Parents fear kids’ safety as Golden Grove High School removes toilet doors to make bathrooms in line with new non-gendered facilities

The removal of toilet doors at an expanding northeast public high school has been met by backlash from parents who fear for their children’s safety and privacy.

An expanding northeast public high school is facing backlash from parents after removing toilets doors to bring facilities in line with new gender neutral bathrooms.

In a letter Golden Grove High School principal Peter Kuss, parents and caregivers were alerted to plans to remove two outer doors leading into existing toilet blocks which shielding private areas from public spaces.

“We are taking steps to modify the design of the design of the existing toilet blocks so they mimic as much as possible the new look and feel of the toilet facilities in the new buildings,” Mr Kuss wrote.

The letter sent by Golden Grove High School principal Peter Kuss. Picture: Supplied

“Hence, we will be removing the outer doors leading into the existing toilet blocks so the toilets in these spaces are more easily accessible from the foyers.

“We believe this action will provide greater safety for student usage and will more closely align our older toilet blocks with the new standards.”

The high school is amid a $15 million upgrade of its facilities which includes the installation of toilet facilities in new middle school, arts centre, and Year 12 study centre.

Mr Kuss said those toilets were “lockable, non-gendered, individual cubicles”.

He said the school “understands” using the toilet at school “can cause anxiety for some students”.

But a mother of two children at the school holds concern for the safety and privacy of the students given the existing cubicles can been seen directly from the foyers.

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The external doors of the existing toilet facilities at Golden Grove High School have been removed. Picture: Supplied

The mother, who wanted to go only by Wendy, said her children expressed fears.

“They no longer feel safe and feel their privacy has been compromised,” she said.

“The cubicles on some of the toilets can be seen by students and teachers walking past.

“Some kids are telling the teachers they don’t want to use them and so have to hold it until they get home.

“I’ve had other parents tell me their kids will not use the toilets either.”

The Education Department standards details requirements including toilets “are to be designed as fully enclosed toilet cubicles” providing for “complete privacy” and that “gaps between doors and partitions must be designed to ensure privacy … students must not be able to easily see between gaps in to the toilet cubicle”.

Though it states “parts of existing schools that are not affected by a redevelopment or upgrade do not need to comply”.

An Education Department spokesperson said the toilets were adequately private.

“Students’ privacy isn’t compromised. All the cubicles have lockable doors and only hand washing areas are visible from hallways or foyers,” they said.

They confirmed doors at the school had been removed from eight older facilities but did not reference the changes being made to “mimic” the new toilets.

“This was a decision made by school staff to limit students congregating in the toilets,” they said.

The Messenger presented the pictures of the exposed cubicles to the Education Department and asked them to clarify their comments but a spokesperson declined to address the pictures.