Determined to eliminate dangerous and socially unacceptable "hazing" rituals, the Education Ministry yesterday declared that senior university students caught in over-zealous activities would be expelled from the education system.

After meeting with deputy rectors yesterday, Education Minister Chaturon Chaisang said the government wanted to set down clear guidelines in relation to university initiation rituals.

Included in the guidelines would be the punishment facing students involved in organising out-of-hand rituals. The new regulations will be enforced from the beginning of this year's first semester.

Chaturon also said a campaign to guide students, pointing out what was unacceptable, would be introduced because respect for individuals' rights was important.

Hazing had affected the country's image, Chaturon said, and made parents unhappy because the initiation rituals sometimes involved brutal and illegal activities, leading students to drop out of university or even to kill themselves.

The ministry will also establish a centre to target over-zealous hazing and a website will be set up to receive complaints.

This centre will be complemented by a campaign promoting positive activities and guidelines for students to help them protect themselves from abuse, he said.

"We may not be able to stop it completely, but we'll do the best we can," he said.