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The school tie is part of the school uniform required by a large number of English schools. The old school tie refers to a tie voluntarily worn by alumni of long established
The school tie is part of the school uniform required by a large number of English schools. The old school tie refers to a tie voluntarily worn by alumni of long established British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
schools. Figuratively, it is used to refer to the connection between members of the elite who attended the institutions: this is particularly associated with public schools.
School tie
A school tie indicates pupils of a particular school, or year group, or of a particular house in that school. In addition, for some schools, the school tie is not merely an indication that the student belongs to a group or community but the tie is a part of the concept called "smart": which associates tidy school uniforms with high standards. There are scholars who view the school tie as a way for people to distinguish between groups and social classes in the way students are labelled according to the colour of their ties and their uniforms.Old school tie
An old school tie or old boys tie is a tie that, on leaving school, former pupils are entitled to wear. They will be in their old school or old-boy society colours. According to protocol, it may only be worn by former pupils. This symbol can be a discreet passport to the old boy network, and such ties can be an indication of one's social standing. Conversely, wearing a tie to which you have no right is a serious social gaffe. Although originally an institution of English public schools, some schools of mixed or female-only membership do present their female leavers with a tie or other equivalent. Alternative clothing such as socks, scarfs, pyjamas and even underwear may also be available in the old-boy/old-girl colours. These exclusive ties are not limited to British public schools: they are also a practice of some elite schools in Australia, many private, state-integrated, and some of the more prestigiousstate schools
State schools (in England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand) or public schools (Scottish English and North American English) are generally primary or secondary schools that educate all students without charge. They are funded in whole or in pa ...
in New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
,Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...
many clubs, military regiments and colleges of universities such as Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
and Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a College town, university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cam ...
, and have also spread to some of Britain's former imperial possessions, including Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
and the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
.
As a metaphor
The "old school tie" is used by the British press and many native English speakers as a metaphor for old-boy social networks, nepotism, and the relatively disproportionate success of former pupils of major public schools, especially in politics and business. For example, after the 2010 General Election, ''The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...
'' noted that 6% of the parliamentary Tory Party were Old Etonians
Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, ...
, under the headline "Tories' old school tie still rules". Five years later, in 2015, the ''New Statesman
The ''New Statesman'' is a British Political magazine, political and cultural magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first connected with Sidney Webb, Sidney and Beatrice ...
'' observed that, "The power of the old boys' network lives on: privately educated students earn more than those with identical qualifications educated by the state".
See also
*Class ring
In the United States, a class ring (also known as a graduation, graduate, senior, or grad ring) is a ring worn by students and alumni to commemorate their final academic year and/or graduation, generally for a high school, college, or universit ...
- an approximate American equivalent
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:School Tie Education in the United Kingdom British culture School uniform Neckties