Sensible Rules and Sensible Enforcement

I thought as I hadn't added anything for ages, I'd better start again.

The article in the papers this week about the schoolgirl who won the so-called right to wear to school a discrete piece of jewellery of religious significance, led to comments that teachers would now have difficulty in enforcing school uniform rules.

Apart from a few schools in my area, I've not noticed that standards of dress have been enforced already. OK, so the "year 11 and belows" - and what's wrong with "5th form and below"? - wear the white shirt, school tie, grey trousers and black shoes, but most seem to do so in an "At least I'm wearing them" way.

I'm sure these teenagers take extreme care with their looks and clothes when they're out with their friends, even if that look is carefully crafted untidiness. Why can they not be made to have an equal pride in their appearance at school time?

What's the problem with teachers enforcing a clean shaven face (for the boys), a clean, ironed shirt with all buttons done up and tucked tidily into the trousers, a tie tied in a proper sized and shaped knot with the two ends of the correct length and covering the collar button at all times, a clean, well pressed pair of trousers with the waist worn at the waist and of a length to reach just over the shoes, black and not white or fluourescent socks, and polished, suitable black shoes properly laced? And added to that can they not ensure that hands are never in pockets?

These children are Ambassadors for their schools and I would have thought the Head and the rest of the staff would want their Ambassadors to show the school in a good light.

But back to the plot.

If rules cannot be written in a way that shows compassion without giving licence to that which was never intended, then the first move should be to replace the rule writers. If no one can write the rules in the manner needed, then we are in a poor way. But on the way what is wrong with incorporating into the rules a definition of who is the ultimate arbiter of common sense?

Returning to the example of rules on school uniforms, what is the problem with saying that discrete items intended to be rarely seen, may be worn, but in the even of any disagreement, the Head's decision is absolutely and unarguably final, and certainly not open to being challenged outside the school staff, not even with the board of governors, let alone with the Education Authority or in the courts? Parents who disagree can remove their children to other schools!

Prison Overcrowding

The simple and most obvious answer to prison overcrowding is not to stop issuing custodial sentences. The answer is for the population to stop committing crimes.

Most other things in our lives have been 'de-valued', but a crime that warrants a custodial sentence should always warrant one - and the sentence handed down by the Judge should be served in full.

So no more 'time off for good behaviour'. Instead there should be 'time added for bad behaviour'.

I heard on the News that lawyers are already in touch with prisoners who are being returned to a prison previously condemned as 'unfit for human habitation'.

The reason the prison is being re-opened is because of overcrowding due to underfunding. The reason the prison is unfit is because of underfunding. So having to pay compensation will relieve the situation?

Until there is not one law abiding person left needy in the country, convicted criminals should come lower on the ladder. As they say, "If you can't do the time, don't do the crime."

Vehicle Tracking and Road Pricing

If the worst happens and these crazy schemes are introduced, I trust I will be able to "offset" my speeding against time spent stuck in traffic jams or behind dawdling vehicles.