Strangled from birth

Whilst I am all for educating children, it sometimes seems that the process has become a little new world order (slavery) orientated, what with dinner hall biometric identification checks, policemen on duty in schools, and other similar monstrosities inflicted on the poor bairns of today's "advanced" global society. It appears more of a conditioning process.

At least back in the seventies and early eighties one had the choice of adapting one's school uniform to show a degree of rebelliousness: perhaps forgoing the shirt for a Fred Perry tennis top, and adapting the tie to create a personal fashion statement with a big fat knot, the rest cunningly stuffed into the gaps between the button holes.

Yet, forgoing reminiscing, we note from the BBC that perhaps neck ties, and indeed the entire uniform, are part of the aforementioned new world process, as we read of the installation of compulsory clip on ties:

Clip-on ties are replacing knotted school ties, as schools worry about health and safety worries, says a survey of school uniform suppliers.

There are also claims that clip-on ties can stop pupils from customising the size of the knots in their ties.

Uniforms are an "instrument of social levelling," says the association.

"There is little opportunity for pupils to style their tie with short tails and fat knots - as seen in programmes featuring schoolchildren such as Hollyoaks and Grange Hill," says the Schoolwear Association.

The growing number of academies is also influencing school uniforms, says the report, promoting the idea of a smart, traditional image.
These schools often make a point of enforcing a strict uniform policy - and the association predicts that this more "corporate look" will filter out to other schools.

"These schools are using uniform to make a statement to their pupils and to the wider community that they mean business.

cheers