Is Ark Alexandra’s new school uniform policy too strict?

From: Eric Waters, Ingleside Crescent, Lancing
ARK William Parker Academy, which has merged with Helenswood to become Ark Alexandra. SUS-160920-151937001ARK William Parker Academy, which has merged with Helenswood to become Ark Alexandra. SUS-160920-151937001
ARK William Parker Academy, which has merged with Helenswood to become Ark Alexandra. SUS-160920-151937001

A spokesman from Ark Alexandra was quoted in The Observer as saying that, following the introduction of a new uniform, some students had gone into school mixing elements of the new one with parts the discontinued one. This, they said, wasn’t allowed under ‘the policy’.

I must say that I was shocked to the core when I read further into the article and learned that all this rule-breaking boy suffered was having to spend a day in isolation.

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This was such a clear violation of ‘the policy’ that, in my opinion he should have received six of the best on his backside and then expelled and told never to darken the doors of Ark Alexandra again.

After all, the sight of this lad wearing part of the old uniform with part of the new one must have been extremely traumatic for his fellow students, and could well result in a dramatic fall in future exam pass rates, due to the other pupils having to concentrate on coming to terms with what must have been a quite terrifying experience.

It was so good to see the school displaying this completely inflexible ‘rules are rules’ policy, as it did not do so in my day when it was called Hastings Grammar School.

Over 60 years ago the uniform tie changed from a narrow, woollen design with horizontal stripes to a wider, silk version with the stripes going diagonal.

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Gradually the entire school started to wear the new one; that is, with one exception – me. I was quite happy, thank you very much, with the old one and continued to wear it until the day I left.

In fact, one parent, on seeing my unique neckwear, asked if it indicated that I was Head Boy!

However, things were so slack in those days – not a policy in sight anywhere – that my behaviour, which would be found to be totally unacceptable in this day and age, was ignored and life continued as normal.

So normal, in fact, that a photograph of me wearing the old tie never did appear in The Observer!