Parents keep children at home in protest after school removes wall from front of girls' toilets

Parents are keeping their children at home in protest against a Merseyside school’s decision to remove the front wall of a girls’ toilet block, which they say is making pupils feel “scared and unsafe”.

A privacy row has erupted between St Mary’s College in Wallasey and parents after the exterior wall was removed to make the toilets open plan. 

Pictures sent to The Independent show that the toilet cubicle doors are now exposed to an open corridor, and are in clear sight of at least one classroom and a CCTV camera. 

It is believed that the decision has been made by the school in a bid to stop smoking, bullying and truancy, with the new layout meaning pupils can no longer hide in between lessons.

Tara Hodgson Jones, who has a daughter in year 11 and a son in year 9 at the school, saw the toilets for herself when she attended a parent’s evening at the school on Friday.

She told The Independent that she is keeping her daughter at home as she does not feel safe with the new toilet layout.

“My sister and neighbours are doing the same with their daughters,” Ms Hodgson Jones added.

“Apparently they are starting on the boys’ toilets next week, so I’ll be keeping my son off too if they do the same. 

“My daughter told me about it on Thursday but I thought she was making a big deal over nothing until I saw it for myself.