Human Rights Commission: "Mobile Phone Collection Policy Stated in School Rules, Not a Human Rights Violation"

Dismissal Side "Teachers Disrupting Class Progress"
Contradicts Previous Judgment of Human Rights Violation

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) decided on the 7th that high schools that have stipulated the collective collection of mobile phones in their school regulations are not violating human rights. For 20 years since its establishment, the NHRCK had judged the collection of mobile phones in schools as a human rights violation, so this decision reverses the previous stance.

On the afternoon of the same day, the NHRCK held a plenary session at the plenary meeting room in Jung-gu, where it discussed and voted in a closed session on the agenda item, "Collecting and storing students' mobile phones during school hours based on school regulations constitutes a human rights violation." Among the 10 members present, the agenda was dismissed by an 8 to 2 vote.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The side advocating dismissal argued that students' use of mobile phones disrupts teachers' class progress. They reportedly cited cases from some foreign countries, such as France and Orange County in Florida, USA, where mobile phone use in schools is prohibited, to support their argument.

The opposing side expressed concern that stipulating the collective collection of mobile phones in school regulations could restrict students' self-expression and that this decision contradicts the NHRCK's previous stance, which had considered mobile phone collection a human rights violation. Chairman Ahn Chang-ho of the NHRCK also stated that it is difficult to view the school regulations themselves as a human rights violation but reportedly requested that the decision document be carefully drafted, as this decision could influence other cases.

The NHRCK usually drafts decision documents for accepted agenda items, and these documents serve as precedents for investigations related to the agenda. While decision documents are typically not prepared for dismissed or rejected cases, the NHRCK has exceptionally decided to draft a decision document for this case.

Earlier, in March of last year, a student at a high school in Jeonnam filed a complaint with the NHRCK, claiming that "collecting mobile phones collectively based on school regulations and making them unusable even during breaks and lunch hours constitutes a human rights violation."