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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:
MaureenMLove · 01/04/2012 19:42

We have unisex toilets at our secondary school. They were re-built during the last summer holiday, so we are almost at the end of the first year.

It's really worked. The kids were initially a bit Hmm about it, but all said, it's been fine.

There are two rows of cubicles on either side of a big font style wash basin. One row has the girl symbol on the doors, the other has boys, so really, they are still separate. The only thing they share is the sink.

Staff do not share these toilets. (Unless it's INSET and the kids aren't in) It's not appropriate or sensible to put teachers and students in the same place, even if there is no where to hide iyswim!

As someone else said, it's no different from when they go swimming. In fact, slightly better, because they've got more clothes on! WinkGrin

From what I've seen, the kids have adjusted very quickly and it doesn't phase them at all. It's only the parents that seem to have a problem with it and I would imagine that's because they haven't experienced anything like it before.

Original poster
WC · 01/04/2012 19:54

Interesting. Thanks for your input. I feel quite squeamish about it to be honest, I think it's really yukky when a non related male uses our house toilet, though I don't feel the same about women using it. Maybe that stems from the stinking outdoor boys toilet block at my primary school! Also, I had the experience years ago of having to share a work toilet with some males who left it in a disgusting state. At my current workplace, with single sex toilets they have actually had males deliberately poo on the floor! DH insists that at his work where he has to share a toilet, women are more disgusting because they leave sanitary wrappings and occasionally used products on the floor!

OP posts:
Colleger · 01/04/2012 20:52

Let's not think its some sort of new age equality. It's cost saving and that's all there is to it.

EdlessAllenPoe · 01/04/2012 20:55

hmm.. back in the old days i didn't go wee at school because of people smoking in the loos/ intimidating presence...

i used to go home and wiggle the last 100yds...

Nyac · 01/04/2012 21:03

All the men's toilets I've ever been in absolutely stank. Men in public are disgusting in their toilet habits.

I also know of someone who was arrested for going into the women's toilets at a station and peering over the top of a cubicle. They're kidding themselves if they don't think that any perving will go on. There are always a few creeps in a big group of men/boys.

Colleger · 01/04/2012 21:24

I would remove a child from a school if loos became unisex. If I, or society as a whole, don't feel comfortable, then why should my child be made to put up with this!

And men's toilet habits are gross! I have three lovely boys/men in my household and I have my own loo because they are so vile!

exoticfruits · 01/04/2012 21:46

I wouldn't like it, but judging by all the threads on MN about people taking boys of over 6 yrs into the ladies-utterly regardless of what any girls or women think-I would have thought it would have been highly popular.
It is rather hypocritical to say that you want them everywhere except schools. If teenage girls don't like it at school, why should they be told to like it elsewhere?
Either all toilets go unisex or they stay male and female IMO. Personally I go for separate -and all boys over 8yrs should not be in the female toilets.

Colleger · 01/04/2012 22:04

In an ideal world there would be male loos, female loos and unisex loos for children up to age 12. Then there would be little worry about kids having issues or parents worrying about pedophilia. It is a huge worry with sons. When my strapping 11 year old is still in the loo fifteen minutes after he'd asked to go in the supermarket I am on tenterhooks. Do you have a son exotic fruits?

MaureenMLove · 01/04/2012 22:08

They're kidding themselves if they don't think that any perving will go on. There are always a few creeps in a big group of men/boys.

What utter tosh! It doesn't happen. The toilets are far easier to supervise like this. The supervisors don't need to constantly open the boys, then the girls toilets to see if anyone is doing anything they shouldn't, they simply stand and watch. The boys designated cubicles are on one side, the girls on the other. It is a far safer and pleasant area for all concerned.

There is abolutely no chance of someone getting away with peering or perving at all!

Seriously, the kids have just taken to it. It's the norm now.

startail · 01/04/2012 22:16

Single sex loos waste a huge among of space. In my university Dept they alternated in the stair well between floors. 8 loos, 5 unisex ones would have been plenty. We defiantly could have used the extra storage space.

marriedinwhite · 01/04/2012 22:28

It's unacceptable. If you were 12/13 and your period had started unexpectedly it is ridiculous to expect the girl to use the sanitary dispenser watched by the boys. I have never been so pleased that our dc are at single sex schools than when I read the OP.

Colleger · 01/04/2012 23:12

Just been discussing it with OH who went to an all boys school and he said that some boys used the bathrooms for more than just...well, I'm sure I don't need to spell it out!

Original poster
WC · 01/04/2012 23:16

It does actually say "all toilet cubicles will be open to everyone" which does imply that there won't be girl or boy areas; perhaps it is a mistake, I don't know, it makes sense to separate them in some way. I have seen toilet cubicles in new buildings with the doors and walls reaching to the ceiling/floor so I assuming it won't be the type with gaps at the top and bottom. DD dislikes using public toilets already, so I hope she won't be too put off, whatever the design.

I don't think cost is a factor, the rebuild is costing at least £73million and has been reported on local websites as up to £100 million, financed by the sale of land that is currently part of the school.

OP posts:
bemybebe · 01/04/2012 23:48

73million for one school?? are you sure?

sashh · 02/04/2012 04:12

All disabled / accessible toilets are unisex.

You will probably find they are not the toilet cubicals with wash basins outside but a cubical that has a toilet and wash basin and sanitry towel bin so actually more private.

A lot of schools are going for this because it cuts bullying

Kez100 · 02/04/2012 04:31

If the school is that big, I can't see why they can't build male female blocks back to back. It would be pennies compared to a build cost of that level. It must be a big school therefore there will need to be plenty of provision.

exoticfruits · 02/04/2012 07:21

Do you have a son exotic fruits?

I have 3 sons Colleger! I was also a single mother for 6 years and I didn't have the paranoia to force him into the ladies with me-and he wouldn't have gone either!
I never see boys over 6yrs in the ladies loo in RL, but have taken part in many threads on MN where women insist on either hogging the disabled loo or taking them into the ladies without a care about what anyone thinks-they want unisex loos. Therefore I think it a bit rich to then say -but not in schools!! (surely they would be completely private cubicles with wash hand basins inside them?)

mummytime · 02/04/2012 07:29

My kids are very reluctant to use school loos anyway I think this would just make it worse. Around here we've had them built where they have a glass wall to a corridor/reception, so other than the cubicles there is no privacy. Then there is the head who got into trouble formatting CCTV in the toilets.

exoticfruits · 02/04/2012 07:46

I would have thought that those reluctant to use them would prefer unisex as they won't see another DC.-they simply go in, lock the door and come out finished and there is no need to be with others to wash hands etc-it is all private.

stressheaderic · 02/04/2012 08:01

In all of the new builds I know of around here, the unisex blocks are of the 2 rows of cubicles with bank of sinks and mirrors down the centre - don't know of any with washbasin inside cubicle.

It's the staff ones I hate the most - sometimes you just want to fix your make-up and fluff your hair up a bit, feel daft doing that while making small talk with the male headteacher etc.

exoticfruits · 02/04/2012 09:39

It seems a bit weird if they are communal for mirrors and sinks-I should think the only people who like them are mothers with sons-who appear to want them.

BusinessTrills · 02/04/2012 09:50

I think it's really yukky when a non related male uses our house toilet

Sounds like you have toilet issues. Let's hope that a more open and less "boys smell" or "toilets are disgusting" attitude to toilets at school will mean that your children do not inherit this.

Bonsoir · 02/04/2012 09:53

In France unisex toilets in schools are very common and the extremely high incidence of UTIs among girls is directly attributable to that.

bemybebe · 02/04/2012 10:05

'extremely high incidence of UTIs among girls is directly attributable to that'

how does this work?

pussweasel · 02/04/2012 10:06

My DD's school has unisex loos like 2madboys - one side for girls and one for boys ,the sinks are communal- no mirrors.They have a toilet attendant. My dd's hate it as do all their friends and try not to go. It was designed to cut down on bullying and hanging around in front of mirrors etc.

Lots of their friends have braces and retainers and are meant to clean their teeth at lunch - but won't because of the communal sinks - so they don't eat at school and many don't drink enough water to avoid going to the toilet. You have to leave your bag with the attendant and so you need to explain and take out sanitary products which is embarassing.

I think if they had put little sinks in the cubicles it would be fine

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