You are now back to school after a long summer vacation. Every day you have to get up early and attend classes according to a fixed timetable. Life returns to a routine. This is vastly different from the carefree vacation lifestyle.

At the beginning of a new term, do you find it difficult to adjust? Are you perplexed by the school rules which, for example, prohibit hair colouring or using a mobile phone?

School rules used to trigger conflict between students and the school. Girls have complained to me about their school prescribing the colours of hairpins they can wear. Some students fail to understand why they are not allowed to colour their hair, even though many people in Hong Kong do.

Rules are necessary to regulate group members' conduct and ensure its orderly operation. They reflect the organisation's values. Whether members abide by these rules depends on whether they subscribe to the values behind them.

For instance, a school that prescribes the colours of hairpins and prohibits hair colouring sets great store by its students' tidy and uniform appearance. It is an expression of the school's concern about discipline.

In general, the degree of strictness of discipline is determined by the school's traditions, parents' expectations and students' characteristics and needs. However, for students to accept and voluntarily follow the rules, they must first understand and subscribe to the rationale behind them.

School regulations and criminal laws can only lay down a code of conduct. These are externally imposed regulations. People abide by them to avoid being criticised or punished.

Some people subscribe to the underlying spirit and rationale and restrain themselves even without being watched over. This is a manifestation of "self-discipline".

Have you noticed how most people in Hong Kong automatically stand on the right side of an escalator, so that those in a hurry can move more quickly on the left side? This practice is not prescribed by any law or code. Rather, it is a tacit social consensus. Most people comply voluntarily, demonstrating the quality of citizenship in Hong Kong.

In the course of growing up, young people will encounter situations that test their ability to discipline themselves. Communicate more with your parents, teachers and friends, to get to know and understand the pluralistic values that exist in our society.  

We have to establish a code of conduct according to our own principles and values. We should first learn to abide by established regulations and progressively learn self-restraint, for "self-discipline" is an important factor in maintaining social order and promoting sustainable development.