Many have praised the school and its principal, Brian Turner, for its efforts in attempting to slow a perceived decline in dress standards.

But just as many, if not more, have panned the move as a needlessly inflammatory bid to curtail the students’ freedom of self-expression.

Pupils did not take kindly to the new regime upon their return to school last week, launching an online petition titled “Freedom of Hair”.

The Change.org petition is designed to heap enough pressure on the school’s hierarchy to elicit a reversal of its policies.

Railing against the directive that hair shoulder length or longer be tied back, the rule is described as “materialistic and ostentatious”.

The petition’s architects argue that “our hair does not reflect the portrayal of our college” and “girls especially, feel self-conscious wearing their hair this way”.

Some parents have even threatened to pull their children from the school unless the policing of the uniform policy is relaxed.

It is tempting to dismiss the concerns of students and parents as nothing more than petty mischief-making.

After all, the college is a private school that has the power to set its own rules and, arguably, those who choose not to abide by them should look elsewhere for an education.

But the debate points to the seismic shift in society’s attitude towards what someone’s physical appearance says – and should say – about them.

Many will argue – and quite convincingly – that such rules are an archaic relic of a bygone era and have no correlation to a person’s ability to learn.

Society seems to be moving on from judging a person’s character by the length of their hair, number of piercings or tattoos, or preferred style of dress.

This is reflected in a Bendigo Advertiser online poll conducted yesterday in which a tick over 55 per cent of respondents said they disagreed with the school’s rules.

Will the Catholic College Bendigo stand strong in the face of a student-led revolt? Or will it move with the times and focus on what is really important? 

- Ross Tyson, deputy editor