Thank you for reading my letter. Can pupils complain about how dirty the toilets are at school, because the girls toilets in our school are beyond filthy. I am in year 7 and none of the other year 7 or 8 girls are bothered by this. I've got OCD so I hate having to go to the toilet even if I am desperate. Can you please tell me what to do or give me some advice? Thanks
Sam
Hi there,
Thanks for taking the time to write to me about whats on your mind. You shouldnt have to use toilets that are beyond filthy and you definitely have the right to complain to school about them.
You mention that you hate going to the toilet even if youre desperate. If the toilets are so bad that you try to avoid using them it could start to affect your health, so its great that you want to take some action to change this.
A starting point might be to think about whether theres a teacher that you trust who you would feel comfortable approaching about this. If telling them how you feel out loud feels difficult you could think about writing them a note and then asking them to discuss it with you. Another option could be to ask a family member, like one of your parents, to support you to raise this with the school.
You mention that you have OCD and Im wondering whether thats something you have been diagnosed with and whether you are getting any support. If not then you might want to think about talking to somebody so that you can get some help and advice. Theres also more information about OCD in the pages about Mental health in the Explore section.
If youd like to talk about this or anything else some more you can speak with a ChildLine counsellor by calling 0800 1111, logging on for a 1-2-1 chat or sending an email.
Take care, Sam.
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