Mixed-gender toilets in new
elementary schools in Quebec City,
while Drainville wants to ban them
Students in newly built schools are using gender-neutral toilets, facilities that the minister is preparing to ban
Students in newly built elementary schools in Quebec City use mixed-gender washrooms, facilities that Education Minister Bernard Drainville is preparing to ban in a directive that will soon be sent to the school system.
The Premières-Seigneuries school service centre invited the media on Monday to the official inauguration of two new elementary schools that welcomed their first students at the start of the school year last fall.
One is located in Beauport and the other on the site of the former Jardin zoologique de Québec, in Charlesbourg.
In addition to the large, bright spaces, flexible classrooms and corridor layouts that have become an extension of the classroom, these new buildings also feature mixed-gender washrooms only, with fully enclosed cabinets.
This is what emerges from meetings that have taken place with young people to find out what they think of their new school.
"The toilets raise a lot of questions for them. They are not comfortable, but we involve the students in the search for solutions.
We're adjusting," says Mme Boulé.
However, it would be difficult to return to separate washrooms for boys and girls, as students would have to travel too long distances to get there, saysme Boulé.
Mme Dufour is positive about the presence of gender-neutral washrooms in his establishment. "When we go to restaurants, more and more, in new places, it's mixed toilets. When you're an educational environment, you have to model yourself to what's happening in society at large and it's a good time to educate students and teach them how to use the mixed washroom," she says.
As early as the end of primary school, students may question their gender identity, M addsme Dufour. "Yes, it can happen, but it's more in high school where we dig (...) In elementary school, we're only going to start scratching the surface," she says.
Not a firstAt the Premières-Seigneuries school service centre, Denis Delisle, director of material resources, says this is not a first. For several years now, the second building of the Constellations primary school has also had gender-neutral toilets.
The decision was made to comply with new standards for the construction of elementary schools by the Ministry of Education, he said.
"It came from the Ministry of Education, we put it in place," says Mr. Delisle.
However, there is no specific reference to mixed-gender or gender-neutral washrooms in the Ministry of Education's Real Estate Planning Guide for Elementary Schools.
However, it is mentioned that the "increasing diversity of people" must be considered in order to take into account, inter alia, "personal or identity characteristics such as sex, gender and sexual orientation".
Also in Quebec City, students at the Lab-école located in the Limoilou neighbourhood, which goes by the name of Stadacona School, also use mixed toilets, according to the service centre of La Capitale.
Mixed-gender toilets soon to be bannedThe debate over gender-neutral toilets resurfaced last fall in public spaces, but it was mainly developments in high schools that attracted attention.
At the time, the Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, clearly announced his intention to ban gender-neutral toilets in schools.
His office said Monday that a "directive will soon be issued on this subject throughout the school system."
"The boys' toilets and the girls' toilets are here to stay," said his press secretary, Antoine de la Durantaye.
However, there is no question of forcing schools to make changes to existing facilities, he said.
The Premières-Seigneuries school service centre invited the media on Monday to the official inauguration of two new elementary schools that welcomed their first students at the start of the school year last fall.
One is located in Beauport and the other on the site of the former Jardin zoologique de Québec, in Charlesbourg.
In addition to the large, bright spaces, flexible classrooms and corridor layouts that have become an extension of the classroom, these new buildings also feature mixed-gender washrooms only, with fully enclosed cabinets.
- Journalists looking for QUB went into the field. They share the students' testimonies about mixed toilets with Alexandre Dubé:
This is what emerges from meetings that have taken place with young people to find out what they think of their new school.
"The toilets raise a lot of questions for them. They are not comfortable, but we involve the students in the search for solutions.
We're adjusting," says Mme Boulé.
However, it would be difficult to return to separate washrooms for boys and girls, as students would have to travel too long distances to get there, saysme Boulé.
- Listen to the column of Karine Gagnon, political columnist at JDM and JDQ via QUB:
Mme Dufour is positive about the presence of gender-neutral washrooms in his establishment. "When we go to restaurants, more and more, in new places, it's mixed toilets. When you're an educational environment, you have to model yourself to what's happening in society at large and it's a good time to educate students and teach them how to use the mixed washroom," she says.
As early as the end of primary school, students may question their gender identity, M addsme Dufour. "Yes, it can happen, but it's more in high school where we dig (...) In elementary school, we're only going to start scratching the surface," she says.
Not a firstAt the Premières-Seigneuries school service centre, Denis Delisle, director of material resources, says this is not a first. For several years now, the second building of the Constellations primary school has also had gender-neutral toilets.
The decision was made to comply with new standards for the construction of elementary schools by the Ministry of Education, he said.
"It came from the Ministry of Education, we put it in place," says Mr. Delisle.
However, there is no specific reference to mixed-gender or gender-neutral washrooms in the Ministry of Education's Real Estate Planning Guide for Elementary Schools.
However, it is mentioned that the "increasing diversity of people" must be considered in order to take into account, inter alia, "personal or identity characteristics such as sex, gender and sexual orientation".
Also in Quebec City, students at the Lab-école located in the Limoilou neighbourhood, which goes by the name of Stadacona School, also use mixed toilets, according to the service centre of La Capitale.
Mixed-gender toilets soon to be bannedThe debate over gender-neutral toilets resurfaced last fall in public spaces, but it was mainly developments in high schools that attracted attention.
At the time, the Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, clearly announced his intention to ban gender-neutral toilets in schools.
His office said Monday that a "directive will soon be issued on this subject throughout the school system."
"The boys' toilets and the girls' toilets are here to stay," said his press secretary, Antoine de la Durantaye.
However, there is no question of forcing schools to make changes to existing facilities, he said.
