Sir, Is it me or are the school children walking the streets of South Lakeland becoming an increasing mish mash and rag bag of tatty, floor-sweeping black trousers, filthy shoes, grubby assorted jackets, and straight off the back of a Harley hairstyles?

What has become of discipline and school uniform? It would seem that the only vestige of uniform left is an occasional glimpse of a crumpled sweatshirt.

These children would appear to have emerged from the dusty bowels of Fagin's hideaway, rather than large, purportedly progressive schools.

Five years ago I retired from teaching in a flourishing comprehensive school in the Central Midlands. Every term there was the usual battle with school council, pupils (and, I have to say, a smattering of parents) as to why the uniform regulations should not become more relaxed and the children be allowed to wear their own choice of shirt, trouser, jacket, shoe etc.

Thank heavens we had a particularly headstrong set of governors, and an even more determined female head of school.

This meant that strict uniform regulations were adhered to (included under the umbrella of uniform was natural hair colour, and a complete absence of tattoos, body piercing and jewellery during school hours.)

Anyone not complying was sent home in the company of their parents, or to the parent's workplace in the company of a school representative (parent/helper, school employee, sixth former) this very rarely happened to the same pupil more than once.

We had our own supplier of extremely competitively priced uniform, - in every case far more reasonably priced than well-known town centre shops and supermarkets. There was also a busy "second hand" department for uniform plain black outdoor padded jackets, and blazers. For those pupils from genuinely financially "struggling" families, there was a discreet uniform fund.

I believe this uniform not only contributed to, but was the main instigator of, an inherent sense of pride that the pupils themselves took in this popular, successful and constantly oversubscribed school and subsequently in the sense of pride that the children took in themselves and in their work.

School children are still children, not mini adults.

Give them an inch and they will take a mile. Start with year sevens and begin as you mean to carry on.

Come on governors and school heads buck your ideas up, take the bull by the horns and instigate a bit more old-fashioned discipline and if the pupils and some of the parents object, then tell em who's boss!

At least try to give these kids a sense of pride that they will carry through to their real adulthood.

David E. Smith Kendal n What do you think? Should schools insist on pupils wearing uniforms as a means of instilling old-fashioned discipline or should schoolchildren be allowed more freedom about what they wear? Write to Letters to the Editor, Westmorland Gazette, 1 Wainwright's Yard, Kendal, Westmorland LA9 4DP. Alternatively, you can email your views to letters@kendal.newsquest.co.uk Emails received will be considered for use on The Westmorland Gazette's Letters pages, so please include your name and address.