Why a school in England has removed mirrors from toilets

Mirrors on the walls of school toilets in England has got everyone talking in the UK.

William Farr Comprehensive School in Lincoln’s Welton has removed all mirrors from its toilets.

The reason?

Authorities say the mirrors were causing discomfort to some students and negatively impacting punctuality.

Soon after the move, messages demanding the return of mirrors appeared on the walls, with many calling it ‘silly’ and ‘extreme.

Also read: Mobile phone bans in schools not linked to grades or behavior of kids, says study

Mirrors ban in school toilets

According to Lincolnshire Live, all the mirrors from the toilet facilities at the William Farr C of E Comprehensive School in Welton have been taken out.

The new regulation was implemented, according to the Welton secondary school administration, because the mirrors were encouraging children to spend “too much time in the toilets often in large groups.”

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Grant Edgar, the headteacher, claimed that the academy had “some issues at transition times,” which might “affect punctuality to lessons.”

“The toilets were being used as a gathering point, which was causing issues for students genuinely wanting to use the facilities. Long queues and excessive traffic in the toilet blocks were leading to slow transition times between lessons as well as after break and lunch times,” the school said, according to the report.

Additionally, it stated that this has been affecting the timely commencement of classes. There would be 6.4 days of lost learning over the course of the school year if every lesson began two minutes later than planned.

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“Some pupils have been feeling uncomfortable about using the facilities when large groups of students are gathered there. This has been an issue raised by students and parents alike.”

According to the school, it should be a safe environment for all students to learn; therefore, taking down the mirrors was necessary to make sure everyone was comfortable.

The spokesperson added, “We are aware that some pupils may need access to a mirror during the school day—perhaps to replace contact lenses or to check on their braces, and so mirrors are available for this purpose from the school reception and in our medical area.

“It is important to note that many schools across the country have taken this measure with some putting even stricter toilet use restrictions in place.”

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Reaction

There have been messages demanding the return of the removed mirrors.

Mothers have also spoken out against the decision, calling it “silly” and “extreme.”

One parent expressed her opinion that the decision was “quite strange” and that her daughter will be impacted by the removal of the mirrors.

“My daughter has contact lenses and braces,” she told the BBC, adding, “She does need a mirror if she needs to get her contact lenses out.”

Another parent said, “They’re just mirrors, aren’t they? We have mirrors at home, why can’t we have them in school?”

Also read: Why an American teen, who graduated with honours, is now suing her school

Similar moves

Mirrors in restrooms have been taken out of schools before.

According to reports, a middle school in North Carolina decided to take down toilet mirrors in January 2024 because more pupils were wasting valuable class time making TikTok movies in the restrooms.

Daily Mail claims Christopher Whitehead Language College in New England’s Worcester changed the mirrors in the girls’ restrooms in 2023 with posters that described makeup as a “harmful drug” that made women “feel ugly.”

Parents at the time opposed to this method, with some claiming that it was improper to compare lipstick to lethal drugs. Headmaster Neil Morris later acknowledged his error and reversed its decision.

As the debate continues on student access to mirrors and other tools like mobile phones gains attention, psychologist Emma Kenny believes children should be “part of decisions,” even though schools have “a right to institute rules.”

“You don’t know what’s going on in that kid’s life,” she tells the BBC, adding, “That hub in the bathroom where they are checking make-up and covering spots can be powerfully important to them.”

According to Kenny, the “bigger issue” should address the reason why kids are using the restrooms at school for extended periods of time.

“Maybe something needs to change intrinsically within the school,” she said. “It can feel like you are running a gauntlet at high school even if you have lovely teachers and pastoral support.”

With inputs from agencies