[Editorial] No-phone policy in school

It is widely known that teachers have trouble drawing attention from students with mobile phones in their hands during classes. Smartphones can be addictive in a way that hinders a variety of activities, works as a distraction and negatively affects mental well-being.

In South Korea, there has been a heated dispute about whether schools should restrict the use of phones during school hours to help students focus more on what they are supposed to learn and protect them from overusing social media via smartphones.

For the past 10 years, the official position of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea had maintained that taking away phones from students is a violation of human rights. On Monday, however, the human rights watchdog reversed its stance in its ruling that responded to a petition filed by a high school student last year.

In an 8-2 vote with all 10 commission members present, the majority voted to reject the petition, striking down the argument that the school’s policy to collect all students' mobile phones constitutes a violation of human rights.

The commission's decision reportedly was based on two factors. First, teachers tend to suffer in conducting class when they allow students to keep their phones because students disturb class by using their smartphones.

Second, the eight commission members put more emphasis on the right of teachers to teach in school and the right of students to learn without distractions in their latest ruling.

The two commission members who offered dissenting views argued that school’s no-phone policy restricts the freedom of students too much and students should be allowed to take responsibility for their phone use at school.

This decision of the NHRCK came as a surprise for some observers because it previously ruled in over 300 petitions since 2014 that restricting phones in school violates the human rights of students. The key logic behind the watchdog’s past decisions is that the side effects of a no-phone policy are more important than the right of teachers to discipline students and conduct classes without distractions.

Why did the NHRCK reverse its position on restricting students' phone access? One reason is that its rulings against restricting it were not accepted by schools, which is understandable in consideration of the trouble that teachers reportedly face when students are allowed to use their phones at school.

Despite the past recommendations from the human rights watchdog on this issue, which are not legally binding, dozens of schools across the nation maintained no-phone policies as a tactic to deal with the illegal video recording and cyberbullying related to malicious social media comments that students made during school hours. Teachers also found some students watching videos on their phones even during class.

In November last year, the NHRCK recommended that a high school in Gwangju stop restricting the use of phones during school hours following a petition filed by a student. But the school decided not to accept the recommendation, citing a clause in the public notices of the Education Ministry. Under the clause, teachers can give a warning to students who use mobile phones or improper devices during classes.

Last year, the NHRCK advised 56 schools to revise their no-phone policies, but 24 schools -- 43 percent -- did not follow the human rights watchdog’s recommendations.

A teacher from one of the schools that rejected the commission's recommendation told a local media outlet that more than 90 percent of parents and 70 percent of students supported the no-phone policy.

Although the human rights watchdog has reversed its position on the restriction of phones in schools in its latest ruling, schools are still confused about the no-phone policy due largely to the absence of specific and formal rules set by the government. Education authorities must set clear guidelines that aim to minimize distractions in the classroom and address the potential negative impact of smartphones on students.