back to article Mullet over: Aussie boys' school tells kids 'business in the front, party in the back' hairstyle is 'not acceptable'

A school in Perth, Western Australia, has turned arbiter of fashion and declared something we all know deep down to be true – that the mullet is "not acceptable". Trinity College, described by Rupert Murdoch's national News website as an "elite private boys' school", made the ruling in a recent newsletter. The missive …

  1. Mike 137 Silver badge

    It's the 1950s again (or is it?)

    '"Students are not permitted to have mullets, rat tails, top knots, mohawks, extra-long fringes, or any other non-conventional style cuts."'

    I'm reminded of the scene in the movie Fahrenheit 451 where a young man is stopped in the street by a gang and has his head forcibly shaved. It's happened elsewhere in reality too, but only in severely authoritarian regimes.

    It seems a pity that Australia, the ancient seat of the rugged individualist, is now becoming extremely and narrowly conformist. But then so are many other places. Maybe it's a universal point on the cycle of civilisations.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: It's the 1950s again (or is it?)

      I think that societies tend to become conservative in such matters when they are on the decline. It's a way to try to keep the past alive.

    2. Mojave Green

      Re: It's the 1950s again (or is it?)

      Lighten up, it's one private school, you and your mullet are still welcome down under.

      1. Gordon 10

        Re: It's the 1950s again (or is it?)

        I for one don’t want to see anyone’s down under mullet.

        1. ChrisBedford

          Re: It's the 1950s again (or is it?)

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-GQ63NStxk

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Gimp

          Re: It's the 1950s again (or is it?)

          "down under mullet" - merkin

          1. Glenn Amspaugh

            Re: It's the 1950s again (or is it?)

            Now the Yanks are in on it?!!

    3. ChrisBedford

      Re: It's the 1950s again (or is it?)

      Wearing a mullet is just as conformist, just to a different culture.

    4. Jim Whitaker

      Re: It's the 1950s again (or is it?)

      Geelong?

    5. Michael Wojcik Silver badge

      Re: It's the 1950s again (or is it?)

      the ancient seat of the rugged individualist

      I'm not sure how to interpret this. Do you believe Aboriginal Australians are (and have been since antiquity) "rugged individualists", or do you think 1788 is "ancient"?

  2. Dinanziame Silver badge
    Meh

    Very open-minded

    What about shaving your head off? Do they send you to the barber to fix it as well?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: shaving your head

      They'll probably make you either wear the official school hat, or the official school wig. It is most likely that neither item is very cool, in any sense of the word. :-)

      1. Captain Hogwash

        Re: shaving your head

        Or the official school head!

        1. David 132 Silver badge
          Coat

          Re: shaving your head

          One imagines that if a pupil has an inappropriate hairstyle, they will be put in detention until they learn to beehive properly.

      2. Michael Wojcik Silver badge

        Re: shaving your head

        I quite like the idea of an official school wig, actually. I'd be tempted.

    2. Ken Hagan Gold badge

      Re: Very open-minded

      I wouldn't put it past some head-teachers to exclude you until it had grown back. (Particularly in the case of fee-paying schools, where the attitude seems to be that your parents have volunteered you into the system so the school can make up whatever shit they like.)

      Here in the UK, a 12yo girl was excluded for several weeks before Christmas because her dress didn't show enough leg. Eventually the school began legal action against her parents for not sending her to school. (Then the story reached the national press and the school has now dropped the case.)

      Also here in the UK, a website that collects stories from teenagers has collected numerous examples of girls wearing trousers under their (mandatory) school skirts to reduce the amount of sexual harassment.

      It's almost like the kids want to have control over their own bodies. Shocking! They are at school to learn and they should learn to do as they are bloody well told by the Responsible Adults. Except that *some* of the responsible adults seem to be living on another planet.

      1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

        Re: Very open-minded

        "It's almost like the kids want to have control over their own bodies."

        Without denigrating some of the serious allegations currently in the news, I do sometimes find it a bit puzzling where girls in particular will rail against school uniforms and the imposed "uniformity". And yet, when they go out as groups, it's not uncommon to a group of girls wearing their own self-imposed "uniform", ie all wearing very similar clothing styles. It's all a bit ironic really.

        1. Captain Hogwash

          Re: Very open-minded

          When I was at school the girls tended to push the bounds of what could still be classified as uniform while showing as much as possible of what ought to be concealed by the uniform. Have times changed?

          1. Julz

            Re: Very open-minded

            A long time ago in a land far far away (well not so far, it wasScotland). The secondary school I attended tried to get all strict and picky about uniforms. Some of us boys turned up in skirts and blouses much to out heads anoyence. After that, when it was explained that that part of the uniform code was just for the girls (sex discrimination I’d say) we then took to wearing the mandatory ties as bandanas. There were several other inventive interpretation after that. The code seemed to become less and less important and was effectively dropped in a few weeks.

            1. Dr. G. Freeman

              Re: Very open-minded

              It wasn't a school on the East Coast of Scotland, just North of the mythical city of Dundee, with initials matching alcoholics anonymous (which the staff should have been members of), with Black and Gold colours was it ?

              If so, and if it was early 90s, I was part of that act of rebellion, and remember it well.

          2. Ken Moorhouse Silver badge

            Re: When I was at school the girls tended to push the bounds...

            Was the headmaster Alastair Sim, by any chance?

        2. batfink

          Re: Very open-minded

          There's a difference between all choosing to wear the same thing and being told what to wear by someone else.

          1. ChrisBedford

            Re: Very open-minded

            There's a difference between all choosing to wear the same thing and being told what to wear by someone else

            Is there though? The only real difference I can see is being told in a formally published rule vs by acceptance of a de facto fashion.

            1. Prst. V.Jeltz Silver badge

              Re: Very open-minded

              i think the difference is when theres no uniform rules - ala US schools , the kids all choose to dress the same but on a per subculture basis.

              You get gangs of Goths , Jocks , nerds , rockers ....

              which probably accentuates our tribe mentalities and creates division , which begets violence and hence lasting mental illness and trauma...

              still , better than those awful ties and blazers I had to wear .

            2. Michael Wojcik Silver badge

              Re: Very open-minded

              Is there though?

              Yes, there is. The vast preponderance of evidence and analysis from any number of studies in various disciplines supports that.

              Emotional reactions precede logical analysis.1 It doesn't matter, subjectively, that conformance is essentially the same condition whether it follows from the top-down or bottom-up exercise of power; what matters to (nearly all) people is how they perceive that exercise of power in the first place.

              1And the former strongly condition the latter, as amply demonstrated by many methodologically-sound psychological studies, and some neurological ones, such as the experiments done by Antonio and Hannah Damasio and their team.

        3. Shooter

          Re: Very open-minded

          It's not just the girls that do that.

        4. Michael Wojcik Silver badge

          Re: Very open-minded

          girls in particular will rail against school uniforms and the imposed "uniformity"

          I dare say there's ample evidence, including methodologically-sound ethnographic and sociological studies. to show this is not, in fact, a behavior particular to any demographic.

          And yet, when they go out as groups, it's not uncommon to a group of girls wearing their own self-imposed "uniform", ie all wearing very similar clothing styles.

          There are academic disciplines which had studied this phenomenon at some length, such as Cultural Studies, particularly in its original UK incarnation.1 Or cultural anthropology (Douglas's famous Purity and Danger being one prominent example). Or Critical Theory in the mode of the Frankfort School. Or ethnography (which is sometimes a branch of anthropology, sometimes a type of inquiry or set of research protocols under some other discipline) – I note a few ethnographic studies of teenagers' clothing choices.

          Of course, teens are typically under a complex set of strong social pressures, and labor under the combination of a certain amount of personal freedom on the one hand, but numerous constraints that adults are usually free of on the other. And they have immature frontal lobes, which reduce their ability to moderate their emotional responses (relative to neurotypical adults, though certainly many of the latter suck at it too). So their decisions may not always be entirely rational.

          And, of course, behavioral economics have shown that people most often assign large weights to immediate and intangible factors when making decisions anyway. Most decisions do not take long-term consequences, and certainly not logical consistency, into account.

          In any case, culturally speaking, teenager behavior is something of a self-fulfilling prophecy. The category of teenager is a recent invention – only about a century old – and popular culture assigns all sorts of confrontational attitudes and behaviors to it. Teenagers are routinely urged by mainstream culture to "act out".

          1Cultural Studies in the US became rather more diffuse and often less rigorous, and shows less of a focus on identifying and investigating particular subcultural groups and their relationship to mainstream culture. See Pfister, "The Americanization of Cultural Studies".

      2. ChrisBedford

        Re: Very open-minded

        See https://thisistrue.com/ for some truly astounding tales of Responsible Adults and what passes for thinking. Mostly from the U.S.A. but that's not all that significant.

    3. Cuddles

      Re: Very open-minded

      Possibly a taxidermist would be more appropriate at that point.

    4. nematoad

      Re: Very open-minded

      During my time in the Army one of my mates got fed up with having to go to the barbers every two weeks and the resultant cost. So he had his head shaved. "Down to the wood" as we said.

      When the RSM found out, my mate was put on a charge under section 69. He was fined and given company punishment.

      What the Army didn't like was that he was putting two fingers up to the rule over hair length and he paid the price.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Very open-minded

        What happens with bald people?

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Very open-minded

          they use the bits clipped off the non balds

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Angel

          Re: Very open-minded

          "What happens with bald people?"

          You probably get "Excused hair (head covering, for the use of)" and issued with a slightly more itchy beret than normal, which will have some medicinal property that seemed a great idea 90 years ago.

          All militaries have seen it all and have a rule for nearly everything and an environment that will generate the relevant rule as required if it is missing.

          1. Ken Moorhouse Silver badge

            Re: All militaries have seen it all and have a rule for nearly everything

            Spike Milligan's "excused shorts" story springs to mind.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Mulletwatch

    It appears to be creeping into rugby union as a lockdown haircut. Those who watched Ireland-England recently will have seen replacement lock Jonny Hill's fine effort, and Steff Evans at Scarlets has been proudly showing his off for a while too.

    Hopefully the re-opening of barbers will put an end to it (although I heard a rumour that Evans liked his, and was planning to keep it even after Wales' barbers re-opened last week).

  4. Trigun

    Meh it's one school (as far as I know) and one for the upper crust at that. As such, probably not worth getting too excited about.

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

  5. Chris G

    All I can say is Fuck'em!

    What right does a school have to dictate one' s hairstyle?

    Way back in the early sixties, three of us at my school started growing our hair longer than the 'normal' short back and sides of the day.

    Our headmaster gave us an ultimatum, 'get your hair cut, I will cut it or you will have to wear a red ribbon in your hair at school'.

    Two of us opted for the ribbon, the other guy went for a trim.

    You wouldn't believe the street cred we got from wearing ribbon and the old boy could back down because he had made the threat in school assembly.

    Uniformity and conformity in the military has its place, in schools not so much.

    1. Julz

      Here here.

      Unfortunately I think that our always connected, always open for likes and dissing is making the pressure to conform to the perceived norm stronger and stronger. Us grey beards grew up with much less scrutinisation of our every move and thought and so had less pressure to conform. I think it takes more hutzpah now.

    2. Plest Silver badge
      Big Brother

      Schools are factories

      Schools are uniformity factories, preparing the young for the 50 year production line they'll be chained to once they turn 18.

      As a boy and huge thrash metal fan in the late 1980s, I had long hair while at school. When I was told it was not acceptable I said the girls could grow their hair long why can't my mates and I? After a couple of meetings it was allowed so long as we kept it trimmed and tied it back, especially in workshop classes for obvious safety reasons. Quite progressive now I look back at it.

      To this day, now almost 50, I still have long hair although like my beard it's now very grey and white and I'm started to look like Gandalf or a very frightened Bill Bailey!!!

      1. Cederic Silver badge

        Re: Schools are factories

        Those are two very different looks. Gandalf still has hair.

      2. Greybeard_ITGuy

        Re: Schools are factories

        I too rocked the head banger mullet in the 80s.

      3. Phones Sheridan Silver badge

        Re: Schools are factories

        Bill Bailey? Isn’t he the bald guy with the long hair?

        1. Blofeld's Cat

          Re: Schools are factories

          At least it's not a comb-over or the "I'm not really bald" ponytail.

  6. AMBxx Silver badge
    Headmaster

    Happens to every generation

    If they want to stop this, all they have to is have a few teachers get their hair cut in the newly cool style. Soon puts the kids off.

  7. RPF

    Traditions?

    To paraphrase: "Australia isn't old enough to have traditions; they merely have habits.

    1. Eclectic Man Silver badge

      Re: Traditions?

      White Australia may be too young to have traditions, the aboriginal Australians have many. One dates back to a 'great flood' - i.e., the end of the last ice-age between 18,000 and 8,000 years ago:

      https://www.newscientist.com/article/2233644-ancient-people-tried-to-stop-rising-seas-with-spears-or-fiery-boulders/

      "...

      In Australia, for example, a quarter of the continent was swallowed by the rising ocean between 18,000 and 8000 years ago. At least 26 Aboriginal groups living in coastal areas have preserved stories of their ancestors’ experiences.

      In one story told by the Wati Nyiinyii people of southern Australia, their ancestors tried to block the incoming water by stacking bundles of thousands of spears along the coastline. In a story told by the Gunggandji people of north-east Australia, their ancestors heated boulders with fire and rolled them down cliffs into the water."

      1. RPF

        Re: Traditions?

        Absolutely, I did of course meant the white Aussies. Thanks for the interesting link, though.

        Now all this guy needs to prove is that the Aborigines had mullets in ancient times :-)

      2. Cederic Silver badge

        Re: Traditions?

        Some of those oral histories are magnificent. They very much deserve a broader exposure in book and film form.

    2. Spamfast
      Coat

      Re: Traditions?

      Australia isn't old enough to have traditions; they merely have habits.

      Don't you mean 'previous'?

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    if its a private school, fair enough, your parents sign up to the rules, end of. Don't like it go elsewhere

    Other than that if girls can have their hair long so can boys, just as girls should be able to wear long trousers.

    As for teachers, don't see why they should follow the same dress code as long as they meet the school requirements. If you want to go down that path then I suggest the parents do the same so they are equally setting a good example, after all education should start at home, unless you are one of those who thinks school should teach your child everything in life.

    1. Cederic Silver badge

      My teaching assistant friend had to follow the strict orthodox dress code the schoolgirls she taught had enforced on them.

      Fortunately she's now got her doctorate and can dress as she chooses, not as some dead abusive priest dictates.

  9. Skiron
    Happy

    Chambers English Dictionary

    The above dictionary defines 'mullet' (the haircut) as: "A hairstyle that is short at the front, long at the back, and ridiculous all round".

    1. Plest Silver badge
      Happy

      Re: Chambers English Dictionary

      I have pictures of my late 1980s mullet as a heavy metal fan, I thought i looked the dog's wotnots. It was enough to attract my wife, still together after 30 years so it must have had some appeal! Old photos of mulleted Dad, my kids loved how skinny old fat Dad used to look but my bright blond mullet causes no end of mirth for them!

  10. chivo243 Silver badge
    Windows

    Noooo

    Never again, no mullets! It was a bad time in history for hair, let's not repeat that one!

  11. Potemkine! Silver badge

    Well done!

    The harsher the school, the more rebel the school boys are.

    1. Version 1.0 Silver badge
      Happy

      Re: Well done!

      When I was in school they banned long hair lengths, so I was force to conform to the rules but they banned smoking weed, LSD and beer too - but I never got caught in those areas because they couldn't see them.

      A friend of mine got "caught" when he was reached the legal drinking age and his dad took him to the pub on his birthday, the barmaid looked at him and said, "The regular Watneys Red Barrel? What would your friend like?"

      1. Kevin Johnston

        Re: Well done!

        Ah those far-distant days of believing you looked old enough to drink. My friends and I were thrown out of our regular when we went in on an 18th Birthday pub-crawl for the elder statesman of the group.

        1. The commentard formerly known as Mister_C

          Re: Well done!

          Mister C senior was planning to celebrate my 18th by giving me a tankard - or rather, having a tankard presented across the bar of our village pub when he "took his son for his first pint". Then my mother pointed out that the "happy 18th" inscription would be a giveaway that I'd been underage (and unchallenged) on all my previous visits.

          In the bar staffs' defence (and getting back to the original story), I sort-of looked about old enough as my sixth form hair rebellion was a 'tache. Coz I could. Would've been a beard, but I couldn't.

          1. The Oncoming Scorn Silver badge
            Pint

            Re: Well done!

            Was drinking in my dad's local under "probation" as were a few of my friends.

            They knew we were underage!

            We knew they knew!

            And our dad's knew that we knew, that they knew.

            There was another bar up the road, that was serving wayyyyy younger patrons (The Cowick Barton, lovely old pub). All very Hot Fuzz in the local bars.

            1. Cederic Silver badge

              Re: Well done!

              The tradition was that you drank until your father arrived, paid for his first pint and left before he reached the bar to pick it up.

        2. Prst. V.Jeltz Silver badge

          Re: Well done!

          I remeber going on a friends stag night . he was 18 .

          half his mates were under that, half were over , and his dad came

          Went to pubs - fine , went to club, Bouncer spots young uns

          His Dad had a word ..

          I dont know what was said , or exchanged,

          but this resulted in the only documented instance ever seen - of a bouncer changing his mind

      2. Allan George Dyer
        Pint

        Re: Well done!

        @Version 1.0 - " they banned smoking weed, LSD and beer too"

        How the hell do you smoke beer?

        1. KittenHuffer Silver badge

          Re: Well done!

          I would query why you think that you 'smoke' LSD?!?

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Mullet's were never really cool (IMHO)

    and dropped right off the cool scale when

    Chris Waddle got his. The absolute pits. He was given huge amounts of stick by opposing fans.

    The longer they stay seriously uncool the better.

  13. Commswonk

    Who remembers this?

    I look forward to the rather old concept of Am I hurting you laddie..? I ought to be because I'm standing on your hair making a comeback.

  14. Warm Braw

    Eyebrows may have been raised

    If they object to specific haircuts, I'd imagine plucked eyebrows are very much verboten.

    I'm not sure any institution that rails against the "non-conventional" qualifies as a "school" in any sense that I understand the word.

  15. PTW
    Devil

    In a land long ago

    A year head came around the classrooms at lunchtime hunting for "the boy that looks like Jesus", "no idea Sir" was the response, despite the said yoof being a member of our form. My buddy never did adopt short hair until his forties. Much along the lines of the post above, sixth formers were allowed to wear any tie they liked, rather than the house tie. 1970s paisley kipper ties that I and my cohorts wore didn't go down so well. Neither did calling out some teachers as marxist, which they blatantly were. Fuck conformity! Just because I don't agree, doesn't mean I hate you. (Unless you're a marxist, obviously)

  16. G R Goslin

    Ahhh.

    Yet another authoritarian declaration by a "land of the Free" country. "You can do what you like, in the name of Freedom, so long as it accords with what we say"

    1. Disgusted Of Tunbridge Wells Silver badge

      Re: Ahhh.

      Calm down Braveheart. This is just a story about a fancy school banning mullets.

      1. Ochib

        Re: Ahhh.

        First they came for the Mullets and I did not speak out because I had no hair

      2. Steve K

        Re: Ahhh.

        Yes - it's just a Lunatic Fringe

      3. Eclectic Man Silver badge
        Coat

        Re: Ahhh.

        We are not supposed to eat any sea fish at all, according to 'scientists'* on the radio. But why start with Mullet when there is so much Salmon(d) and Sturgeon around?

        Sorry couldn't resist. Mine is the one in the herringbone Harris tweed.

        *In radio 4 speak, scientist = Boffin.

        1. Ken Moorhouse Silver badge

          Re: Salmon(d) and Sturgeon

          But is it responsibly sourced?

          1. Huw D

            Re: Salmon(d) and Sturgeon

            I'd expect some fish to be reasonably sauced. Parsley at a minimum, but I'm a sucker for a decent Hollandaise.

    2. Plest Silver badge

      Re: Ahhh.

      ' "land of the Free" country '

      I know it's an old cliche, but Oz was not exactly founded on the ideas of freedom to begin with was it?! It was Britain's dumping ground for those we didn't want clogging up our jails or would that have been gaols at the time?

      1. very angry man

        Re: Ahhh.

        And no more free now, borders, cities, states, business's all closed and locked down, just the uniforms are different now, not red.

        1. Precordial thump Silver badge

          Re: Ahhh.

          You're free to breach lockdown and pose a public health risk. You're also free to pay the fine.

          "...I believe in freedom. Not many people do, although they will, of course, tell you otherwise. And no practical definition of freedom is complete without the freedom to take the consequences. Indeed, it is the freedom upon which all the others are based." Havelock, Lord Vetinari. (With eternal gratitude to Sir Pretty)

          1. Precordial thump Silver badge

            Re: Ahhh.

            /Pretty/Pterry/

            Fscking autocorrect

            1. PeteS46

              Re: Ahhh.

              We knew who you meant!

              Sir Pretty? Sounds good, doesn't quite fit the man.

  17. disgruntled yank

    posh, etc.

    A college friend had attended the Ohio School for Girls, in Columbus, Ohio. I would never known, never heard of the school, but it was across the street from Larry Flint's house (q.v.). The public prints always included "posh" in mentioning the school, and they always mentioned the school if they mentioned his house. This made my friend, who attended OSG on scholarship, roll her eyes.

    My own high school (all boys) went in for strict regulation of hair: off the collar in back, not long enough to pull past the bridge of the nose in front. Many years, I happened to see the senior class pictures from the same years at my son's high school (also all boys): the operative principal seemed to be "whatever". My son's was a far better school.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: posh, etc.

      I assume you mean the Columbus School for Girls, and if by posh you mean expensive, then yes, it is very posh. I don't know about the location of Larry Flynn's house, but he started his Hustler business in Columbus so it is certainly possible.

      1. disgruntled yank

        Re: posh, etc.

        Presumably it was the Columbus School for Girls, then: thanks for the correction. It has been quite a few years since college.

  18. Disgusted Of Tunbridge Wells Silver badge
    Facepalm

    > but, if The Guardian is to be believed

    Believe those tax dodgers?

  19. This post has been deleted by its author

    1. Anonymous Custard
      Headmaster

      Re: I'm struggling

      It's a bootnote - IT angle not compulsory (and rather in keeping with the above comments)

  20. ITS Retired
    Facepalm

    Now, about those pierced ears.

    Left ear? Right ear? Both ears?

    1. Shadow Systems

      Re: Now, about those pierced ears.

      Ears, eyebrows, nostrils, lips, cheeks, tongue, nipples, navel, multiple penile barbells, & scrotum. I love going through metal detectors!

      *Streaks by cackling at the shouts of surprise*

      1. The Oncoming Scorn Silver badge
        Paris Hilton

        Re: Now, about those pierced ears.

        Anyone got a PP3 battery?

        Icon - I'm sure she's seen a few Prince Alberts.

        1. Shadow Systems

          Re: Now, about those pierced ears.

          You'll need a much bigger power source if you want to do anything beyond a mere Jacob's Ladder effect. Not that I mind, the light show is kinda cool, but it's not a party until it's a TeraWatt party! =-D

          *Makes crotch-thrusty hip motions, saying "Zappy Zappy!", & shooting lightning bolts from my barbells*

          Sanity is overrated. Now where did I put my dried frog pills? =-)p

    2. Skiron
      Angel

      Re: Now, about those pierced ears.

      That's Captain Kirks' final frontear

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Now, about those pierced ears.

      Right ear only. But not until I was in my mid 30s. Not long before I cut my hair short due to going bald.

      Of course, that was 30+ years ago, these days I rebel by not trimming my beard, its currently about 10 -12 inches long. And I'm completely bald.

  21. This is my handle

    Strength in diversity

    This story reminded me of the Harley-Hampton twins (Devonte & Deante), talented young high-school (American-) football players. Word on the street was that they were offered a scholarship to play for the local Catholic school rival to our public (state-run) school, where my kids went. They wanted Devonte to cut his dreads. The public school, OTOH, told the boys they'd take them, "as-is". Sold! Those boys took us to two state championships in their varsity years. They gave it their all. They left nothing on the field. I understand they went on to (so far) success in the NCAA (university level league). The Catholic school has since dropped to a lower division.

  22. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge
  23. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I always complied with the strict hair length at school

    But I opted for what we would call today the “Boris” style in combing.

    And yes, I am blonde.

    1. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge

      Re: I always complied with the strict hair length at school

      Did you get extra "IT tuition"?

  24. Precordial thump Silver badge

    bogan alert

    You'll know they're worrying about enrollments when they start banning students about moccasins, stretch denim and black t-shirts with the pack of ciggies tucked under the sleeves.

  25. nijam Silver badge

    > The current trend ... are untidy, non-conventional

    So, a trend, but not conventional? Teachers, eh?

  26. Wincerind
    Facepalm

    Am I missing something? An article on haircuts more at home on page 5 of "The Sun". Where's the IT angle?

    1. Wincerind

      Cool. A downvote but no answer. I'm guessing that was from the author of the article.

      1. Eclectic Man Silver badge

        I am not responsible for your downvote, but I am informed that Bootnotes are exempt from the IT / science requirements for normal Reg articles. (I withdrew my original post after two downvotes.)

    2. Ken Moorhouse Silver badge

      Re: Where's the IT angle?

      Think of how many bugs there may be in the average mullet.

    3. Aussie Doc
      Paris Hilton

      Re:

      The posh school had very posh computers? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ She's posh ------>

  27. Jim Whitaker
    FAIL

    All right, give me a chance. I'll get a haircut just as soon as the hairdressers are allowed to open. At the moment I have exactly what this outfit does not like. Shortish sides and longish at the back (with curls!) I can trim the sides for comfort but messing around with scissors at the back is just too risky. :-)

  28. rototype

    Isn't the only reason...

    That the mullet is trending because no-one can get to the barbers/hairdressers to get it cut during lockdown? money on as soon as the hair cutting establishments are alowed to reopen the mullet will die once more, hopefully for good this time.

  29. my cats breath smells like cat food

    Responsiblity for its resurgence?

    That's what I want to know. I'm more than a little horrified that my 11 year old has been begging me to shave the sides of his head so he can grow a mullet (here referred to as a "coupe longueuil", pron. a bit like long-goy, but with some unreproducible french phonemes).

  30. onemark03

    Mullet

    Mullet = bogan.

    Simple.

  31. Jake Maverick

    "but I'll let the school make their own decisions"....you're leaving it up to a building...? whatever happened to people making their own decisions? and as it's not applying to 'females'.....surely it's against the law? they'll be banning the natives/ black people from drinking alcohol and watching porn next....no wait, they did that about a decade ago.....

  32. A_Melbourne

    In my time at Stowe, boys who did not get a haircut when told to do so got whacked.

    I was always unfashionable with a shortish haircut. My hair was otherwise unmanageable.

  33. Punksta

    As an older, dipilating gentleman I relish this last chance to finally join the the fashion vanguard,

  34. mathew42
    Big Brother

    Deputy Principal simply cut a boy's hair at Trinity Grammar in Melbourne.

    Trinity Grammar deputy principal sacked over cutting student's hair

    https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/trinity-grammar-deputy-principal-sacked-over-cutting-student-s-hair-20180309-p4z3l2.html

    An ugly stoush has erupted at Trinity Grammar after its long-standing deputy principal was sacked for trimming a student's hair on school photo day.

    In a letter to parents and former students, school council chairman Roderick Lyle said deputy principal Rohan Brown left Trinity on Thursday night over his handling of a disciplinary issue.

    He said Mr Brown's actions were at odds with school policy and “inconsistent with community expectations in this day and age”.

  35. AndrueC Silver badge
    WTF?

    Who gives a shit? Is there any evidence that hair style affects educational attainment?

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