Keep school toilets single sex

[ChristinaXYZ]

As a result of a number of decision being made by schools or local authorities which parents have to compete to reverse there is an attempt being made to pre-empt these decisions so parents don't have to fight a rear-guard action after a decision is already made.

The biggest resource would be something showing a large number of people don't agree. You know the sort of thing - where lots of people indicate their agreement with a statement? And if said process is named on here ends up being put in the cupboard under the stairs? To have this would give parents something to show the level of dissent.

Well such a process has begun. To find it you might browse the activism page on Ovarit - you don't need to be a member of Ovarit to read the page ovarit.com/o/Activism/hot or use google and look for the site actionstorm which hosts such things.

Thank you. I shall look at that link.

I signed it through the Ovarit link.

Thanks, I hope it will prove useful. Very few kids want or are comfortable with mixed sex toilets, and it's a big safeguarding risk.

Signed and bumped. Bloody outrageous.

I've signed this.

I've also written preemptively to my DD school to remind them of their obligations to provide single sex spaces under the Equality Act.

Good idea. Thank you.

Signed.

Signed. Thank you.

My children's school has a mixture of single sex and mixed toilets. The kids I know who have expressed a preference all prefer the mixed ones, but a combination of both seems ideal, to accommodate everyone's preferences.

Hi @DaisyWaldron I'm really surprised to hear this as my dd and all her female friends were upset about sharing toilets with boys. The boys didn't mind.

Are there any girl students that you know of who are comfortable with mixed sex loos?

Yes. DD doesn't really have a preference but often used the mixed ones because they are closer to her locker, and DS's friend only uses the mixed ones because she is often mistaken for a boy and get hassled when she uses the single sex loos.

There's a child in my sons class who has been wearing the "female" uniform for the past 3 years. Still using male name and he/him.

His mum got them to change the uniform code so it was just uniform, not boys uniform and girls uniform, which I think was actually really good because clothes are just clothes.

In year 1 I think there was a bit of a issue because he wanted to use the girls toilets and the school said no. Rightly so. That's what it says in the school policies, kids should use the toilet for their sex (image attached)

But just very recently my son came home and said his friend is now a girl and they have to call them she/her and they're allowed to use the girls toilets!

Not sure why this has suddenly been allowed. I would have thought if they had to go along with this at all they could use the disabled toilet which is for boys and girls anyway

@UsernameIsNotAvailableRightNow I think your school is in breach of the rules there and I would raise it with governors, council, dfe etc

@DaisyWaldron that is so refreshing and good to hear, so much angst round our way about it all.

Signed. Thank you for this.

@UsernameIsNotAvailableRightNow is that legal?

Signed and thanks for sharing.

Yes thanks for sharing - bump.

[quote ChristinaXYZ]@UsernameIsNotAvailableRightNow is that legal?[/quote]
I have no idea tbh it just seemed very strange to me. Why bother having policies if you're not sticking to them.

Signed.
My kids would have hated this, despite being very supportive of trans people.

Just reading this and the "Everyone's Invited" thread. It is just dreadful. I know someone whose child was raped in school. The HT and governers did everything they could to cover it up. Their behaviour was disgusting. Given the level of rape, sexual assault and bullying in schools, how can anyone think mixed sex toilets are a good idea?

Bump.

My DC's primary school have recently done this too. I only found out because my younger DC was complaining that the toilet seats were often wet with wee; on questioning, it transpired that all the toilets are now unisex. My older child was surprised to hear this, as the toilets had been single sex when she attended the school a few years ago. Needless to say, the school did not inform parents of this particular "upgrade".

I would have no objection to some of the toilets being converted to unisex, as long as some were left single sex for those DC (boys and girls) that prefer it. The fact that all of the toilets in a primary school have to be unisex makes me wonder if the true purpose is not to make things easier for the tiny number of trans/NB pupils that may require them, but to quietly groom all girls children at an early age, so they think it's no problem to have to wipe somebody else's urine off the toilet seat before you can use it. So they think it's fine to have to deal with period blood and accidents in front of the boys. So they think it's normal not to be able to have privacy at these most private moments. If girls are taught to accept these indignities in primary school, how much more compliant and uncomplaining they will be in secondary school and beyond when the stakes are higher.

Bump.

Bump

This is the department of education guidelines on toilet facilities in schools. It is from 2015 so not sure how up to date it is. However looking at the interpretation from organisations who put in these facilities the guidance is that if toilets are provided in blocks there needs to be single sex provision for those aged 8 or over. If the toilet is a single unit eg one toilet in a corridor it can be unisex. I would certainly question a school on what advice they have taken in making all toilets unisex. I don’t see a problem in making some unisex but definitely not all of them.