Not really diapers but students protest over school toilet rules

[Jennynappy]

https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2023-02-24/students-sent-home-as-protests-break-out-over-schools-toilet-policy

 

Protests have erupted at several schools after pupils were banned from going to the toilet during classes.

Separate protests broke out at schools in Cornwall, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

A number of children have been sent home from Penrice Academy in Cornwall after protests broke out over changes to toilet rules.

Pictures and video footage from Penrice Academy in St Austell, Cornwall, showed children climbing fences and chanting.

One parent said: "My daughter has just called me to say the protest has got out of hand and students are flipping tables.

"The children are now not allowed out for break."

Tables were flipped during a student protest over new toilet rules in a Cornwall academy, according to one of its pupils.

The protest is over new rules which include pupils only going to the bathroom outside of lesson time and girls requesting red card passes when they are on their period.

One student at the academy said he was not involved but witnessed the demonstration.

“A bunch of students were protesting about the new toilet rules that were put in place at my school,” he said.

“It was originally meant to be a peaceful protest but it escalated relatively fast.

“People started like flipping tables and climbing fences.”

Red 'period pass' cards issued at Cornwall secondary school

He added that “something like” a bin was thrown through a window during the protest as well.

The teenager estimated that 300 students took part and that “quite a number of them” were suspended and sent home.

He said he heard about one injury in which a student fell off a fence while trying to climb it.

It’s understood that the students organised the protest through a series of posts on social media.

In a message to parents, the school said: “Our students have the right to express their opinions in a calm and safe manner, however, a small number of students' behaviour was unacceptable.

"A number of parents have already been contacted to collect their children. For the majority of our students, lessons and lunchtime will continue as normal. If you have not been contacted, there is no need to collect your child.

"We hope to engage with them to find a solution that works for everyone as soon as possible. The safety and wellbeing of our students is always our priority.”

The protest followed the implementation of new rules on Friday that mean students are no longer allowed to go to the toilet during lessons and can only go during break times.

“So we can only really go twice in a day,” the student said.

He thought the new rules “make sense” and could be to do with the fact that toilets at Penrice Academy have been getting vandalised.

The student's father said the school had consulted with parents about the new rules and confirmed that there has been “a lot of abuse of toilets” by students while they have been out of lessons.

He added: “What my son said when he came back from school earlier on is that I think a lot of the students had seen a news report on the day before where some girls had had their skirts measured, the length of skirts, by a male teacher apparently and they saw this as a protest and decided to do something at the school and obviously the new toilet rule came in today and it was based on that I think.”

At the Farnley Academy in Leeds, pupils refused to attend lessons after toilet doors were locked in an effort to "tackle truancy".

School policy has been criticised and parents have claimed the new rules are "taking away the human rights" of pupils at the school.

Pupils who need the toilet have to get a written note from their teachers and then hand it to a member of staff posted outside the toilet.

Students at Haven High academy in Lincolnshire have criticised the "prison rules" at their school which ban them from using the toilet during lessons.

The school has also been accused of locking toilet doors and blocking corridors.

Simple solution make them wear nappies.

 

 

 

 

[~Brian~]

the one problem with rules like this, is that it presupposes that everyone is a violator of the rules, and no one follows the rules, therefore everybody is subject to not being able to use the bathroom except between classes. while that might be appropriate for those that have no issues with their ability to hold Holding, There are situations that would make these type of rules not appropriate.

I live in the United States:  all of my life I have had cerebral palsy, And the one thing that people have to understand is that some of the things that happen with people that have cerebral palsy is that the is neurological and can also have effects through body, and have subconditions such as incontinence or inability to be able to do certain things or to be able to hold, especially bladder or vowels. when you have an individualized education plan, these IEP's can be specifically tailored to someone's specific needs, which means that once these goals have been set and the rules in their plan have been set, then some one cannot make rules like this. I remember running into problems myself when I was younger, because the school would worry about who has the bathroom pass, and then you'd have to wait for the person to bring back the bathroom pass before you could go to the bathroom, and then the person ends up running out of the room, as people pass around the classroom.

while I can understand the school's reluctance throughout the United Kingdom to allow people to just use the bathroom whenever they feel the need, there are reasons why people need to use the bathroom. People should not be making rules that say that you cannot use the bathroom because they're afraid that instructional time will be cut down. I don't I don't think it's necessary to place guards in front of the bathrooms to help people checking hall passes all day long, because that presupposes that no one in the school can be trusted to be able to tell the truth or anything like that. I can tell you from experience that my teachers and support staff when I was in elementary school and high school knew right off, that when I said I had to go to the bathroom, I needed to go now, not wait for a pass not wait for an excuse not wait for the right time to do it because it's not between classes. I needed to go when I said I needed to go and making me wait resulted in me having accidents that were very very traumatic and very very embarrassing! the fact that you have to wait and you have to pee your pants or you have to mess yourself because somebody decides that you can't use the bathroom until class changes is ridiculous.

When my mom found out about this and my dad found out about this, they were furious! one of the things that was placed in my I EP plan was that I could use the bathroom whenever it was necessary, and I didn't and I didn't have to have the pass, or an accommodation was made so that I could leave the class.  I don't know if these draconian rules that they're talking about in the article pertain to those that have reasonable accommodations or disabilities, but I think that the reason why they want people to not use the bathroom during class is so that their education time is not interrupted by bathroom breaks, but they can't just stay close minded about it, people need to use the bathroom, and what needs to happen is that people need to be more trustworthy and more honest, and not have to worry. I can't tell you how many times I almost wet myself because I had to deal with the semantics of having a pass, It be the right time of day or whatever, but my mom always taught me that I never wait until I really have to go to the bathroom, I'm always making appropriate requests so that I don't mess myself or wet myself, but if you had to wet yourself or mess yourself you would be very very very embarrassed and you'd probably be thinking that it's the worst thing in the world!

Secondarily, when you're in school, the first thing they want you to do is they want you to be ready for school By the time you hit kindergarten. with the advent of pre K and everything else, kids are going to school earlier and earlier and earlier in life, so they end up going to pre K Before they end up going to kindergarten, and before that they end up dealing with all of this stuff stuff like nursery school and preschool and all that, basically they go to school at age 3 or 4, And most kids are five to six now when they go to kindergarten. when I was in school, I was six years old when I hit kindergarten, and then things changed, now they want kids to start school earlier and earlier and earlier every year. first it was they wanted people to start school around Labor Day or after Labor Day In the United States, and then and then that was the standard, And as time passes, every year kids are starting school earlier and earlier and earlier in the month of August, and they're still going all the way until like the 25th of June: So that means there's no real incentive to allow kids to enjoy their summer, because they're constantly in school, whether it be summer school or some other type of program, and don't get me wrong people know they might need that, so that's awesome thing that they get to help they need if they're behind and they need specific support.

However, you also have to realize that when you go to school, the first thing they want you to be is they want you to be Toilet trained, that way they don't have to deal with changing diapers and they don't have to deal with the other types of things. However, there are people that are disabled who still may have trouble or be unable to be trained and therefore bathroom restrictions like this don't have any merit or any reasonable expectation of working properly. Why do you punish the entire school by setting draconian rules saying You can't use the bathroom except when they want you to? Why do you set up guards outside each of the bathrooms? if they suspect that there's something going on and it's wrong, then yeah you have to be more cognizant of what's going on around you and have your ears open to problems, but because some people are misusing their bathroom privileges, why ruin it for everybody else that uses the bathroom inappropriate manner: why would people need to have their bathroom time limited, and then further degraded because people are watching everybody like a hawk, and trying to force them to do it quickly, basically when you're in high school you have 3 minutes to pick up your books from your desk walk to your next class, and you have about 75 people in the hallway, and when it's really busy you end up with time constraints and you may end up being late, and believe me I've had to go to the bathroom so much one time that I was late on more than one occasion, but I was excused because of my disability.

As far as the protests go: I support the students and everyone who thinks that this is kind of draconian! the school systems should not be making these ridiculous rules that say that no one can use the bathroom except that particular times, because not every single student can be put into one particular box and then thrown into this rule. Exceptions have to be made for people that are disabled disabled, And I would hold the school the school board and the school administration personally responsible If I was a parent and I had a kid who had a problem and I was constantly being told by a Teacher that they couldn't go to the bathroom because they weren't using the bathroom properly or at the right times. if the person has to use the bathroom, you let them out, and you don't wait until the person is sitting there crossing their legs and counting to three and hoping they don't explode! even my mother taught me that you don't wait until you absolutely have to explode before you start going to the bathroom, or at least moving that direction.

I can understand if a rule is being instituted for somebody's safety or well being, to protect someone from harm or from something else, but using the bathroom is one of the most coveted Skills, and regardless of what type of draconian rules or ridiculous policies are in place, people will have to use the bathroom. I guess the only way that people will understand the legitimacy of someone's complaint is to be in the position of a student that use the bathroom simply because it's not class time change: this was never an issue for me because I was able to use the bathroom when I needed it, because it was written in my IEP from the time I was in 4th grade all the way until I was done high school, and then appropriate Accommodations were made, So basically you eliminate rules like that because they don't need to be in place.

But I also have to say one thing: People need to be responsible when they say they're going to do something. if someone's telling me that I need to go to the bathroom at a certain time, I'm gonna tell them that that's ridiculous, and I need to go now! I think what they're trying to stop is people that are telling teachers that they need to use the bathroom come but you find them out of bounds in other areas and not doing what they're supposed to do. there are more appropriate punishments for people that are out of bounds are not doing what they're supposed to be doing or being where they're supposed to be at a particular time. Why punish everyone in the entire school by using these draconian bathroom break rules, simply because there's a few people that decide to disobey the rules! even if that was the case, everybody has the right to use the bathroom, just like they have a right to an education! woes like this make it very very uncomfortable for students to be in a building, and I would probably be one of the students that would be upset about being limited, and I have a disability and I had an I EP, So these rules probably shouldn't even have applied if I was in school. I understand that they want people to be where they're supposed to be doing what they're supposed to be doing when they're supposed to be doing it, but using the bathroom is something that everybody does, and sometimes you need to use the bathroom when rules say you can't, because rules are made to be broken and they're made to be changed and they're also there to help people know the general consensus. People that need to use the bathroom, you let them use the bathroom, and you make sure that they understand that they aren't supposed to be fooling around in the school if They're supposed to do.

Coming from a guy that was disabled, I think these rules are ridiculous! if it was me in a UK School, I would be right beside my friends saying that these were unfair! I don't know why they would make such rules, but I understand the reason for it, but doesn't make any sense, because there are other ways to make sure kids do what they're supposed to do when they're supposed to do it, not to stop somebody from going to the bathroom if they absolutely need to Period now if they're just walking around the school and they're not supposed to be doing that, then you end up doing something to take care of that issue, but the bathroom is something that I would consider is important for everybody, so rules need to be in place so that you can use it! you shouldn't have to wait If there's no other alternative, but you also shouldn't be forced to wet yourself or mess yourself either!

Brian

[spark]

Those rules are absurd.  It is likely the idea of an administrator who is on a power trip.  It would be almost impossible to enforce and definitely is inhuman.  It's cruel, and that attitude is what I hate about education sometimes.   Not all teachers, but teachers sometimes take pleasure in the power that we have over students, and restricting the use of the bathroom is one of most frequent methods.   I know that kids will sometimes use the bathroom just to take a break, but I've got a secret- I use the toilet just to take a break when I'm in a PD, or a meeting.    When I'm in person with other teachers for professional development, the first thing that the presenter says is "You're an adult, take care of personnel needs, yet little kids as young as first grade are told they need to wait until recess to use the bathroom?   

I was teaching at a middle school (7th and 8th grade).  We had 6 classes with 4 minutes between each class, and a 30-minute lunch.  A grand total of 46 minutes down time in a 6-hour day, and the kids were expected to use the bathroom in their 4-minute passing period.   Oh yeah, and they can't be tardy to class.   Fortunately, not all teachers were super strict.

I also realize that bathrooms were being vandalized, which happened at the high school I teach at.  We just limited the number of bathrooms the students could use, which made the time the kids were out of class longer.   The issue is if you have multiple students out of class, and sometimes kids get 'lost' between the bathroom and my classroom.   For the most part, I let the 2nd student go to the toilet.

That 'red' pass is so intrusive.    I'm sorry, but I don't need to know, nor do I want to know if a student is on her period.

 

[Jennynappy]

Quote

That 'red' pass is so intrusive.    I'm sorry, but I don't need to know, nor do I want to know if a student is on her period.

 

In some schools girls would try to skip sports/physical education saying they got period cramps. The boys would laugh.

[Cute_Kitten]

Dang. Those poor kids. Sounds like a rule straight out of Matilda.

[~Brian~]

@Cute_Kitten

the good thing about Matilda is the trunchbowl got exactly what she deserved, because Matilda being so cute, she was able to have a pretty smart brain, and used her powers to help her friends in need. She also was able to teach her father a lesson, And deal with bad people in her life. To take a bad situation and make it into something that was good, or use her powers to teach people lessons that were interesting.

All I can say is if anyone is setting up bathroom rules in schools, the worst thing that they can do is make them inflexible. If it wasn't for the fact that I have had good teachers and good aides, I probably wouldn't have been able to use the bathroom when I needed to. it took a embarrassing situation that turned into an accident before they actually realized that when I told them I had to go that I had to go, And then after awhile, they realized that it was true. They always wanted us to go find the bathroom pass, And that was the only way that we could use the bathroom.

In my case waiting for the bathroom pass was like waiting for a bomb a bomb to go off, because once a bomb goes off, you have a mess to clean up. after a couple of accidents like that, my I EP plan was amended to make certain that I never had to go through that embarrassment again. I no longer had to use bathroom passes, and I no longer had to worry about waiting for permission. when I told them I had to go, they let me go, but I also had to maintain responsibility for making sure I returned. very rarely was I caught where I wasn't supposed to be, and they trusted me, so when I told them I had to go, every teacher in the school was aware of that and never got me in trouble.

Sometimes it is interesting in life, sometimes I wish that we had people like Matilda's that actually were able to make people understand and see that life goes too fast, and they have to realize that sometimes they have to take a break and understand that life isn't all about work and causing trouble for people. Matilda was a funny movie because she was able to use her talents and her skills to help to help her friends, and then when She didn't have to use her powers any more, she was able to live with Miss honey, which is The mother that she should have been living with, and that is awesome.

No one should have to worry about whether they can go to the bathroom or not. you can go, but the thing is they want you to ask for permission to go, and if they make rules that are inflexible, people will find ways to be able to go to the bathroom, and that may involve using nappies if possible.

Brian