SENT out of class for sporting an unruly hairstyle with long sideburns, the 14-year-old boy decided to give himself the day off instead.

A lower secondary student at North Vista Secondary School (NVSS) in Sengkang, Jack (not his real name) was caught for flouting the school's dress code on Tuesday.

His punishment: Get his hair cut and come back to school.

But he chose not to return. And he wasn't the only one.

The school confirmed that more than 100 students were similarly told to go out and sort themselves out since checks began after school reopened on Monday.

Some students were sent out for haircuts, while others had to buy new uniforms.

They were expected to return to class immediately after, according to vice-principal Yong Kek Shoong.

But some, like Jack, didn't.

As of 2pm yesterday, about 42 students had yet to report back.

Jack told The New Paper that he decided to go home after having his hair cut.

He said: 'A few of my friends didn't go back to school. We thought there was no point, since we had already missed some of our classes.'

He declined to be interviewed further.

Mr Yong confirmed the school was aware of students who had failed to return after being sent out of class.

He said: 'We will be calling their parents to find out where they went.

'The students were expected back at school within 1 1/2 hours of them being sent for a haircut.'

Mr Yong said the large number of students sent out of class was due to more stringent spot checks following the March holidays.

He said: 'We have spot checks every month, but we are usually stricter after the school holidays because the students' hair may have grown long and messy during the holidays.'

Teachers in the school's discipline committee carried out the spot checks, one class at a time.

But the students may be taking the exercise in another spirit.

Student bloggers from NVSS, who have also posted online accounts similar to Jack's, were happy not to return.

Another Sec 2 student posted an account of her being made to buy a new skirt because hers was considered too short.

She wrote: 'Went to school yesterday but got suspended again... I went to slack, of course, it was too early to go home.'

Instead of returning to school, she said she went out to eat and play poker.

Students also wrote about the spot checks on the school's online magazine, nvssblogcharts.blogspot.com.

One student said his peers were caught for several reasons - not wearing name tags, wearing short skirts, and having long, messy hair.

'Those who did not obey the rules would be sent off home for immediate suspension,' he added.

Another student wrote that she was 'sad' seeing her classmates getting sent out of class.

'Looks like some poor boys got suspended - if they are caught with long sideburns, that's it. Hope they are back by tomorrow.'

She said students were shown posters with acceptable hairstyles for boys.

'I hope they could have posters for girls' hairstyles too, so it is easier to know which are acceptable,' she added.

Mr Yong said the school has informed three nearby barbers of the school's hairstyle rules.

He said: 'For boys, their hair should not touch their eyebrows. The back of their hair should be a slope, and they should not have sideburns.

'For girls, their hair should be neatly pinned up.'

He added that female students would be made to buy new uniforms if their skirts did not touch their knees.

He said: 'Some girls pin up their skirts to make them shorter.

'For these students, we simply make them unpin their skirts.'

Mr Yong said the school had no choice but to be extra strict with its students.

He said: 'We take discipline very seriously.

'We want to send our students the message that dressing properly is a big part of being young gentlemen and ladies.'

He said the school plans to hold make-up lessons next week for students who missed school because they were sent out.

He said: 'It's unfair to the other rule-abiding students if teachers have to repeat the material for the benefit of those who missed class.'

TOO STRICT?

Parents contacted by The New Paper were split on whether the school's disciplinary method was too strict.

Mr Lim Meng Seng, 46, who has a Sec 1 daughter in a different school, said: 'Students should first be given a chance to comply with the rules.

'But if students have been violating the rules repeatedly, something harsh has to be done, of course.'

Mr Dick Tan, 40, who has a son in Sec 3 in a different school, said: 'It's a good thing for the school to make a firm stand - if not, the school loses its moral authority.

'The students are wearing the school uniform and the school's image will be affected by them.'

This article was first published in The New Paper on Mar 21, 2008.