MANILA, Philippines - Don?t we all remember the rules that, well, ruled our lives when we were in school? Older Filipinos, even fairly young ones like myself (smile), will remember the sometimes harsh ways that were used to enforce those rules. My school, best not mentioned, had what was called ?post??you stayed after class and were made to squat, with your arms stretched out. The pain wasn?t so much physical; it came more from humiliation since squatting was done in public view, and announcements were posted on the bulletin board as to who was being punished and for what.

Times do change. Corporal punishment is almost unthinkable today, although we still hear occasional reports, mainly from public schools, of such abuse. Parents of children in a private school would probably sue teachers for physical assault if they dared lay a hand on their precious Junior.

Over at the University of the Philippines where I teach, the very idea that we have to have rules is considered offensive to many students. The word ?bawal? (forbidden) is anathema, so don?t expect to find ?Bawal Manigarilyo? (No Smoking) signs. Instead, we gently remind students, ?Masamang manigarilyo (Smoking is bad).?

We need rules and ways to enforce them. Schools are crucial in shaping the next generation?s attitudes toward rules, but forbidding something just makes it more attractive. Punitive measures add to the temptation to break the rule, almost as if to show, especially among the young, that one is courageous and daring. Just look at how all our ?bawal? signs?bawal umihi dito, bawal tumawid dito (No pissing, no crossing)?are violated more often than they are obeyed.

Maybe that?s the problem with a culture that emphasizes obedience, to be enforced through threats and invoking authority. We?re always going ?Lagot!? and ?Hala!? even to infants, and threatening to call Tatay, or Lolo, or the Bumbay (an Indian-looking person), or the priest, or the police. My dentist friends complain to me about Filipino parents threatening children with, ?Sige, sige, I?ll get the dentist to pull out all your teeth.?

Kids are smart enough to see through the threats but it?s still important for schools to wean them away from that framework. By emphasizing threats and authority figures, we?re telling the young that they should behave only because they might get caught. What happens then when they grow up and become powerful politicians, or, the goddesses forbid, even presidents? Who cares then about getting caught?

Let?s get the young to understand the rationale for certain rules. Uniforms are a good place to start. Young people resent uniforms because they see it as a way of creating conformity and groupthink, while parents complain that uniforms mean extra expenses. But I?m totally in favor of uniforms because of another reason: uniforms reduce the need to keep up, or to put one over your classmates. Especially in our strongly stratified and status-conscious society, leaving students to wear what they want can mean a daily fashion show with competing brand names. I hear that at the Ateneo, even the brand of shoes is prescribed, again to reduce showing off. Note that this is often to protect students who may not be too well off but might feel obliged to wear expensive clothing like their better off classmates.

Another simple example would be anti-littering rules. When we, meaning the dean and department heads, tried to implement these rules in a UP college some years back, we got all kinds of flak from the students. A bulletin board put up to get students? feedback quickly filled up, largely with the most negative of reactions, including, ?What are we? La Salle?? The most shocking comments that we got went this way: ?What are the janitors for??

Anti-littering rules should be discussed, but related to environmental protection, cleanliness, and, most important of all, a respect for people, especially janitors.

Rules on drinking, smoking and card playing? Again, the students? main opposition to these rules reflects their upbringing. Many of them can?t understand that schools are public spaces where people?non-smokers, non-drinkers, non-card players?have rights, including the right to be protected from the harmful effects of other people?s behavior.

Rules on cheating and intellectual dishonesty? I tell students, especially those of UP, with its tradition of student militancy: ?You have no right to complain about government corruption if you cheat with your term papers or on your exams.?

Frankly, I think schools have far too many specific rules when we should be emphasizing an ethical framework, reminding students of a very simple guideline: don?t do to others what you don?t want them to do to you. How would it feel seeing someone copy your paper and then getting a higher grade than you?

Rules help the young to understand fairness, if the rules are applied consistently and justly, which means no harsh punishments, no shaming tactics. Eventually, students should be good because it feels good to be good. And when they become adults, they just might make for a better citizenry and build a stronger nation.