in new builds.

As staff we were unsure but the pupils are fine - they say they're used to unisex toilets for things like swimming etc and saw it as no different.

Nyac · 01/04/2012 14:49

The children won't say. They'll just put up with it.

Do staff supervise the toilets Pottering. What's your school's policy on sexual harassment and sexual assault?

startail · 01/04/2012 14:51

Nyac, I'm very sorry to hear that, but if unisex toilets are large and open surely that would be more difficult.

I guess the idea is that there will always be people about.

I was bullied horribly in our toilets personally I think having cubicles off a communal space open to both pupils and staff could work well.

Nyac · 01/04/2012 14:55

My school was large and open, it happened in a crowded corridor and a full assembly hall on a number of occasions.

It shoudln't be more difficult, it should be impossible.

Not so impossible when boys and girls are expected to share the same toilets.

I wouldn't want to share public toilets with men, I don't see why girls should be any different.

bruffin · 01/04/2012 15:21

The school that was featured on educating essex, moved into a newly built site after the programme finished.
The HM did a survey of the school and what was needed in the new school and the item that came to the top of the list was nice toilets. They now have a communal toilets which have been built so the cubicals are built in a circle round the outside with the sinks etc in the middle but also there is nowhere that can't be seen from the outside of the structure, so nowhere to hide.

PotteringAlong · 01/04/2012 15:24

The toilets are supervised - there is always someone at the entrance and the names are recorded if they go to the toilet during lesson times.

I wouldn't worry about them just putting up with it - teenagers are very vocal! They'll say if they're not happy.

bemybebe · 01/04/2012 15:31

I do not get the problem with unisex toilets. I always had them in our school and see no problem.

mockingjay · 01/04/2012 17:36

I don't really see what the problem is. Are there gaps down the side of the cubicle doors or something? If not, then no one will see anybody dealing with their period etc.

The only objection I would have (as a female) is that the loos would be messy. All those teenage boys peeing on the seat (presumably no urinals?). That could be dealt with by having separate boys and girls cubicles inside the loo I suppose.

mockingjay · 01/04/2012 17:37

That sounds like a really grim job bruffin!!

bossboggle · 01/04/2012 17:47

Call me old fashioned but this one gets a BIG fat no from me: unisex toilets - I don't think so - can you imagine the comments people would raise if this happened outside of school, I don't know about you people but I live in the real world where most standard toilets are male and female not unisex!! And I for one wouldn't want it any other way!! Just a quick point, in these schools with unisex toilets - what about the staff toilets - what do they have??

Original poster
WC · 01/04/2012 19:16

The newsletter gives the impression (not sure if iI have interpreted it correctly) that staff will use the same toilets as the kids!

OP posts:
GrimmaTheNome · 01/04/2012 19:23

why would it matter if a girl has her period??? no-one will know...

Really?Hmm So, a girl gets her first one while at school, or is irregular and unprepared, or 'floods'. She may need help - much easier in a girls-only loo.

2madboys · 01/04/2012 19:28

They have these at my DSs school, which is about four years old. The loos are in an open area off the main corridor. There is a row of cubicles on each side, one side for boys and one side for girls, with a central island of sinks in the middle. No room for bullying and there is a cctv camera right there too. DS says he prefers separate loos as there are urinals in the normal sort, but that's the only objection he can think of. I think it's fine and as he's had a few problems with bullying, I think the fewer closed in areas, the better.

stressheaderic · 01/04/2012 19:29

I work in a new-build school built under BSF.
We have unisex toilets and a separate block of unisex toilets for staff.

The kids tell me they hate them so just don't go all day. I tend to do the same. Don't know why, I just feel uncomfortable with it.

Talk of preventing bullying etc is all very well, but I honestly think they were built that way because it was cheaper, and saved on space. Every other damn thing has been to do with penny pinching.