‘Taking the toilets was not the answer’: Derwent Valley mayor

See why toilets are being reinstated at a school in New Norfolk after they were removed in a controversial bid to stop students smoking and vaping.

New Norfolk High School.

Toilets are this weekend being re-installed at New Norfolk High School after being removed during the summer holidays.

A photo of contractors at the school on Saturday morning was posted on social media and shared by Derwent Valley mayor Michelle Dracoulis.

It is not known how many toilets will be installed before school resumes on Tuesday after the long weekend.

Over the holidays a majority of toilets and cubicle doors were removed reportedly to stop students smoking and vaping.

Toilets being reinstated at a school in New Norfolk. Picture: Jess Coppleman

When asked about the contractors at the school on Saturday, an Education spokesperson responded with the same comment made on Friday after a furore erupted over the removal or the toilets and a petition was started by outraged parents.

The Department for Education, Children and Young People is working with New Norfolk High School to increase access to student toilets by Tuesday,” she said.

Ms Dracoulis was pleased the toilets were being put back into the school and thanked parents and the community for “coming together to stand up for our kids”.

“It is an excellent outcome,” she said.

“The community has been wonderful in supporting the school.”

Derwent Valley Mayor Michelle Dracoulis. Picture: Chris Kidd

Ms Dracoulis said the council’s general manager would still meet with the school on Tuesday to discuss the removal of the toilets which parents said was a breach of basic human rights.

She said vaping needed to be addressed.

“Vaping is a massive problem but taking the toilets was not the answer,” Ms Dracoulis said.

Labor education spokesman Josh Willie also welcomed the contractors at the school on Saturday to reinstall the toilets.

“Common sense prevailed,” he said.

“Schools need to be better supported by the government.”

He said if schools had enough staff they could supervise toilet areas and take measures to address vaping and smoking by students.

“Better health and education programs would help them understand the dangers and having enough staff available to supervise areas where anti-social and bullying behaviour occurs would help,” Mr Willie said.

Nearly 500 people have signed the online petition which said that students were “being made to line up to gain access to a toilet for anywhere up to 30 mins”.

“This was done in an attempt to stop smoking or vaping in toilet cubicles, however this is also a massive violation of human rights,” it read.

Tassie school’s drastic move to stop students vaping in toilets

The Education Department has apologised to New Norfolk High School students and parents after toilets and cubicle doors were removed over the school break — reportedly to stop smoking and vaping – prompting outraged parents to start a petition.

The online petition said students at New Norfolk High “are being made to line up to gain access to a toilet for anywhere up to 30 minutes”.

“This was done in an attempt to stop smoking or vaping in toilet cubicles, however this is also a massive violation of human rights,” the petition read.

“Students should most definitely have access to a toilet in a timely manner, due to general use, sickness, health conditions and should not be being penalised and made to line up to one cubicle in an attempt to curb bad behaviour of a minority.”

Derwent Valley mayor Michelle Dracoulis said the council general manager would meet with the school on Tuesday, after the public holiday.

“Our kids have a human right to access bathroom facilities when they need them,” Ms Dracoulis said.

“I understand there will be reasons the school has taken this step, but there needs to be another way found to address those issues.”

Videos showing toilets and cubicle doors removed were shared across social media, with dozens of parents vowing to phone the school to complain.

“This is worse than prison,” one parent commented.

“Prison people don’t have to wait for a toilet and I bet the staff have doors on their toilets and they don’t have to wait in line to do their business … absolutely disgraceful and against all human rights.”

Derwent Valley mayor Michelle Dracoulis. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Another mother said it was “ridiculous” that students were “lining up to use the bathroom instead of eating lunch” in between classes.

“As a parent we pay school fees for the education and care of our children. The education department have a duty of care to look after our children’s well-being and education,” she said.

“Does one bathroom mean that teachers will not be monitoring bathrooms? What happens if a student is in distress, self harming, seeking refuge from bullying, or in need of assistance?”

Labor education spokesperson Josh Willie believed staff shortages may have contributed to the problem.

“Schools are under stress because of staff shortages and it may be they don’t have the staff to supervise the toilets,” he said.

“But as the video shows they have pulled toilets out which is just not appropriate.”

A Department of Education spokesperson said they were working with the school to “increase access to student toilets by Tuesday”.

“The Department has closely monitored operations at the school today and will continue to do so until the situation is rectified.

“The Department apologises to the students and families of New Norfolk High School.”

Toilets have been removed from New Norfolk High School.

One parent told the Mercury that “quite a few parents” had, like her, contacted the Education Department after students returned from holidays to find “one toilet per gender per grade”.

“The doors were all completely removed. Not even a door was left on the single cubicle that actually has a toilet. Because of all the hype today, a door has been put back on apparently.”

Another parent of a Year 8 student said her son brought it to her attention on Thursday, saying “it was not right”.

“The students that don’t smoke or vape are getting punished and it’s not fair,” she said.

“Then he said what about the girls that have their monthlies (periods)? He said it’s disgusting as they wouldn’t be able to have any privacy and they wouldn’t be comfortable. It’s not fair for any student to have their toilets privilege taken away.

“Smoking has been around schools for I don’t know how long. There is a better way around this.”

Asked whether it was acceptable for students to wait up to 30 minutes to use a toilet Mr Rockliff said: “There are challenges. We’ll work with the school communities to ensure that our young people are not experiencing delays in terms of accessing important amenities.”

He shared concerns about students’ vaping.

“I can understand parents and schools concern about vaping and I take that very seriously as well,” he said.

“We have got a program right across Tasmania of upgrading important amenities for our schools and that remains part of our focus of ensuring that we have 21st century infrastructure to support student learning.”