Toilets at childs school

[Ourdaughtersmatter]

Hi there, I was wondering if any of you amazing women would be able to help me with addressing an issue my daughter and her friends are having at school in regards to unisex toilets. The girls are avoiding drinking fluids so they can avoid using the toilets as they're covered in male urine. I have contacted the school principal who hasn't even responded. Should I contact them again or escalate it to the education department?

I am in Australia, not the UK. Any ideas on what to say to them? Appreciate any advice you may have.

Male toilets don't only have more pee all over. There will also be faeces ... up to a height of 5 feet up the wall. I don't even understand how they manage to do that. When I was a cleaning lady at a hospital in my ill spent youth, I would start off cleaning the male toilets by pouring a couple of buckets of water over the walls. I thought this was necessary because it was a hospital and some of the men were patients and blah blah. However, later when I worked at an office, we had crafts men coming in who just used what ever toilet was nearest regarding whether it was a male or a female toilet and they would leave poop on the seats, refrain from flushing, stink the place up. In the end they weren't even allowed to use the male toilets. They had to bring in porter potties. I just don't understand, how someone can be so shameless.

"male urine smells different to female urine"

Yes it does. I worked my way through university as a cleaner, I’m here to tell you that male toilets smell very different from female toilets.

Awful situation. I feel so bad for all of the kids in this situation.

@LL83V - And for building resilience i would teach dd to wipe the seat with a thick bit of loo roll, hover then thoroughly wash hands as I have rarely been to a female public toilet where I haven't had to wipe the seat. Cleaning staff use personal protective clothing to clean up bodily fluid, it's not up to CHILDREN to clean up after other children. No way would I advocate that my child cleans up after anyone else.

From previous loo-related threads (mostly UK-based but might be relevant):

'Privacy is also considered a human right, one of the most basic in fact, which is why international human rights law specifies that we must have single-sex provisions in circumstances where we are vulnerable and why the Equality Act recognises the specific sex-based needs of females.'

'Perhaps raise the risk of toxic shock syndrome if girls are reluctant to change their tampons - especially on lighter days, or on bad ones the temptation to put another one in. 8 hours is reachable if going from 8am to 4pm away from home or a private toilet.'

'UTIs are a painful health condition which predominantly affect little girls because the urethra in female people is nearer the bum as a source of urinary tract infection. UTIs increase frequency and urgency of needing to go. UTIs are also very painful. UTIs are exacerbated and UTIs can be started by withholding toileting.' (NHS Choices info www.nhs.uk/conditions/urinary-tract-infections-utis-in-children/)

And one where the pupils got together to get the policy changed: www.thetimes.co.uk/article/genderneutral-toilets-my-daughter-was-called-selfish-for-wanting-girlsonly-loos-at-school-cwth60b2c

Good luck!

Good luck.