A school in England has removed all mirrors from its toilets because, it argues, students are spending too much time in them.
“Mirrors can encourage students to spend too much time in toilets often in large groups,” said Grant Edgar, headteacher of William Farr Comrephensive in Welton, adding this can make some children feel “uncomfortable”, reported BBC.
“Silly”, “a bit extreme”, “strange” were some of the reactions from the parents.
The academy, said Mr Edgar, faced “some issues at transition times” and this could “affect punctuality to lessons”.
Mirrors, according to Mr Edgar, “encourage” students to spend too much time in toilets and students often gathered there in “large groups” and can make it “uncomfortable for some students to use the toilets”.
If any student requires a mirror for medical purposes, they can ask for one at the reception, said the headmaster.
“They’re just mirrors, aren’t they? We have mirrors at home, why can’t we have them in school?” BBC reported quoting a parent.
In January 2024, a middle school in North Carolina reportedly opted to remove bathroom mirrors due to an increase in students using valuable class time to create TikTok videos in the restrooms.
In 2023, Christopher Whitehead Language College in Worcester replaced mirrors in girls’ toilets with posters describing make-up as a ‘harmful drug’ that makes women ‘feel ugly’, reported Daily Mail.