Headscratchers / Macdonald Hall

• The War with Mr. Wizzle. Macdonald Hall is a single-sex private boarding school with a sterling academic record, evoking similar Canadian institutions like Upper Canada College and St. Margaret's. Wouldn't a place like this already have not only a dress code, but a full-on uniform? "A collared shirt and a tie of your choice" is actually much less than this kind of school normally requires - you'd expect the boys to be turning up to class in blazers, not t-shirts.
  • In general, you are spot-on, though some private schools might just allow uniform polo shirts as well. It could be a mistake or Artistic License / an Acceptable Break from Reality. Perhaps the author simply envisioned Macdonald Hall as a somewhat progressive institution that had decided to discard uniforms at some point. This is not inconceivable - the University of Toronto Schools, a semi-private school in Toronto, used to have uniforms but eventually abolished them. That said, it is unusual that Macdonald Hall students don't wear uniforms. The film series "rectifies" this - both Macdonald Hall and Miss Scrimmage's have classic school uniforms there (in the film version of the above book, what Mr. Wizzle briefly introduces are ridiculous utilitarian uniform overall suits.)