School locks students out of lavatories

‘It is against human rights. It is like they are in prison. They don’t always open all of them at lunch or break’

A SECONDARY school has barricaded its lavatories shut during lesson times, leading parents to accuse it of breaching pupils’ “human rights”.

Castle View School in Canvey Island, Essex, has installed locked metal gates across the entrances.

Parents claim that they were given no notice of the new security measures at the co-educational academy and say some children regularly miss their lunch because queues to use the facilities are too long.

According to pupils, the gates had been installed to stamp out vaping in cubicles and for other safeguarding issues. Officials at the school have defended the move arguing pupils are free to use the lavatory in break times and before and after school.

One mother said: “It is against human rights and is disgusting. It is like they are in a prison. They don’t always open all of them at lunch or break either because a teacher has to open them. Some days my child doesn’t even eat because there isn’t time to queue for food and the toilet.

“My child has anxiety around going to the toilet now, it is so bad.”

Steve Durkin, the head teacher, said: “Pupils are able to access all toilets before school, break times, and after school.

“If a pupil requires the toilet during lesson time, they request a pass from their teacher and are allowed access. This requirement does not apply to pupils with any medical needs.”