The Education Ministry is urging schools who do not yet have a code of discipline to draw one up in a bid to promote good behaviour in schools.

The ministry said the codes should be drawn up in line with its Discipline Code which was issued in February 2002, revoking the previous Regoli tad-Dixxiplina of 1980. It was distributed to schools which were asked to start the implementation of the policy by creating their own discipline codes.

Micheline Sciberras, policy co-ordinator within the Ministry of Education, Youth and Employment, said the stress should always be on promoting good behaviour. "If a student has difficulty, the school must ensure that all possible services are provided. If difficulties arise, then the family needs to be involved so that a positive outcome is achieved."

She said the Ministry of Education has been working on proposing a reform in the educational system with the aim of improving quality education for all. In fact, the document For All Children To Succeed, which was published in June, proposes several crucial changes that will work towards providing each child with an educational programme that will help the student develop to the full potential.

"However, one of the crucial elements is education in a serene environment. It becomes evident that discipline is an important issue to be tackled. Most children attend school and behave well and collaborate in their learning process. However, reality shows that a few students disrupt their own learning process and that of others."

She said expulsions, one of the tougher sanctions, do not occur overnight or when the student is ready to control his/her own behaviour.

"However, in those exceptional cases where a student and possibly the family refuse to cooperate, then the school has to seek advice on whether to suspend the student's stay at the school or not. In those cases, where it is best that the student does not attend school, an alternative programme will be offered with the aim of reintegrating the student into mainstream schooling.

Joseph Muscat, chairman of the National Board for School Behaviour, explained that the Discipline Code includes provisions about sanctions to punish both minor and more serious offences.

"Serious unacceptable behaviour includes disrupting class, leaving class without permission, disrespect for teachers and other students, fighting, inappropriate language, bullying, vandalism, physical violence on teachers and other students.

"Sanctions to punish serious offences include suspension from lessons, change of class, suspension for a few days by the head, expulsion, and if all these fail, the case is referred to the Discipline Board. Corporal punishment is strictly prohibited."

Mr Muscat also explained that the code provides broad guidelines that enable schools to develop their own Code of Behaviour and Discipline.

He said the National Board for School Behaviour was appointed in September 2002 to hear cases of extreme behaviour referred by the heads of schools and to approve schools' discipline codes to ensure legality.

"The board started functioning from its inception but awareness of this mechanism only increased over the years. In fact, only 10 cases where referred in 2002/3, up to 22 in 2003/4, and 34 in the last scholastic year. Furthermore, an increasing number of schools are sending their codes for approval."

Ms Sciberras said that most schools have their code of discipline, while those who do not have a code are being urged to draw one up, based on the national policy and within its framework.

"Parents should also take an interest in their school's code of discipline and through their school council give their contribution so that the code of discipline reflects their wants and aspirations for the school and their children," she said.

This wave of discipline awareness also hit UK teachers last week when the government announced that teachers are to be given more rights to restrain pupils and punish badly-behaved children.

UK Education Secretary Ruth Kelly said she would introduce measures to give teachers legal rights to discipline pupils and empower headteachers to apply for legal orders against parents who fail to cooperate.

The lack of such rights has hampered teachers, who have often been reluctant to restrain pupils in case they leave themselves open to prosecution. The UK minister said some schools faced real discipline challenges because there was too little consistency in dealing with poor behaviour.

"These proposals can bring change not just to the rules but to the culture reaffirming respect in the classroom and putting teachers firmly in charge," she added in a statement.

The new measures follow recommendations by a task force, set up by the UK government to come up with proposals to improve behaviour in schools.

The task force said in its report published today week it believed that good teaching was the key to promoting better behaviour and that schools needed to have consistent strategies, followed by all staff.

The proposed reforms won widespread backing. Steve Sinnott, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said he was pleased parents were being urged to accept their responsibilities.

"I am especially delighted that the government accepts the need for teachers to have a statutory right to discipline pupils rather than leaving it to the vagaries of ancient and modern case law," he said.

It will aid teachers in tackling persistent low level disruption which is too often met with 'you can't do anything to me, miss'. This will help put a stop to that.".