Figure 1.--Ties are now less common at Australian schools, but some private schools still require them. At some schools they are worn daily, at others only for special functions.

Typical English school ties were worn at sate secondary schools and at both elementary and secondary private schools. Most were diagonal stripes in the school colors. Many old boys, as in England, remember the school tie like their caps as a symbol of their school days.

Formal English school uniform was commonly worn through the 1950s, but by the 1970s, many schools had begun to adopt more casual styles. One part of the movement toward more casual styles has been dropping the tie as required school wear. Ties are no longer worn at most state schools, but they are still commonly worn at many private schools. Conventions vary. Some schools require them as daily wear. At other dchools they are only worn for special occasions.

Last updated: April 25, 1998