As September approaches, the Ministry of Education is set to implement a new “centralized management” approach for cellphone use in elementary and junior-high schools.
The policy — which states that devices must be turned off or switched to airplane mode and stored away during school hours, except when used for educational purposes or emergency situations — has sparked controversy among various organizations since its initial announcement.
The National Student Representative Union has asserted that restricting cellphone use infringes on fundamental rights, and that phone use should be restricted only during class time rather than throughout the entire school day. The union added that mobile devices are often the only tools available to record evidence of campus bullying and inappropriate disciplinary actions by school staff or instructors.
The National Federation of Education Unions expressed concerns about the possibility of inconsistent implementation methods across different schools, which could lead to misunderstandings or conflict among teachers and students. Should cellphone management policies differ between high schools and elementary and junior-high schools based on self-discipline? Should phones be stored in a designated area in each classroom, or should the entire school adopt a singular phone holding zone?
The New York Times reported that — following the examples of countries such as Finland, France, Italy and the Netherlands — South Korea’s National Assembly on Wednesday passed a bill that would ban the use of mobile phones and other digital devices during school hours beginning in March next year.
“Our children wake up every day with bloodshot eyes after having been on their phones until two or three in the morning,” the bill’s sponsor said.
The 2023 Global Education Monitoring Report by UNESCO said that excessive mobile phone use was linked to reduced educational performance, and that high levels of screen time had a negative effect on children’s emotional stability, further recommending that smartphones should be banned in schools.
According to a study released by the Pew Research Center in June last year, 72 percent of high-school teachers in the US reported that students being distracted by cellphones is a major problem. In addition, average test scores among US high-school students have declined for several consecutive years, hitting a more than 30-year low last year.
Maple Grove Middle School in Minnesota banned cellphone use by students last year. After one year of the policy, the school’s principal said: “We instantly noticed that it was a game changer. The culture and climate of our building, our students were happy, they weren’t looking at their phones during the hallway or at lunchtime. They were talking to each other.”
In Taiwan, it is common to see people glued to their phones even while crossing the street.
With regard to mobile phone management, carefully weighing the benefits against the risks is all that is needed to make a wise decision. Parents and teachers across the nation must unite, while adults should lead by example in practicing self-restraint and limiting mobile phone use.
It is important to understand that today’s elementary and middle-school students are digital natives who often lack self-control, including the ability to practice delayed gratification. Parents and teachers should work together to design strategies for what children can do when they are not playing on their phones.
Meanwhile, the ministry and telecommunications companies, along with other public and private organizations, could collaborate to promote systems that encourage moderate phone use.
Lin Ji-shing is a professor at National Tsing Hua University.
Translated by Kyra Gustavsen
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