Life is governed by rules.

As adults we implicitly know, acknowledge, and act in accordance with these.

Many learners make the complaint that school life is riddled with rules.

An alternative interpretation is that because the great majority of individuals in a school (the learners) are inexperienced in how society works, the rules need to be more visible and more explicit.

Further support for this argument is provided by the fact that many rules in school echo the kind of behaviour that is taken for granted in adult life.

Rules in schools, and many other institutions, tend to come in three forms:

• Fixed written rules
• Fixed verbal rules
• Unstated but implied rules

If a rule is not fixed, it becomes hard to follow and loses its function as an external reference point.

The argument then, goes like this:

• In school, learners are learning the rules (of the school and, by extension, society).
• The rules are used to regulate the school community.
• Through the rules, the school becomes an environment in which everyone can feel safe and secure. And in which everyone knows what is expected of them.

Conflict can develop if different groups perceive the reasoning behind rules differently.

For example, a secondary school may introduce a rule stating that any learner who arrives late automatically receives a half hour detention on that same day.

The school may justify this rule by pointing to the benefit to the child of not being late, the expectation of punctuality in society at large, and the disruption that lateness causes to the community (late learners disrupting the teacher and the lesson).

A parent who believes that the primary function of a school is to provide a safe and welcoming environment for their child may dispute the validity of the rule.

They may argue that such a measure is draconian and potentially disproportionate.

They may cite examples such as lateness caused by unavoidable incidents (like a road traffic accident) and conclude that the rule is harsh and unfair.

This example illustrates how different people’s standpoints can profoundly influence their perception of rules and the reasoning behind them, as well as how they go about interpreting them.

In a moment we will draw this back to using discussion in the classroom, however one more point is worth noting.

Let us consider a few rules that are common to most schools, and that tend to be stated in fixed written form and reiterated by staff in fixed verbal form:

1. Do not run in the corridors.
2. Treat others with respect.
3. Follow the teacher’s instructions.

Rule (1) is concerned with the health and safety of individuals and the community.

It is also concerned with atmosphere and ethos as well as the demarcating of space (if you want to run, go outside).

Rule (2) is primarily focussed on interactions between individuals.

It is about as broad as a rule could get without becoming meaningless.

It encompasses all individuals who happen to be in the school at any time (staff, learners and visitors).

It could be argued that there is an implied reference to the permanent members of the community and that a visitor is a special case who becomes a member of the community for the period during which they are in school.

Rule (3) is a power-giving rule that supplements the teacher’s own methods of asserting control in the classroom.

It regulates behaviour between teachers and learners. It is implied that the teacher’s instructions are in the learners’ best interests.

We have, then, a collection of points about rules in school:

1. They tend to be more visible and more explicit in schools than in society at large.
2. They reflect standards of accepted and expected behaviour in wider society.
3. They come in different forms but are usually fixed.
4. They can be interpreted and perceived differently.
5. They have different purposes. A common one is the regulation of behaviour.
6. They act as external reference points for the community.

Points (ii), (v) and (vi) indicate why it is of great benefit to have ground rules underpinning the discussion activities taking place in your classroom.

Point (iv) suggests why you should seek to agree your ground rules with your class at the beginning of the year.

Point (iii) implies how the rules should be formulated and connects closely to point (vi).

You may choose to write your ground rules down and display them in your classroom.

You may choose to reiterate them verbally throughout the year. This can include identifying and praising rule-following behaviour.

You may choose to build an atmosphere in which the rules are known but not articulated.

Whichever method you choose, your life will be easier, your discussions will be better, and your learners will know where they stand and what is expected of them.

Rules provide the framework in which everyone has the opportunity to be successful.

This is as true of discussion activities as anywhere else.