8 Out of 10 Gyeonggi Residents Support Collecting Smartphones in Schools

▲ Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education Southern Complex

A survey has found that 8 out of 10 Gyeonggi residents believe that collecting smartphones in schools is necessary.

The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education released the results of a public opinion poll conducted on 1,000 residents on July 6 to promote the Phone-Free School policy, which is the first policy approved by Superintendent Ahn Min-suk.

The Phone-Free School policy aims to create a school culture that restricts the use of mobile phones during school hours for activities unrelated to education, shifting that time toward learning, building relationships, and student growth activities.

According to the survey results, 77.3% of respondents answered that the measure to collect and store smartphones in schools to protect the right to learn is necessary.

In particular, 84.0% of parents and 83.7% of married respondents said it was necessary.

On the other hand, only 18.5% of respondents said it was unnecessary.

Regarding the effectiveness of existing smartphone restriction regulations, which have been left to the discretion of individual schools, more than half of the respondents (52.5%) answered that they are ineffective.

As for the method of smartphone regulation, respondents preferred institutionalized uniform regulation (67.7%) over individual school discretion (24.8%).

The most preferred specific method was for students to submit their smartphones upon arrival at school and receive them back when leaving (51.6%).

70.2% of respondents expressed expectations that the Phone-Free School policy would be effective. The expected benefits were reported in the order of smooth class operation and protection of teaching authority (27.6%), improved academic concentration (24.6%), and improvement in smartphone usage habits (18.9%).

Concerns raised included student backlash and non-compliance with regulations (34.7%) and difficulty in contacting students during emergencies (23.6%).

Regarding the timing of implementation, the most common response was immediate introduction (43.2%), followed by gradual expansion after operating pilot schools (29.5%), and implementation after sufficient social consensus (21.1%).

This survey was conducted online and via mobile web for three days from June 27 to 29, targeting 1,000 men and women aged 18 or older residing in Gyeonggi Province. The margin of error is ±3.1%p at a 95% confidence level.

An official from the Provincial Office of Education explained, "This survey confirmed the consensus among Gyeonggi residents regarding the Phone-Free School policy," adding, "We plan to conduct further surveys targeting teachers, students, and parents."

(Photo courtesy of Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, Yonhap News)

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