Children protesting about unisex toilets

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www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11802555/TikTok-protests-rock-Britains-schools-Pupils-scale-gates-trash-classrooms-rules.html

It's not just about unisex toilets, it's also not being able to go to the loo during lessons (also a bigger issue for girls) and uniform.

The thing that is shocking is quotes such as boys putting phones under the toilet doors and girls not going to the loo all day. We know this happens in mixed sex spaces, it's not rocket science, why on earth weren't proper risk assessments done? It has to be illegal and sex discrimination not to prevent known risks from unisex toilets?

It's shameful that CHILDREN are having to do this themselves. Where are the adults? Where is safeguarding?

Why are the facts known to development charities for years that you need single sex toilets for girls to be able access their human right to education ignored just because it's the UK?

There are a few women like Miriam Cates and KJK who can hold their heads up high about this but not many adults are protecting children (and I include myself in this - I felt shame reading this). It's so shocking.

I thought it was indeed illegal, schools are obliged to provide separate sex toilets for children over the age of eight, aren't they?

They didn't care, they just expected girls in school to get on with it as the second class citizens we are.

In Southampton, two hundred pupils staged protests at Weston Secondary School yesterday after being left 'uncomfortable' by new unisex toilets.

There have been a number of comments on MN, with supporting links, pointing out that mixed sex toilets are illegal, for children over the age of 8.

How these schools have missed that is beyond me.

Sorry, that wasn't worded well, it sounds, like I'm talking about
'sex toilets' .... 😧

They won’t listen to the adults so perhaps they’ll now listen to the children.

Another article

www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/23350409.weston-secondary-school-pupils-protest-uni-sex-toilets/

Yes, I think these schools are breaking the law. However, as an individual parent, complaints get brushed off. I think parents need to band together and take legal action to ensure girls rights to single sex facilities are upheld.

It is really shameful the children are having to protest. I just can't get over it, really.

All the staff in those schools and the governors have broken the law and failed to safeguard the girls against sexual abuse as well as the physical harms of being too scared to use the loo all day. I'm guessing if they bothered to collect the data they'd find a lot of girls were too scared to go to school when menstruating and are therefore being denied their human right to access education during their periods.

Bloody stupid idea.

Boys go in the male toilet, girls in the ladies.

The end.

Given all the ridiculous focus on over 97% attendance, you'd think a quick win to improve attendance would be single sex toilets so girls feel safe attending school during their periods.

Apparently the desires of a minority of boys to sexually assault and intimidate girls is more important.

Good for the children. They are brave to do this.

I was speaking to my 16 year old about it, most young people are scared to tell the truth for being ostracised or even kicked out for having the wrong views.

It is ridiculous that girls are being put through any of this. Males should not be in girls toilets at schools and they should never be locked. I remember growing up I was worried to do a poo at school in case someone could hear, imagine if you are worried that a boy could secretly film you. This is a serious health concern, I can imagine many girls won't drink and will hold on to avoid having to go to the toilet at school.

Our school removed almost all of the single sex toilets and installed mixed sex cubicles.

I and many other parents challenged them and they have dug in their heels and insisted it is compliant with the law (obviously it isn’t).

We can’t find anyone who will make them change the toilets though - the council won’t get involved, Ofsted won’t get involved. Our MP is supportive and has tried to help but can’t do anything.

The girls just don’t use the loos and sometimes miss school during their periods because it is so grim trying to deal with a period with boys hooning around on the other side of a flimsy 10mm partition.

I don’t know how we can make them listen.

Good on the kids for standing up for their rights 👍🏻.
Schools are being run like prisons but even prisoners are allowed to use a toilet when they need to not by the hands on a clock!

Could parents whose schools are breaking the law like this take the DfE to court if brushed off by LA / school / Ofsted? A class action?

I'm lucky in that my school has single sex toilets still but I would contribute to a general fund for this.

Mixed sex discriminates on the protected characteristic of sex (girls, menstruation, sexual abuse) but also religion (many faiths require single sex). It's also a failure to safeguard properly.

It's also absurd that many schools do still have single sex. My DDs primary had mixed sex to 8 and single sex thereafter so plenty of schools are getting it rights and complying with the law.

You have to wonder if schools are allowed to simply break the law on this without any consequence, what else they're breaking the law about.

Sorry posted too soon - it's absurd some schools are doing the right thing and complying with the law with single sex whilst others are not. How can it be ok for there to be so much variance?

Where are the governors in this also? They are legally responsible I believe for ensuring the school follows the law. (not the stonewall idea of what the law should be).

In my DDs school they get around this by providing ONE single sex toilet however it's on the other side of the building and is locked during lessons. The girls queue around the corner at breaks and lunch for it...

This I think would still be considered illegal if challenged in a court of law. If it's inaccessible it's not really an option.

Also aren't there laws / guidance around number of toilets per number of students?

Did anyone see the response from the DfE?

'We are concerned at the reports of disruption and will be in touch with all schools and local authorities to ensure they are supported at this time.

'We will always back headteachers to take the action required to maintain calm and supportive classroom environments as they are best placed to work with their teachers, parents, pupils and local communities when developing and implementing policies.'

Why aren't the DfE standing up for children's rights to have single-sex toilets?

This is one of the reasons why my daughter is attending a single sex school.

Having unisex toilets just means girls will refuse to go to school during their periods for fear of being harrassed in the bathrooms, it's really shocking. As a PP said it makes a mockery of the huge focus on encouraging full school attendance.

I wish more state schools were single sex. You'd remove almost all the sexual harassment in one go, girls would go to the loo not try and hold it all day. There would be fewer UTIs and they could focus on learning. I bet there's better attendance in single sex schools for girls as girls can go to school during their periods.

Because the civil service has been captured by Stonewall and hasn’t yet had the nous or nuts to move on from that?

Yes but boys do better in mixed schools - think of the boys please, they are so much more important to our future than girls

( there may be an element of sarcasm there )

I'm told that if schools have 'fully enclosed , unisex cubicles' they are within the law.
One assumes that these 'fully enclosed cubicles' also contain washbasins, but apparently this is a slightly grey area.

And if there is a huge vent in the door, is it still ' fully enclosed'??

It's a war on women and girls. We need a change in the law.

Why aren't the DfE standing up for children's rights to have single-sex toilets?

Firstly, DfE are pretty captured. I've been waiting for a definition of "gender identity" for months, despite my MP asking for one and me pointing out that we are required to teach it!

Secondly, lots of the disruption is about children who want to be allowed to go to the toilet in lessons. This creates a massive problem for schools because a significant minority of pupils will go to the toilet just to avoid doing work, or to mess around unsupervised. Of course, the solution is obvious (sufficient staffing, CCTV in corridors outside the toilets) but the DfE don't want to pay for it.

We are advised that parents need to complain, in writing. Not just the school, but to Ofstead, DofE, your MP, and the Education minister. Also to the school governors (of course)

Right now they are saying 'oh but we don't get many complaints'.

So complain to ALL these people and bodies.