Korea’s classroom phone ban faces 1st test as schools disagree over rules

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A nationwide ban on students’ cellphone use in classrooms, mandated by law, will take effect in March with the start of the new school year, but varying enforcement rules across schools are already raising concerns about confusion.

According to education officials Sunday, the Ministry of Education issued an administrative notice outlining proposed revisions to national guidelines governing student life and conduct in schools.

The revision would allow school principals and teachers to issue warnings to students and restrict the use of smart devices, including cellphones, during class.

Under the proposed changes, the use of such devices would be permitted only in limited circumstances, such as to assist students with disabilities or special educational needs, for educational purposes or in emergency situations.

The revised bill would also allow schools, under their own rules, to collect and store students’ smart devices — effectively permitting administrators to ban not only their use but also their possession during the school day.

The details on banning cellphone use during class were announced ahead of the implementation of the revised Elementary and Secondary Education Act in March.

The revised act, which passed the National Assembly in August last year, was proposed amid growing concerns that excessive smartphone use among students has become a serious problem.

While most schools already restrict cellphone use during class, the revision is significant in that it establishes a clear legal basis for such measures.

Meanwhile, concerns are growing that inconsistent enforcement standards across schools could lead to confusion in classrooms.

The education ministry’s notice requires school principals to establish school-level regulations on restricting students’ use of smart devices by Aug. 31, while allowing the issue to be handled temporarily at the principal’s direction until then.

This has left schools that previously took a more lenient approach to cellphone use grappling with how far to go in tightening their rules.

Jang Seung-hyuk, a spokesperson for the Korean Federation of Teachers’ Associations (KFTA), said approaches to regulating smart devices vary widely from school to school, noting that even where restrictions are in place, policies differ on whether devices are collected or how bans are enforced.

“If nearby schools apply different standards, complaints from students and parents are inevitable,” he said. “The education ministry should present standardized guidelines to actively protect schools from confusion and complaints.”

The KFTA has urged the ministry since last year to introduce standardized regulations on banning smart devices in schools.

According to an online review conducted by the association in December last year, 153 elementary, middle and high schools nationwide prohibit cellphone use during class, with 3.9 percent of them banning possession altogether.

However, policies outside class hours, such as during breaks, varied widely; 85 schools, or 55.6 percent, allowed cellphone use, while 68 schools, or 44.4 percent, banned it.

Approaches to device management also differed, with 90 schools collecting students’ cellphones in bulk and 57 allowing students to keep their devices individually.

Furthermore, in a nationwide survey of some 4,000 teachers conducted by the association from Nov. 26 to Dec. 4 last year, 59.7 percent said their schools were well- prepared to enforce bans on smart device use, while 32.6 percent answered preparations were insufficient.