Can you imagine needing to ask your manager for permission to use the toilet in your work? Then can you imagine your manager telling you that you're not permitted to use the toilet?

A worrying issue within secondary schools is teachers refusing students permission to use the toilet, or only allowing them to use it during specific time frames. Being that needing to use the toilet is a basic human function - denying a human being the ability to do so is baffling.

It is very concerning that an adult-led environment would allow teachers to take advantage of a child's lack of confidence to advocate for themselves, and allow these teachers to deny children this permission. Better judgement needs to be used by teachers when deciding on when to deny a student permission to go to the toilet.

There can be serious issues that arise from postponing the urge to use the toilet, including: increased risk of urinary tract infection, bladder damage, constipation, bowel impaction etc. We should be particularly concerned for teenage girls who menstruate - and may need to use the toilet more often for sanitary purposes during school time. Giving teachers the authority to control a child's access to toilets is arguably cruel, and morally wrong. 

Articles 3 & 28 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child state that children's best interests should be a primary consideration in all actions concerning children, and any school discipline should be done in a manner that is consistent with a child’s basic human dignity. There is currently no specific legislation protecting a child's right to use the toilet when needed, or legislation prohibiting a teacher from refusing toilet-access. 

Please sign & share this petition if you can, as it would be very helpful to argue a case to secondary schools in re-evaluating strict toilet-access policies going forward. Your children need you to advocate for them.