Which Guidance?
Council states that the introduction of Gender Neutral toilets within its schools is ‘in line with guidance from the Scottish Govt’.
Which guidance would this be?
The Regulations surrounding school toilets hasn’t changed, so where does this guidance come from?
Having realised that the Regulations hadn’t changed I thought that Parents should write to the Councils,
See my draft template Letter to Council about School Toilets
But as it turned out a simple tweet to the Council provided the answer I was seeking. .
Clicking on the link took me to the controversial LGBTYS Transgender School Guidance.
The very same Guidance that the Scottish Govt recently stated they did not endorse. The very same Guidance that no Local Authority or Public Body that I contacted had carried out a single Equality Impact Assessment for before issuing it across all schools. See here
So, we have Councils changing toilets to gender neutral, despite regulations which state that facilities should be split 50:50 boy & girl. Council say this is in line with Scot Govt Guidance. Guidance which Scot Govt no longer publicly endorse. Who exactly is running things here?
Co-Authors of the guidance, Scottish Trans, spokesperson stated that parents who are concerned about abuse and bullying is just ‘irresponsible scaremongering’.
They continued that it wasn’t just for the sole benefit of trans pupils and claimed that the ‘vast majority of school bullying was same sex: girls bullying girls’.
Well let’s ask girls, what do they say? What is the biggest issue girls are suffering from just now in school?
Sadly, we never bother to ask girls what affects them. Girlguiding Survey is the only one I’m aware of. It’s shocking what our girls are subjected to within school.
This is the most damning figure. 57% of our girls don’t think our politicians understand the issues they are facing. Isn’t that clear when we take their toilets and make them mixed sex? Girls are suffering from sexual harassment & decisions like these are making it worse.
Have the Councils really been making these drastic changes to the design of school toilets based solely on a LGBTYS / Scottish Trans document, a non Government guidance, one which the Government do not even endorse.
Surely not, so I asked this Council to clarify if other guidance or directions from the Scottish Government exists.
Shockingly this does appear to be the case. Councils across Scotland are apparently flouting decades long School Regulations on the basis of this single non-Government guidance booklet. A booklet that I strongly suspect has recommendations and good practice advice which are in violation of the Equality Act 2010, specifically in regard to the suggestions there is no need to uphold the provision of single sex spaces/accommodation for our children.
I have 5 Campaign Aims and rectifying the legalities of policies is one of them.
Follow me on Twitter SusanSinclair@Scottish_Women
Follow me on Facebook “Scottish Women”
You can read my other blogs at http://www.Scottish-Women.com
Scottish Women 