Melbourne Grammar’s Grimwade House primary school campus resists call for gender neutral loos

One of Melbourne’s top primary schools has announced its policy on bathroom signs after being lobbied to change its “gender-based language”.

An exclusive primary school in Melbourne’s inner east has rejected calls to scrap gender-based labels such as ‘boys’ and ‘girls’ from its bathrooms and when referring to students.

Melbourne Grammar School on Friday said it would not implement gender neutral bathrooms, or make changes to the school’s uniform policy to accommodate non-binary students who preferred not to identify with any gender.

It follows reports the school backtracked on its plans to revamp the bathrooms at its Grimwade House primary school campus while moving to refer to the cohort as ‘students’ rather than ‘girls’ or ‘boys’.

The school’s headmaster Philip Grutzner said the school’s community was comprised of different religions, ethnicities, and gender and sexual preferences, but there were no plans to change how they labelled students.

Melbourne Grammar School says it will not implement gender neutral bathrooms.

“It was recently suggested that we change our approach in relation to the gender-based language we use for students at our coeducational primary school, Grimwade

House. The School is not doing this,” Mr Grutzner said.

“We will continue to refer to children at the school as girls, boys, children, and students. When we use the collective nouns students or children, these terms are intended to imply inclusivity, and are not intended to undermine gender related language in any way.

“The student bathrooms at Grimwade Housel are designated ‘boys’ and ‘girls’ and will remain this.”

It comes as other schools in both the public and private sectors are grappling with how best to accommodate the needs of gender-diverse students.

While many state high schools have gender-neutral bathrooms and unisex uniforms, other schools have taken a less prescriptive approach, while still embracing diversity.

Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools Executive Director Jim Miles said Catholic schools operate within the current legislative framework in terms of policies and procedures.

“Our policies on sexual orientation and the care and welfare of students require that schools deliver appropriate pastoral care so that the innate, God-given dignity and uniqueness of every student is welcomed and respected,” he said.

Mr Grutzner said uniform changes were a possibility, but they were not currently in the works.

“This may occur in the future, but only after thorough and appropriate consideration has been given to the matter. We make our decisions about policy and practice based on what is in the best interest of our students. In an increasingly complex world, this will continue to be the case,” he said.

Other Victorian schools such as Springvale’s Killester College have already ensured student bathrooms are not labelled with female presenting signage to ensure all students feel comfortable using the facilities.

Several trans students attend the Catholic girls secondary school, where the only amenities labelled according to sex are the staff-designated bathrooms.

Meanwhile, Mentone Girls Secondary College allows students to wear school pants rather than dresses or skirts.

Originally published as Melbourne Grammar’s Grimwade House primary school campus resists call for gender neutral loos