Plans to provide gender neutral toilets at a Scottish secondary school have been abandoned.
The change, forcing boys and girls to share the same facilities at Culloden Academy in Inverness, was reversed by Highland Council after local families objected.
Highland Council completed the work during the summer break, but – following a backlash from parents – the council reverted to single-sex toilet areas within days of the start of term.
Local opposition
The Scottish Daily Mail reported that parents were worried about the safety of girls as young as eleven having to share toilet blocks with older teenage boys.
One grandparent described the move as “frankly appalling” and said that mixed-sex toilets “eroded safe spaces for young female pupils, and left pupils of both sexes uncomfortable”.
Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, said: “It is good news that the council have not only listened but also acted upon the expressed concerns of parents – concerns which I appreciate.”
Campaign
LGBT lobby group Stonewall has been campaigning for gender neutral toilets and signage for a number of years. However, opposition is growing.
Last year, For Women Scotland raised concerns about local authorities replacing single-sex toilets with gender-neutral ones in Scottish schools.
Also see:
Single-sex toilets to be required in new public buildings
Home Office’s female workers going out of their way to avoid gender-neutral toilets