Secondary school introduces "girls" toilets

[Snowbeau]

Sent to me by a friend, a secondary school has refurbed their toilet block with cubicles for "girls" and "boys" and non specified. The sinks are in the communal bathroom area not in cubicles.

Comments are quoting that it's now law that these toilets are put into schools. Can anyone verify?

pesky men

Girls are harassed and assaulted by “pesky men” from the age of 11 or 12 (I certainly was). School should be a place where the emphasis is on girls as learners and fully human, not a place where they are teased bullied and harassed. Girls and women get enough harassment beyond school.

@shamelesslynameless

i'm sure there's other toilets that's your precious DC can use that them pesky men and transgender people can't access

Initially, no. The COVID-19 arrangements at this school require year 9 to be restricted to S Block for lessons and the W Block toilets. So year 9 are forced to use this arrangement. However, as there has been uproar, the school has conceded that any pupil who is uncomfortable with the situation can use the accessible toilets at the community centre.

This could all have been avoided by:
a) putting floor to ceiling dividers in the block
b) writing to parents by email to inform them of the new arrangements
c) making all the toilets unisex as stand alone units.

To cobble together a 'gender neutral', boys' and girls' toilet block is absolutely wrong.

had this at my school. no pupils ever had an issue with it

Kids will do what the teachers/adults tell them which is why adults should know better than to put them in these situations in the first place.

And girls never speak up. Thats pretty much a given . They just put up with being uncomfortable or just don't show up.

We already know girls miss school on their periods and/or deliberately don't drink all day to avoid using them

I'm surprised they announced it this way rather than emailing parents directly.

Normally social media accounts from schools are run by the senior leadership team. I wonder why they chose to comment the way they have and why they've used this as a platform to share the plans. It's also very odd they are sharing the news articles too!

I think, although I'm not certain, that it's the PA to the HT who replies on the FB page. The posting style can be a bit incendiary though!

I'd be interesting to learn more about the slt and who made these decisions and is responding to comments.

It sounds like they're one set out of 13; however they've been allocated to year 9 in September due to Coronavirus restrictions. How fun for the girls in y9

A heads up to all; many schools have had to allocate toilets to bubbles and many previously single sex loos are now unisex / "gender neutral" without any physical changes made to them.

Might be something to be aware of and be assured that they're returned to single sex post Covid.

I will also be interested (and horrified) to see if sexual assaults increase across the country in school toilets that have been allocated as gender neutral due to Covid restrictions.

If girls feel brave enough to speak up (I remember the school culture of "No telling the teacher") and, if they do speak up if they are believed (most often, we know, girls/women are not believed when they speak of their experiences). Sadly.

The toilet standards are not new, so how is it that companies that install toilets are still going ahead with these designs?

Ignore for a moment that schools are apparently demanding them, why are they prepared to get paid for building them when they dont meet code?

They've deleted the whole thread now.

Message from head:

Dear Parent/Carer

I am writing to explain the situation with regard to the toilets allocated to Year 9 pupils.

We have been planning the introduction of gender neutral toilets for the past year. Introducing gender neutral toilets is to ensure that Swanmore College is meeting the requirements of all pupils with regard to equality. Our intention was for this toilet block to be one set of a significant number of toilets blocks which pupils could use, thus giving pupils the choice of a specific or non-specific gender toilets. Unfortunately, Covid-19 has meant that, in order to make the College safe, different areas of have had to be assigned to specific year groups. The new toilets are in the Year 9 area and their use has been limited in a way that no one had envisaged.

I have received a number of emails expressing concern about the decision which I will respond to individually. Rest assured, we do empathise with many of your concerns and have extended the number of toilets which Year 9 can use without compromising safety or allowing any cross bubbling with other year groups. There are additional toilets in the PE changing rooms which will be available as these are still within the same bubble.

Whilst I do not look at Facebook, I have received a number of emails from parents and staff who have been upset about some of the comments written. I would ask everyone to remember that Swanmore College cares a great deal about all our pupils and is committed to equality. Offensive transgender or LGBT prejudicial language is not acceptable and is unlawful. None of our stakeholders should be subjected to this as it is, quite simply, unkind and hurtful. Therefore, we have removed the Facebook comments as many are inappropriate. I am delighted that many of our pupils have shared positive comments about the proposed change, clearly demonstrating their understanding of British Values of tolerance, mutual respect and individual liberty.

The disruption caused by Covid-19 has resulted in this facility being available to Year 9 pupils only, even though the toilets were designed for the whole college and to increase pupils' choice.

I hope you have a better understanding now of why this decision was made.

Kind regards

R K Jonathan
Headteacher

Well that’s a load of poppycock.

Disagree with the lack of respect we have for your daughters and your name is marked. Have a nice day.

They still aren't prepared to be the adults are they.

So what of kids asked for them. They are kids. They do not have the life experience or ability to think deeply about what it all means. They want to be "nice" to kids who are probably their friends and haven't thought beyond that. That's why adults are supposed to not be putting them in the position in the first place. Thats our job as parents and in their case teachers to be the sensible ones, and help teach them appropriate boundaries and keep them safe until they are at a stage where they can do it for themselves.

Its not equality is it. Not when religious girls or disabled girls or csa/rape victims are excluded from their own spaces.

am delighted that many of our pupils have shared positive comments about the proposed change, clearly demonstrating their understanding of British Values of tolerance, mutual respect and individual liberty.

There was at least one post from a year 9 pupil posting under her own name that she hadn't heard about any of this and she didn't want mixed sex toilets.

What about her?

The Safer Schools Alliance have got back to me to say that the block is illegal. If the school insisted on sole use of that block, I'd feel obliged to take it further. However, as there are now toilets available in the PE block, year 9 aren't restricted solely to the gender neutral block, so I think the school will have covered itself.

Hmm. Will the girls get into trouble for taking too long to get to the toilets and back?

@Nomnomarrgh

Hmm. Will the girls get into trouble for taking too long to get to the toilets and back?

Better not!