Remember the Madness.- School Uniform Compulsion

[bluesqueak]

>  Steve/bboyminn wrote
> I know from a little research into the matter of school uniforms 
> that back in the 'good old days' students and administration used to 
> be at constant war over school caps. The school would even send 
> teacher out to prowl the neighborhoods to keep watch for any student 
> in uniform who wasn't wearing his cap. No cap, even if you were 
> standing in front of your own house was a punishable offense. 
> 
> Again, being from the US, I find it impossible to fathom that level 
> of obssession with school caps.
> 
> Just curious.
> 
Pip writes:
It's a matter of discipline, Steve. Often different schools in an area 
had fairly similar uniforms. Except for the cap. The cap was unique. 
The cap had a unique combination of colours for that area. Or for 
girls, the ribbon around the school hat would be a unique combination 
of colours.

You might be far enough away from an adult that you could hide your 
blazer badge, but that blasted cap/hat would instantly give away what 
school you were from. Therefore, if you did anything wrong/were out of 
bounds [in an area you weren't supposed to go into without 
permission], the cap would allow people to identify you as a pupil of 
XXX school. 

So, if you took your cap/hat off, it was generally because you were 
about to do something you shouldn't, or go somewhere you weren't 
allowed to, and didn't want to be identified. Hence the rules 
about 'cap/hat must be worn with school uniform when outside school.' 
And thus the reason teachers would prowl the neighbourhood looking for 
kids not wearing the cap, who were presumably up to no good at all...

Pip!Squeak