State rights watchdog urges schools to lift ban on mobile phone use

By Lim Chang-won Posted : November 17, 2017, 15:34 Updated : November 17, 2017, 15:34

[Iclickart]


South Korea's state human rights watchdog urged elementary, middle and high schools to stop collecting mobile phones from students before the start of classroom hours, saying it breaches constitutional basic rights to freedom of communication.

The recommendation Friday from the National Human Rights Commission followed a petition by an unidentified middle school student in Gyeonggi Province who challenged a campus by-law restricting the use of mobile phones.

There has been a public debate at home abroad over whether mobile phones should be allowed on campuses. For educational purposes, some teachers and parents support a selective ban, insisting students should be allowed to use them on campus before and after school. Many students oppose strict control.

It is a divisive issue in South Korea, known for its passion for education, and there was no immediate reaction from parents or education communities.

Like many other schools in the province, the campus in question picked all mobile phones from students at the start of school hours at 9:00 am (0000 GMT) and returned them at 4:00 pm, according to a written statement published on the commission's website.

"We recommend that (the school) should revise its regulations that prohibit the possession and use of mobile phones during school hours so that the freedom of communication is not restricted," the commission ruled.

Referring to similar restrictions in many of about 700 schools in the province, the watchdog suggested that education authorities should check and revise related regulations to prevent excessive restrictions on the use of mobile phones.

"Rather than a collective ban, it is desirable to educate students to develop their own self-discipline," it said.
 
 

 
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