Girls and boys at secondary school should share the same toilet facilities so that transgender children do not have to choose which to use, according to gay and transgender rights group COC.

The COC and Transgender Netwerk Nederland are holding a one-day campaign on Tuesday to draw attention to the dilemma facing transgender children at school. Some children, the organisations say, avoid the rest rooms altogether because of the problem.

Puberty is a particularly difficult period for transgender children because their bodies often develop in ways other than they would like, the organisation says.

Recognising that some teenagers prefer to use separate facilities, the organisers say schools should have a mixture of gender neutral and separated facilities.

The campaign is taking place at 100 schools and involves a sticker campaign to designate toilet facilities as for girls, boys or mixed plus a focus on school heads and gender issues.