Principal criticizes parents who compared their school to a ‘prisoner of war camp’ after it was attacked by ‘TikTok’ riots during a day of chaos, warning them ‘your child may not always represent history’ complete’
- Chris Stokes, Headmaster of Farnley Academy, Leeds, responded to angry parents
- It comes after angry students demonstrated outside the school on Friday morning.
- READ MORE: TikTok protests cause chaos in schools across the country
- Was your son involved? Email alexander.butler.mol@mailonline.co.uk
A principal criticized parents for claiming their school was a “prisoner of war camp” for closing the toilets during school hours.
Chris Stokes, headmaster of Farnley Academy, Leeds, warned that children “cannot always act out the full story” and that toilets were closed due to “serious” protection events.
It comes after the high school was rocked by ‘TikTok’ riots over the new rules, which saw angry pupils demonstrate outside the school gates on Friday.
Parents also rallied, comparing the school to a ‘prisoner of war camp’, claiming it was taking away their children’s human rights.
Chris Stokes, headmaster of Farnley Academy, Leeds, warned that children “cannot always act out the full story” and that toilets were closed due to “serious” protection events. Pictured: Farnley Academy
Pupils at Farnley Academy, Leeds, were seen outside the school this morning with “disgruntled” parents claiming the policy had “taken away their human rights”.
But Stokes said it was “clearly not the case” that all toilets were closed and that at least “one block of boys’ toilets” and “one block of girls’ toilets” were always open at the school.
Many parents backed their children’s decision to demonstrate, telling ‘stressed-out teachers’ that they ‘fully support’ their children to take direct action.
In an email to parents, Stokes said: ‘I must make it completely clear that it is by no means the case that all toilets are closed during school hours. At all times, at least one block of boys’ toilets and one block of girls’ toilets are open.
‘Our decision not to have all restrooms open during school hours was made after two very serious safety events.
“It was not a decision we made lightly, but it was a necessary decision to keep all students safe.”
Speaking about the protests, he continued: ‘The vast majority complied with this request and we thank them for doing so.
“Unfortunately, however, a very small minority of students did not comply with this request, nor did they wish to speak about their views at the time.”
“Remember that what your child presents to you doesn’t always tell the whole story.”
Furious parents took to social media yesterday, writing: ‘Why are our children treated like they are in a prisoner of war camp?
“This is not how our children should be treated if they need to go to the bathroom and then go, it is not a crime and limiting them with toilet paper is totally unacceptable in every way.”
Another said: ‘Be careful if you want your kids to go to Farnley Academy then make sure the kids don’t talk, breathe and don’t have a bladder or any health problems as the school doesn’t care about the kids and is happy that children be ill and mentally ill.
Mother Natalie Hennessy, who has a son in Year 9, said leeds live: ‘My son, who is a high achiever, is so fed up with the way he is treated.
He says that he feels manipulated all the time and that the school is like a prison. i feel disgusted
‘The number of times I’ve contacted the school and it’s falling on deaf ears. They are taking away their human rights.’
Several other schools in Cornwall, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and Essex have also been rocked by the TikTok-influenced trend encouraging children to protest school rules.
At Penrice Academy, Cornwall, students allegedly ‘turned over tables’ and broke down fences over rule changes that forced girls to show a ‘red card’ when they had their period.
At Haven High Academy, Lincolnshire, a parent compared their new policy of locking toilets and corridors during lessons to ‘prison rules’.
