Mixed Sex Toilets in Schools

[Nicknamesalltaken]

I’m a Governor at a primary school.

There’s some discussion going on in a FB group I’m on about switching to mixed sex toilets. All the other governors seem to be happy with it, saying they are more efficient, will stop bullying. How do the manage at home sharing etc etc. Toilet cubicles are floor to ceiling but handbasins are separate.

I am very against mixed sex facilities if that is all there is. Most, of not all, girls in their schools will have to deal with periods. They need separate facilities to be able to do so, and not be embarrassed by it.

Not one person shares my view. I need to post on the thread with firm arguements (I am trying to avoid the self-Id issue as I want to explain this from the point of view of the rights of women and girls). I want to tell them that girls matter.

If we take away single sex spaces now, girls and women won’t feel entitled to them. They are necessary for a reason.

I thought that, by law, schools had to provide single sex facilities? Can anyone help me with this? If toilets are sealed units but washing facilities shared?

Am I going mad here? Or have I spent too long on these feminism boards? It’s not me is it?

Girls do bully each other in the toilets though sometimes quite badly.

Not saying that mixed is the way but when it comes to the reasons they are giving ie reducing bullying I suspect it is both sexes not just the boys.

You do give lots more ammo for teh boys to bully the girls if you mix them though.

My sixth form had the mixed toilets off an open corridor set up and that was completely fine, each was essentially a tiny bathroom with a sink and bin in it. My university however decided to be progressive and changed all the library toilets to mixed sex during my second year, everyone hated it. Although they had floor to ceiling doors they were still just flimsy cubicle doors as opposed to rooms and all wash basins ect where communal. It led to most girls avoiding them completely as they were always dirtier than the previous single sex set up (pee on seat unflushed etc). The set up was not appropriate for adults let alone primary school children

Wouldn't it technically double bullying because now there are twice as many people in there

These style (and I assume is what they are doing in OP) they have them open off teh corridor rather than shut in a room, so anyone walking past can see what's going on.
This reduces/removes opportunity to corner someone in the toilet.

It seems to be the fashion to make these changes in schools at the mo. I think it saves space as well.

With current levels of obesity, many more girls are going to reach a body weight that triggers periods while still at primary school. This can already be distressing and embarrassing for 9 or 10 year olds, let alone having to deal with unexpected bleeding and stained clothing in a toilet full of boys.
Virtually no boys reach puberty before 11, so they can hardly claim that there are loads of traumatised trans kids having to use the boys loo - they are still kids, not “transwomen”.
This stupid idea of unisex loos in primary schools distresses many and is required for no-one. If I still had kids that age, I’d be raising hell with the head teacher and the local education authority.

What about girls wanting to wash moon cups out in the sink, mixed hand washing does not work.

and yes boys will do horrible things with tampons or towels, I've had that happen.

I can often tell if somehow their period because sometimes there is a smell in the cubicle, if you are next (this was a personal problem for me also, I had very heavy periods and sometimes blood in the toilet that won't flush )

I am thinking of applying to be a school governor precisely so that I can in some small way help our school avoid making disastrous decisions that disadvantage girls. This thread is very helpful, thank you.

One of the toilets in my children's school was designated 'gender neutral' (ie boy & girls can use it) due to a child socially transitioning. I think that is the best solution, but I have to say while my son who is 9 is happy to use it, my daughter who is 7 (who ALWAYS needs the loo after school!) would rather walk to the girls loo at the other end of the school than use it. It makes me very glad they opted to retain some separate sex toilets.

I don't see how it prevents bullying. Instead of a fairly open room with flimsy doors you suddenly have a very enclosed, lockable space. Teachers etc. can't get in if necessary.

In primary girls will just be adapting to having periods, they won't be confident yet changing, they will likely be a bit messy. They will be walking out the toilet to wash their hands with boys? It's not fair and makes what already might be quite hard and potentially embarrassing, especially if they are younger, even more difficult. And I doubt that 11 year old boys are mature enough to deal with it sensibly and lots of teasing will likely ensue.

On top of that who wants to share a toilet with multiple 6 year old boys? There'll be wee everywhere! Its not practical. And it'll be the girls who have to clean it up because they are the ones who have to sit down.

At secondary you have the same thing, 11 year olds who aren't yet confident changing pads etc. Sharing toilets with 16 year old boys! Or 18 if there's a sixth form. It's hard enough changing pads with older girls next door let alone 16 year old boys when you first start!

I had a problem with mixed toilets the other day, in a restaurant with individual cubical and shared sinks. A group of really drunk men on a stag were by the sinks, they started saying all sorts of things about me and learing at me and it was just horrible. I went into he cubical and hid until they went but it made me feel really uncomfortable and vulnerable and I don't often feel like. So now I'm against mixed toilets because I realised how vulnerable it leaves women in clubs and things