Pupils reportedly “turned the tables” during a tense protest at a West Country school. The problems began after leaders at Penrice Academy in St Austell announced changes to student use of the toilets during school hours.
The high school now only allows boys to use the bathrooms outside of classes and girls must apply for red card passes when they are on their period. School heads said it was important to minimize interruptions during classes.
But today (Friday) things reportedly blew up during a protest at the school. Some students are alleged to be “flipping tables”, while someone else was injured.
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A witness told Cornwall Live: “Just to let you know my daughter has just called me to say the protest has gotten out of hand and students are turning tables. Children are not allowed out for break now.”
A parent has also told the school that an ambulance has arrived. Another said: “They broke fences, knocked down goal posts, smashed rubbish bins, kids are running away from school.”
“One girl literally ripped a big clump of hair off the fence trying to climb to use the bathroom and hurt herself badly. I talked to her, checked on her and contacted her parents.”
The school previously defended its new bathroom policy, insisting that it will never stop students from going to the bathroom if they really need to. But dozens of parents and students aren’t impressed. Some took to Facebook to express their outrage. One wrote: “Any human being, child or adult should be able to use the toilets at any time. They are hardly going to ‘please sir I have a bit of diarrhea’. Or please can I use the toilet? My periods have started”.
“If schools are all about the care and upbringing of children, some of these archaic and controlling rules need to be rethought. Children and young adults are not in desperate need of shame. Penrice Academy and all other schools They must rethink what is best for the child.”
Schools across Bristol have similar policies, with a father speaking out after his daughter was “humiliated” because she couldn’t use the toilet when her period started.
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