By Jung Min-ho
The National Human Rights Commission of Korea’s recommendation to lift a ban on student cellphone use during school hours has been rejected by a school, which saw the policy as a necessary measure to protect its students.
In a report released on Friday, the commission expressed regret over the decision made by the principal of a high school in an undisclosed location. It said the policy violates the spirit of the Constitution and United Nations treaties regarding the human rights of children.
“Restrictions on students’ right to using cellphones should be minimized under unavoidable circumstances to protect their safety or the rights of other people, as the right is intertwined with freedom of action and communication, which are enshrined in Articles 10 and 18 of the Constitution,” the commission said in the report.
Even if such restrictions are deemed necessary, the school should not confiscate the devices from students who don’t agree with the policy, it added.
This statement comes after many schools nationwide moved to adopt such policies in recent years as they aimed to manage the growing dependency children have on their phones.
In its statement submitted to the commission, the school said the policy was in place to preserve — not harm — the rights of its students.
“If students were allowed to use phones freely, they would be able to see harmful content online or play games, which would distract them from learning in class,” the school said.
The school also said the devices could even be used for unhealthy activities such as unlawfully making voyeur videos, as many such cases were reported in the past.
Moreover, given that students are permitted to use their phones in case of an emergency, it said characterizing the policy as a human rights violation would be an overstatement.
The report demonstrates a discrepancy between the views of the rights organization and many teachers who regard smartphone use in schools as a significant, growing problem.
Korea does not have a law that universally restricts student cellphone use.
