The headteacher of Farnley Academy in Leeds, Chris Stokes, has criticized parents for calling the school a ‘prisoner of war camp’ due to locked toilets during lesson times.
Mr. Stokes explained that the toilets were closed due to serious safeguarding events and urged parents to consider that children may not always present the full story.
Some students protested against the new rules and compared the school to a prison, while teachers insisted that the restrictions were necessary for safeguarding reasons. Mr. Stokes emphasized that not all bathrooms were locked and that at least one block of boys’ and girls’ toilets were always open at the school.
Several other schools across Cornwall, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, and Essex experienced similar protests that were inspired by TikTok and claimed that school rules infringed on students’ human rights.
At Penrice Academy in Cornwall, students reportedly flipped tables and broke fences over rule changes that required girls to show a ‘red card’ when they were on their period. Meanwhile, at Haven High Academy in Lincolnshire, one parent compared the new policy, which locked toilets and corridors during lessons, to ‘prison rules’.
The protests were fueled by social media posts that encouraged students to stage demonstrations against school rules they perceived as interfering with their human rights. Headteachers acknowledged the trend, which was taking place at numerous schools throughout the country, in letters to parents.
Some schools had to tighten security to ensure that protests remained peaceful. In some cases, schoolgirls were left in tears after male teachers inspected the length of their skirts to make sure they were not too short. Outraged parents expressed their dissatisfaction on social media and demanded that schools listen to their concerns.
»Chris Stokes, headteacher of Farnley Academy, Leeds, hit back at angry parents over TikTok riot«
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