Teachers upset over principal's dress edict

Patrick Drumm. Photo / Supplied

Teachers at an Auckland high school are upset after being told they need to wear "businesslike" clothing, including ties, to set an example for students.

The Herald understands the Post-Primary Teachers Association has been involved in mediation with Aorere College after teachers became upset following the change in policy by principal Patrick Drumm.

Mr Drumm took up the leadership of the Papatoetoe school midway through last year after moving from St Peter's College in Epsom.

One teacher, who asked not to be named, said some upset resulted among teachers after a letter was put in pigeon-holes advising them of the new dress code about one month ago.

"It was something to do with business attire and that men are wear to wear ties and women to dress in business clothing.

"[Mr Drumm] basically was just talking about how he wanted the students to raise their level of dress with the uniform and all that.

"So he thought that the best way to do it would be to start with the staff, and we would be the role models for the students."

A minority of teachers were upset by the policy.

The teacher said, "Most are wearing ties. There's obviously some that aren't very happy about it and are trying not to do that, but the majority of them are conforming to it."

Asked if he thought the new dress code was a good idea, the teacher said:

"I think it is. I think formal dress is acceptable just with a nice shirt and some dress pants [but] I think the tie might be taking it a bit too far."

However, the teacher said students' appearances had improved since the teachers were more formally dressed. Some of them were no longer wearing T-shirts under their school shirts.

"A lot of the senior prefects are having to wear blazers and ties ... They're wearing them all the time now."

Another teacher, who also requested anonymity, said she was aware of "one or two" teachers who opposed the new rules.

"I think they just see it as an intrusion on their privacy.

"I see it differently. I think we have an obligation to dress in a particular way and if we need the kids to step up, we need to set the standard too."

She said Mr Drumm "dresses very smartly himself".

"I think it's perfectly reasonable."

Students were dressing better, with more wearing regulation shoes.

PPTA president Kate Gainsford said she understood staff had been talking to Mr Drumm about the issue which was "relatively minor".

Mediation usually resolved any problems, when the staff who were upset about changes were fully informed of why it was happening.

Mr Drumm said feedback to the new policy had been positive.

He acknowledged that there had been some opposition among staff members, but he believed this had been resolved.

"It's been overwhelmingly positively received by the staff community and student community.

"With young people, it is about setting expectations in terms of their presentation and pride in the school, and that floats on to better focus in the classroom.

"We are pretty proud of what we are doing."

Dress codes

* Police: Senior Sergeant Matt Rogers said shirts must be ironed and ties worn with winter uniform shirts. Officers should be clean-shaven and if they want to grow a beard, they usually do so in a lengthy period of annual leave, except for in November when some officers grow facial hair as part of the annual "Movember" prostate cancer campaign.

* Vodafone: Company spokesman Paul Brislen said the telco's dress code was "quite relaxed". As long as staff didn't break health and safety rules by not wearing shoes, and as long as they didn't offend anyone, they were free to wear what they liked. Sales staff generally tended to dress to their clients' codes.

* Reserve Bank of New Zealand: The bank's website states: The Bank operates on a tidy casual dress code confining business attire to being only compulsory where visitors or meeting attendees would expect it or where the occasion warrants it.