Parents blast ‘disgusting’ faculty for locking bogs

Parents have blasted a secondary school as ‘disgusting’ after it put barriers between desperate students and toilets during lessons in a measure to curb misbehaviour.

The Dorcan Academy in Swindon installed metal gates at the entrances to many of its bathrooms, forcing students with medical conditions or just a desperate need to navigate their way to reception to go to the toilet when they need it.

The school, for children aged 11 to 16, has been criticised for ‘punishing’ its student body to deal with ‘a few badly behaved students’ with the measure, which comes in on top of a preexisting expectation for students to only use the bathroom at break and lunchtimes.

An anonymous complainant described the measure in the wake of schools returning as going against the students’ ‘human right to go to the toilet’.

The only bathrooms accessible in that time are supervised by a member of staff, leading to further concerns that this could put off students out of embarrassment, when they genuinely need to go for health reasons.

The Dorcan Academy in Swindon has installed barriers at the entrances to many of its bathrooms which are locked shut during lessons

One parent, speaking anonymously to the Swindon Advertiser, said: ‘It’s disgusting and shocking.’

However, headteacher Sherryl Bareham said the school’s policy has always been that pupils can only go to the toilet during lunch and break times except for in emergencies.

Nevertheless, many locals saw the move to install gates as ‘draconian’ and an ‘abuse of power’.

One said: ‘The rest of the student body doesn’t need to be punished for a few badly behaved students.

‘A student should not have to explain themselves to a teacher in front of the whole class so the teacher can decide if it’s a worthy enough reason to go to the toilet. It’s ridiculous.’

Another commented: ‘The trouble is that nearly all schools are introducing such a policy and failing to recognise that the human body is so unpredictable at times.’

One concerned local added: ‘[It is] understandable that toilets need to be monitored but not locked away, especially at the ages these kids are, with developing bodies.’

But many sided with the school and its headteacher in reacting to the new measure.

One Swindon local said: ‘Well done Head, kids have too much control and not enough respect. Use the toilet at break time. We all know they ask to go during lessons, perhaps to vape or just to disrupt the lesson.’

‘What’s wrong with going to the toilet before a lesson starts?’ Asked another.

‘The teachers will do that – they don’t pop out during a lesson to use the loo. If a child has a health condition that is understandable. But let’s stop telling kids they can do whatever they want when they want.’ 

Someone else commented: ‘This rule always applied in schools during my day. I remember one person having a special dispensation but that was it.’

Ms Bareham added: ‘Students have always been expected to use the toilet at break and lunchtimes rather than during lessons, unless in an emergency.

‘This is to ensure that students’ learning is not disrupted.

‘Students with medical conditions are issued with a specific card allowing them to use the toilet as and when they need to.

‘During lesson times, students who need to use the toilet will be asked to use a specific set of toilets which are supervised by a member of staff.

‘This will ensure that the toilets are kept in excellent condition and are safe for everyone to use.

‘Other toilets will be locked and only opened at break and lunchtimes. ‘