School bans on mobile phones violate students' human rights
gettyimagesbankBy Lee Hyo-jin A complete ban on the use of mobile phones in schools infringes on the basic rights of students including freedom of communication, the nation's human rights watchdog said, Wednesday. The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) expressed the opinion in response to a complaint filed by a student at a high school in the southeastern city of Daegu.Under the school policy, students must have their mobile phones turned off during school hours, with no exceptions even for recess and lunch time ― a common regulation at schools here.If a student is caught using their phone, teachers take it away for one week, and for two weeks if the student is caught a second time. The student may face other penalties such as cleaning duties.If the student is caught a third time, their parents are notified. When caught a fourth time, the student may face additional actions based on the decision of the school's disciplinary committee.The school explained that the outright ban on mobile phone use aims to minimize unnecessary use of electronic gadgets at schools and crea
Nov 3, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin