Unisex toilets?

[loverofvideogames]

My daughter has just started high school and tells me that the Principal o the school has made it clear that the unisex toilets are there for the benefit of 'non binary' and trans kids (fine, I get that). Problem is, there are NO female only toilets and so the girls are left sharing loos where boys piss all over the seats and ground and leave seats up etc. I am mortified by this. This is not the way young women should be treated when getting an education.

What would you do, if anything if this was your daughter?

I think I would keep pressuring the headteacher about at least having a single female only area.

If your daughter has to go in with the boys does that not mean all the toilets are then u used? Sorry am confused what the set up is.

Isn't this against the law? Are schools not required to provide separate sex toilets?

I would complain about the school to Ofsted for breaking the law.

contact.ofsted.gov.uk/online-complaints

www.sec-ed.co.uk/best-practice/school-toilets-guidance-and-regulations/

They're unisex so both boys and girls can use them but not at the same time, so I'm unsure about the legalities. Also, in Aus and not UK, so again I'm unsure about legalities. I'm pretty peeved about it. I would never have shared loos with boys at school, they're grotesque. I've just suggested that the girls take pictures of the state of the loos.

What userschmoozer said.

But put it in writing to the Principal and governing body (if there is one) first, quoting the relevant legislation on provision of sex-segregated toilets.

Thank you for the suggestion userschmoozer, I will give it a shot.

If you are not in the UK, check the law where you are, and look at who to complain to.

If boys and girls cannot use the facilities at the same time they are not unisex.

That's what they're referred to here. I wasn't aware it was something different in the UK. What do you cal them over there?

I've only found something about our OH&S standards for toilets, I don't know where to look for legislation. Will keep trying though..

Also, sorry! Us Aussie mums have no Mumsnet equivalent. :-/

I’d start with the relevant state and school system. Each state education department will have a document called something like standards for school buildings. That may or may not have information about numbers of toilets for each sex.

The next document to look at will be the school management plan - I don’t know if these are usually public documents, but you could request a copy if it’s not published on the school website. That should tell you how toilets are organised

The next document worth reading is whatever the state departments gender identity policy is called.

Once you’re clear on what the policy framework is, I’d suggest writing your issue down and seeing if you can get other parents to co-sign it. You’re going to have more impact if there are several of you.

Send it to the principal and request a meeting to discuss it. If your school has a parents committee you could table it with them.

If you get no satisfaction from the principal you can escalate it to the regional manager, then state department of education - the departmental secretary and the relevant minister.

This is a UK-based document, but it has lots of good info about why sex segregated toilets matter for women and girls.
womansplaceuk.org/gender-neutral-toilets-dont-work-for-women-2/

It's against the law to not provide single sex spaces in schools. Schools must provide sex -segregated spaces for all children aged 8 years and above:

www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/1943/made :

I'd also get your daughter and her friends to complain every day about it. Get them to ask the teachers if their toilets are unisex and if so do the male teachers piss on the seats? Tell them to go to the office staff and ask for the janitor to clean the toilets every time they have piss over the seats or are in a sorry state. Generally ask them to make a fuss (if they are bothered about it obviously).
Easier said than done though - I can't imagine my DD would want to create a fuss.

Thank you so much for the suggestions! Very helpful. My daughter is a bit like me and likes to get her point across (she also likes to use clean amenities) so I think she will be keen on the idea.

Someone I know has been able to successfully challange and influence her school to change their new unisex toilets to having male and female segregation again, through the sheer practical issues that arose when they were used.
Initially they were built as two rows of single toilets with lockable ceiling to floor doors opening onto a corridor, with a bank of sinks in the middle. And sold as the greatest biggest inclusivest thing ever (high school). Except that there was only provision of sanitary bins in a few of the cubicles, and on some floors no sanitary bins at all. After a few teenage girls complained, quite rightly that they had struggled to deal with changing pads etc because of the lack of sanitary bins/signage for their provision, and complaining of the indignity and humiliation of the school not thinking of their needs, it became apparent that the all singing, all dancing unisex provision was not universally suitable as many of the cubicles failed to meet the needs of about 50% of the pupils, approximately one week every month. So complaints were made about this.

And then a period poverty initiative has started where pads etc will be made available free of charge to all schoolgirls. But the big question? where to put them, so they are always available but the boxes dont get emptied daily or flung about by the sort of pupils that are unlikely to need them, but are (especially at younger teenage ages) to mess about with them. And to prevent anyone being teased or embarrassed about being seen to pick up pads/tampons etc.

So the sensible solution presented itself! sex segregation on the grounds of biology, to allow female and male sides to be created in the provided toilets, with the female sides containing (shock, surprise!) appropriate sanitary bins and access to period products. Like reinventing the wheel, and apparently caused some upset amongst woke staff who felt it was a shame to be losing the 'unisex' inclusive facilities despite the fact they were failing to meet the needs of many pupils. But apparently its proved much more popular with female (and male) pupils and most of the staff. While the bank of sinks open to the corridor isnt entirely perfect it is at least visible and doesnt lend itself to hanging about the area or bullying.

Whole thing took about 9 months to move back to single sex provision

From a quick look at Oz legislation, it doesn't look like there's anything specific (like in the UK) about toilet provision in schools. But I did find this article about men in female toilets. If it's unacceptable for MEN to be in the same toilets as women, surely it's equally unacceptable for BOYS to use the same toilet as girtls!

I think the girls need to:
a/ get the caretaker to clean the toilets every time
b/ the girsl should group together to reserve the toilets for girls at set times e.g. breaks, lunch etc

This will engage the boys/men in their protest and make it much more likley to get things changed.

the article!

www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-28/should-dads-take-their-daughters-to-the-men-or-women-bathroom/10042998

This is all I could find. It's our OH&S standards

Generally, separate toilets need to be provided in workplaces where there are both male and female employees. However in workplaces with both male and female employees where
• the total number of people who normally work at the workplace is 10 or less, and
• there are two or less employees of one gender
one unisex toilet may be provided. A unisex toilet comprises one closet pan, one washbasin and means for the disposal of sanitary items. For example, a workplace with two male and eight female employees, or with one female and three male employees, could have a unisex toilet, because there are 10 or less employees in total, and two or less employees of one gender.
In all other workplaces, separate toilets need to be provided, in at least the following ratios:
• 1 water closet for up to 20 males;
• 1 extra water closet for each additional 20 males (or part thereof);
• 0 urinal for 1 - 10 males;
• 1 urinal for between 11 and 25 males;
• 2 urinals for 26 to 50 males;
• 1 extra urinal for each additional 50 males (or part thereof);
• 1 water closet for up to 15 females;
• 1 extra water closet for each additional 15 females (or part thereof).
The code states that the facilities must be clean and hygienic. Where it is not reasonably practicable to provide access to permanent toilets, portable toilets need to be provided (clause 47). These must be installed securely, and be provided with a lockable door, lighting and ventilation.