What is the Safer Student Bathrooms Program?
The Tasmanian Government’s Safer Student Bathrooms Program was announced in the 2021 election commitments. Launched with the goal of making school toilets safer, reduce bullying, and improve student wellbeing. Backed by a $6.3 million investment, the program has already been rolled out in several schools including Huonville High School, Glenora District School, King Island District School, Wynyard High School, Burnie High School, Sheffield District School, and Lilydale District School.
The idea is simple: replace outdated, sometimes intimidating toilet blocks with single-stall cubicles, each with its own sink and dryer. This reduces opportunities for anti-social behaviour, vaping, or bullying in hidden corners while giving students greater privacy. In theory, it’s a smart balance between dignity and oversight.
But while the program has strong intentions, there are also risks and controversies emerging—both in Tasmania and in other states—about how such policies are designed and implemented.
What Works Well
- Improved safety and privacy: By removing communal wash zones and replacing them with self-contained stalls, the program reduces hotspots for bullying and vandalism.
- Inclusive design: Individual cubicles also reduce stigma for students who feel uncomfortable in traditional “boys vs girls” toilet blocks. Teachers in other states have already noted that vandalism drops in schools with this design.
- Alignment with safeguarding frameworks: The program supports the Tasmanian Child and Youth Safe Organisations Framework, which requires schools to minimise risks of harm in physical environments (Standard 8).
Problems and Controversies
Despite the benefits, several issues have already come to light:
1. Removing Cubicle Doors
At New Norfolk High School, toilets had cubicle doors removed in an attempt to curb vaping and misbehaviour. The backlash was swift: parents petitioned against what they saw as a “massive violation of human rights.” Students were forced to wait in long queues for privacy. The Department eventually reinstated the doors, acknowledging the overreach.
2. Lack of Consultation
When unisex toilets were first introduced in Burnie, some parents felt blindsided. While the Department highlighted research that single-stall toilets reduce anti-social behaviour, families said they were not properly consulted. In such sensitive areas, transparency and community engagement are critical.
3. Maintenance and Hygiene
Across Tasmania and nationally, students regularly report that school toilets are unhygienic, poorly maintained, or vandalised. Even the best design will fail if cleaning and maintenance aren’t consistent. In NSW, poor sanitation has even led to bladder infections in students who avoid school toilets altogether.
4. Rights and Dignity Concerns
Parents, students, and advocacy groups worry that design changes can go too far, eroding trust or dignity. For example, door removal, surveillance-heavy layouts, or failure to provide adequate privacy can make students feel unsafe in spaces that should be private.
There are also growing concerns that unisex toilets may compromise safeguarding for girls, by reducing their access to private, female-only spaces and potentially increasing risks of harassment or discomfort.
Lessons for Tasmania
The Safer Student Bathrooms Program is a strong step in the right direction—but design alone won’t solve the problem. To truly make bathrooms safer, Tasmania must also:
- Consult widely: Parents, students, and teachers need a genuine voice in how bathrooms are designed and managed.
- Prioritise cleanliness: Consistent maintenance and hygiene are just as important as new infrastructure.
- Avoid overcorrection: Removing doors or locking toilets creates new safeguarding risks and rights concerns.
- Balance dignity and safety: Privacy must remain central. Students should never feel humiliated or stripped of their rights in the name of safety.
Conclusion
Bathrooms may seem like a small detail in the school day, but for many students, they are places of anxiety, bullying, and sometimes even danger. The Safer Student Bathrooms Program shows that the Tasmanian Government is taking these concerns seriously.
Yet, as we have already seen, poorly executed interventions can backfire—removing cubicle doors, locking toilets, or failing to consult parents damages trust and risks student wellbeing.
If Tasmania gets this right, schools can create spaces that are private, hygienic, safe, and respectful. If it gets it wrong, we risk repeating the mistakes already seen across Australia.
References
ABC News. (2011, June 10). Call for calm over unisex school toilets. – https://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-06-10/call-for-calm-over-unisex-school-toilets/2753582
Newshub. (2023, February 15). Tasmanian school under fire for removing toilets cubicle doors in drastic measure to combat misbehaviour. – https://www.stuff.co.nz/world-news/350467635/tasmanian-school-under-fire-for-removing-toilets-cubicle-doors-in-drastic-measure-to-combat-student-misbehaviour
School News Australia. (2023, March 20). More than a toilet: Upgrading school washrooms. – https://www.school-news.com.au/property/more-than-a-toilet-upgrading-school-washrooms