▲ Smartphones
As Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education Superintendent-elect Ahn Min-suk has put forward a "Phone-Free School" policy as his top priority, attention is turning to successful cases within Gyeonggi Province where banning mobile phone use on campus has already led to academic achievements.
A common thread among these schools is that the policies were not unilaterally imposed, but rather reached through deliberation and consensus among school members. This is expected to serve as a role model for the smooth implementation of "Phone-Free Schools" in the field.
Hwaseong High School, located in Hwaseong, which produced the highest number of students admitted to Seoul National University among general high schools nationwide this year, is considered a prime example of a "Phone-Free School."
The school's academic achievement was notable, with 37 out of 44 students admitted to Seoul National University being current third-year high school students.
Hwaseong High School, where all students live in dormitories, has maintained a policy of banning mobile phone use on campus for about 20 years.
Students must turn in their phones not only during school hours but also at bedtime.
"I believe it was highly effective to have students turn in their phones even at bedtime, which is the time of day when students use their smartphones the most," said Choi Seung-il, former principal of Hwaseong High School. "If sleep time is reduced due to playing games or watching videos late into the night, concentration naturally drops. I believe securing sufficient sleep time led to academic achievement."
The ban on mobile phones was not implemented without resistance from the beginning.
"The resistance that arises when establishing a mobile phone ban is the argument that it 'infringes upon or deprives students of their rights,'" emphasized former principal Choi. "To resolve this, we must ensure that members have sufficient opportunities to talk and discuss. Eventually, they will realize that it is a disadvantage to themselves, and we must persuade them well that the school is actually trying to help the students."
Samgoe High School, another school in the Hwaseong area, also achieved remarkable results this year with six students admitted to Seoul National University through a smartphone ban.
It is reported that seven to eight students were admitted to Yonsei University and Korea University, respectively.
This is a rapid growth compared to the past, when an average of one or two students were admitted to Seoul National University per year.
The secret to how Samgoe High School, a so-called "rural school" in a township area, was able to achieve excellent results in a short period is also the "ban on smartphone use on campus."
Samgoe High School began discussing the issue about eight years ago when problems regarding privacy infringement due to unauthorized smartphone filming on campus emerged.
"We did not force the smartphone ban on students, but waited for one to two years for the students to find a way voluntarily," said Gong Myeong-hyeon, principal of Samgoe High School.
Grand debates attended by students, parents, and teachers were held, and after discussions by the student council, a consensus on banning smartphone use was reached.
Samgoe High School collects mobile phones in the morning and returns them after school.
If students violate the rules, such as by submitting a fake "dummy phone," the homeroom teacher confiscates the device.
Such procedures and rules, including penalties and collection methods, are all results that students voluntarily derived after trial and error.
"Since banning smartphone use, concentration in both classes and self-study has increased," said Gong Myeong-hyeon, principal of Samgoe High School. "Whether it is a coincidence or not, our school's college entrance results in the countryside have improved significantly."
Based on such real-life examples from high schools and academic research, Superintendent-elect Ahn plans to make "Phone-Free Schools" a core task and settle it in schools in stages.
Although the use of mobile phones (smart devices) by students during class has been restricted since the first semester of this year due to the amendment of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Superintendent-elect Ahn's plan goes a step further than the legal amendment, suggesting that restrictions are also needed on use or possession outside of class time.
However, Superintendent-elect Ahn plans to have "Phone-Free Schools" decided autonomously through sufficient discussion in the educational field, rather than by force.
After taking office, he decided to take the lead in publicizing "Phone-Free Schools" to reach a social consensus.
(Photo: Yonhap News TV, Yonhap News)
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