The study attempts to investigate discipline policies and practices in primary schools since the abolition of corporal punishment. The purposes of the study were to find out who is involved in the formulation of a policy; how this procedure takes place from the initial stages to fruition; the contents of a completed policy document and to canvass opinions of teachers and students about their school policy. Information was obtained from twenty-two completed questionnaires received from public primary schools in the Belconnen region of the ACT and a more detailed case study of three of these schools. A search of the literature revealed a number of key elements of a whole school discipline policy. These included: formulation of policy; recognition of appropriate student behaviour; rules and consequences; policy procedures; responsibility for policy implementation; the abolition of corporal punishment. The study showed that there is a growing awareness of the democratic decision-making process within classrooms and that schools are producing comprehensive discipline policies, many of which are now more accurately titled 'Management of Student Behaviour'. Schools are encouraging appropriate behaviour from the students, endeavouring to develop student self-discipline and self-esteem, and are using agreed logical consequences when rule violations occur. The case study concludes with comments on the ACT Schools Authority Discussion Paper 'Policy and Procedures for the Management of Student Behaviour in ACT Public Schools' issued during 1988.