STUDENTS at New Norfolk High School have been promised they will have increased access to toilets when school resumes after the Royal Hobart Regatta long weekend. Following complaints that the majority of student toilets had been removed during the summer holidays, the Department for Education, Children and Young People has responded swiftly.
About 400 people have signed an online petition protesting the removal of student toilet facilities, which was discovered on the first day of term yesterday. The Mercury reported the news this morning and it was quickly picked-up on by other media. Hundreds of comments were made on social media.
Late this afternoon, a spokesperson told New Norfolk and Derwent Valley News that the Department for Education, Children and Young People was working with New Norfolk High School to increase access to student toilets by Tuesday next week.
“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,” the spokesperson said.
It was speculated that the removal of toilets – and the absence of doors on the remaining cubicles – was an attempt to prevent smoking and “vaping” in the toilets. Parents commenting on Facebook said there was now only one toilet available per student in each grade. It was also said soap and sanitiser were no longer available.
It was not stated whether the toilet reduction applied to the whole Year 7-12 cohort, or only in the high school section.
7 Comments
I really hope that people appreciate that sensationalism on social media does nothing for community cohesion. This is our local high school. They have a duty of care that they all want to do the best for our children. Vaping is a health issue.
Sometimes people, organisations and government departments make a wrong call. It shouldn’t be an attack. Discuss respectfully, put your reasoning behind it and you will get change.
Now the parents should take some control and responsibility for their children participating in the health issue that caused this bad decision by the School. The School has acted now the parents need to do the same.
Taking away toilets at a high school is taking away Basic Human rights. unacceptable.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
-the right to life, liberty and personal security.
-freedom from torture and degrading treatment.
-the right to seek and gain protection in other countries from persecution.
-the right to equality before the law.
-the right to a fair trial.
-the right to privacy.
Australia is founded on the rule of law and has a strong tradition of respect for the rights and freedoms of every individual. Human rights are recognised and protected across Australia through a range of laws at the federal and state and territory levels, the Australian Constitution, and the common law.
Bizzare, Dickens meets Yes Minister –
“The children are smoking and vaping in the toilets Minister.”
“We cant have that can we, remove all the children Humphrey.”
“You can’t remove children from a school, Minister, that’s what it’s there for.”
“Oh yes well right, remove all the toilets.”
“Yes, Minister.”
BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS
Maybe it’s time to reflect on this.
ALL members of community deserve basic human rights. Perhaps it’s time our community leaders, parents, police and other role models stand up and defend these rights for all instead of ignoring them if it doesn’t affect their own.
Look, if people want to get all legalistic, UN Rights etc.,thats their business, but this is so sickeningly stupid, it should have been nipped in one of many buds where it popped up. Down from every level of government to the poor contractors who had to do the deed – did they go home to their families at night and say “strange job today – took the toilets out of a busy High School”?
This Government has got us into a “just following orders” miasma. I bet the government passes this parcel down the chain like the others.
These are kids! How many ways are there to abuse them – well we are just finding out!