Head hits out at drunken pupils

The school stresses the importance of traditional values

The head teacher of a mixed independent school has condemned sixth formers for skipping school after nights out on the town.

Tim Taylor, head of Bromsgrove School in Worcestershire, said he had seen a decline in attendance, punctuality and discipline among pupils in recent years.

Mr Taylor says there is less of a consensus on values on traditions

Mr Taylor hit out in his annual prize-giving speech at a lowering of society's attitudes and values.

He said school staff would not tolerate "sloppy, selfish, silly or sly" behaviour by pupils.

And they would be looking for much stronger support from parents.

"It should be unacceptable for lower sixth pupils to party mid-week in the school term, and end up in a night club in the early hours, having drunk too much and then be absent from the school the next day.

"Sadly such occasions are increasing," Mr Taylor told pupils, parents and governors gathered in a packed school sports hall.

"We are concerned at the increasing tendency of parents and pupils to select what they want from the school and to withdraw support from other, often mandatory aspects of school life."

Millennium watershed

The Millennium had been a time of watershed, confirming the decline of Christian and colonial Britain with its respect for traditions, authority and established values, Mr Taylor suggested.

We must oppose the tides of current society, because we need these high standards

Tim Taylor

Society was more materialistic now, with less respect for authority, institutions and social conventions and less consensus over what was right and proper, he said.

"As a school we will educate against this tide to ensure that our pupils develop high standards of conduct, discipline, dress, punctuality, attendance and manners."

Qualities such as duty, loyalty, honesty and trust should become "ingrained life habits" and consideration and respect for other were high on the agenda.

Obedience, co-operation and politeness were qualities to be valued.

Changing behaviour

Mr Taylor said the school was having to work harder to instil basic principles - such as sitting still, respecting others and turning up on time - in pupils at the lower end of the school.

"In this busy world, with both parents working, more broken families, less of this is happening in the home environment," he said.

"People nowadays are able to pick and chose what they want and have it instantly, with the internet and television, so they think they can do that with school.

"But we must oppose the tides of current society, because we need these high standards," Mr Taylor stressed.

The 650 upper school pupils and 800 parents, guests and governors present for the prize-giving were also addressed by former pupil at Bromsgrove, Nicholas Evans, author of The Horse Whisperer.