The school tie is part of the

school uniform A school uniform is a uniform worn by students primarily for a school or otherwise an educational institution. They are common in primary school, primary and secondary schools in various countries and are generally widespread in Africa, Asia, O ...

required by a large number of English schools. The old school tie refers to a

tie Tie has two principal meanings: * Tie (draw), a finish to a competition with identical results, particularly sports * Necktie, a long piece of cloth worn around the neck or shoulders Tie or TIE may also refer to: Engineering and technology * T ...

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. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

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 A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

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. The school tie can be a way for people to distinguish between groups and

social class A social class or social stratum is a grouping of people into a set of Dominance hierarchy, hierarchical social categories, the most common being the working class and the Bourgeoisie, capitalist class. Membership of a social class can for exam ...

es 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

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 An old boy network (also known as old boys' network, old boys' club) is an informal system in which wealthy men with similar social or educational backgrounds help each other in business or personal matters. The term originally referred to soci ...

, 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 prestigious

state schools A state school, public school, or government school is a primary or secondary school that educates all students without charge. They are funded in whole or in part by taxation and operated by the government of the state. State-funded schools a ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...

many clubs, military regiments and colleges of universities such as

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

and

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

, and have also spread to some of Britain's former imperial possessions, including

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

and the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

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 Nepotism is the act of granting an In-group favoritism, advantage, privilege, or position to Kinship, relatives in an occupation or field. These fields can include business, politics, academia, entertainment, sports, religion or health care. In ...

, 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 Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'' noted that 6% of the parliamentary Tory Party were

Old Etonians This is a list of notable former pupils of Eton College, a 13–18 public fee-charging and boarding secondary school for boys in Eton, Berkshire, England. Former pupils of the school are known as Old Etonians. Former pupils Politics *Robert ...

, under the headline "Tories' old school tie still rules". Five years later, in 2015, the ''

New Statesman ''The New Statesman'' (known from 1931 to 1964 as the ''New Statesman and Nation'') is a British political and cultural news magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first c ...

'' observed, "The power of the old boys' network lives on: privately educated students earn more than those with identical qualifications educated by the state".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:School Tie Education in the United Kingdom Culture of the United Kingdom School uniform Neckties

School tie

Old school tie

As a metaphor

See also

References