The South Korean government has passed a bill banning the use of mobile phones in school classrooms nationwide, officials said on Thursday, joining the list of countries in efforts to restrict social media use among underage children.
South Korea, one of the most wired nations on earth, has recently sought to enforce harsh restrictions on the use of electronic devices, including mobile phones and tablets, in classrooms. The bill is likely to come into effect by March next year. The move to ban electronic devices in classrooms makes South Korea the latest country to restrict social media use among underage school children.
Besides Korea, Australia, the Netherlands, and France have already passed the bill to ban the usage of mobile phones among children below 16 years. In a statement on Thursday, Seoul’s education ministry said that the law bans the use of smartphones in classrooms except when needed as assistive tools for students with disabilities or special education needs or for educational purposes.
The measure also establishes a legal basis to "restrict the possession and use of such devices to protect students' right to learn and support teachers' activities," it added.
Lawmakers, including opposition People Power Party member Cho Jung-hun, who introduced the bill, said the issue had long been "contentious amid concerns over human rights violations". Against this backdrop, the law was needed to ease social conflict "by clearly defining rules on smart device use in schools," the lawmakers said in a document introducing the bill.
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