Unisex toilets to cut out the school bullies

Unisex toilets should be built at schools to stop bullying, according to the Government.

Guidelines issued by the Department for Education today also recommend installing glass-panelled walls between hand-washing areas, scrapping urinals and installing trough sinks to make flooding more difficult.

The recommendations should help children who avoid going to the loo at school because they fear bullies and dirty facilities.

The Government will also suggest increasing background noise in lavatories, possibly by the use of a ventilation system, to ensure "aural privacy".

All schools being rebuilt or refurbished under the £45 billion Building Schools for the Future programme will be expected to apply the guidelines. Tim Bayliss, the chief executive of Partnerships for Schools, the agency responsible for the rebuilding programme, said lavatories are hotspots for bullies.

As part of the guidelines, hand- washing areas could be moved to semi-open corridors near the cubicles, where they would be visible to staff and would remove the need for CCTV.

Each school is also to build a self-contained lavatory with its own sink, which could be used by pupils when they need more privacy.

Partnerships for Schools said the cost of installing new lavatories would be offset by the savings in the long run.

What's on today   What's on tomorrow

Receive our newsletter