A student at an Alice Springs private school has dressed up as Adolf Hitler for a Book Week parade which coincided with a visit by exchange students from a Melbourne Jewish school.

A teacher at St Philip's College gave the student permission to dress up as the Fuhrer, with the costume earning the boy the title of one of the "best dressed".

The boy, said to have 'an interest in history and politics' was given permission to dress up as Adolf Hitler.

The Northern Territory school has apologised for the incident, which occurred at a Book Week assembly on Thursday.

A spokeswoman for the school said a respected teacher had made an "innocent mistake".