Positive example benefits pupils

'Excellence is an art won by training," wrote Aristotle in the Nicomachean Ethics. "We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have these because we have acted rightly."

This maxim is one that the Ministry of Education may want to bear in mind as it introduces a new code of conduct that aims to tackle violence and vandalism in government schools. While it is too early to judge the effectiveness of the new measures, they need to be supported by an overall culture of achievement.

According to Kaneez al Abdolli, the director of the ministry's student counselling department, the new Student Behavioural Discipline Code works on "promoting good conduct and countering bad behaviour". Troubling incidents of pupil behaviour have also led to an increasing usage of CCTV to curb fights among pupils or vandalism of school property, as we report today. But while introducing a code and CCTV establishes a disciplinary framework, more than this is needed. As Fatma al Marri, the chief executive of Dubai's school agency, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, says: "CCTV cameras alone are not going to solve the problem of violence in schools. Partnerships between parents, teachers and other specialists will create a network that makes it more difficult for any form of violence to flourish."

More importantly, there are other solutions to the problem. As well as relying on a disciplinary framework to control anti-social behaviour, responsible habits should be encouraged among students. There is no need to view pupil behaviour in a purely negative light. Pupils ought to be encouraged to think differently about their role within schools and the contributions that they can make. The environment may be equally important in encouraging students to take ownership and pride in their schools. It is possible to see this in the "broken windows" theory, which suggests that the school itself is critical in tackling anti-social disorder. Schools that are poorly maintained are not likely to win over recalcitrant students.

The new disciplinary code hopefully will have a positive effect reining in anti-social behaviour. At the very least, it is a wake-up call that there are problems in pupil behaviour at schools that affect their education and the learning environment. It is time for schools and students to take the lead - not just with cameras or codes, but also with habits and the school environment.