TikTok challenge blamed for Bangor school's toilet rule

The school, which has 1,000 pupils, says the rule is only temporary

A TikTok craze has been blamed for a County Down school closing most toilets to students during class time.

The principal of Glenlola Collegiate in Bangor, Eric Thompson, said the temporary rule was brought in after some girls filmed themselves vandalising toilets.

Some pupils and their parents previously said the policy was unsanitary and impractical.

The school said the rule will be reviewed shortly.

Under the policy, pupils who need the toilet during lessons are required to report to reception, where they then have access to a small number of designated toilets.

Mr Thompson told BBC News NI a TikTok trend had caused an "issue of girls gathering" in the bathrooms, which made some pupils avoid using them.

Social media app TikTok allows users to record and share short videos with special effects and music.

Glenlola Collegiate principal Eric Thompson says the TikTok trend had put some girls off using the bathroom

"The particular challenge had something to do with misbehaviour, anti-social behaviour or vandalization in toilets," Mr Thompson said.

"We became aware that some of the pupils in this school were arranging to go out of lessons to the toilet, meet up there and then they were engaging in anti-social behaviour and there was some damage being done.

"Unfortunately they were recording some of their behaviour, that made it a real pupil welfare issue for us.

"We then also had a few concerns of some parents whose daughters were reluctant to use the toilets for that reason."

A petition to reopen all toilets during class time has gathered more than 1,300 signatures.

Policy review

Nicola Hawes, whose daughter goes to Glenlola, told BBC News NI the policy was "embarrassing and degrading".

Mr Thompson said the toilets would be reopened later in November for seniors' exams, when the policy would be reviewed.

He said the rule could have been explained better to parents and pupils.

"I think it's always possible to say maybe we could have communicated this more clearly, so in this case I think it's possible with hindsight had we communicated more detail, we may have avoided this peculiar situation where this has become quite a significant story," he said.

In a statement, the Education Authority said: "We are aware of concerns raised in relation to toilet access at Glenlola Collegiate in Bangor, and reports of incidents of poor behaviour by some students.

"We are liaising closely with the school to ensure that the provision of toilets is in line with the requirements set out in the Department for Education school building handbook."