Students and cell phones
(From The Japan Times Feb. 26 issue)

携帯電話モラル教育の充実化を

The education ministry has told the nation's prefectural boards of education to instruct primary and middle school authorities to ban students from bringing cell phones to school. It also has called for improvement in the education of morals related to communications.

Many schools have taken similar steps. As of December 2008, 94 percent of publicly run elementary schools and 99 percent of publicly run middle schools prohibited students from taking cell phones to school. Twenty-four of the nation's 47 prefectural boards of education and 510 of the nation's 1,826 municipal boards of education have instructed school authorities to give students proper guidance on the use of cell phones.

The ministry issued the instruction because bullying and abusive language on cell-phone Web sites inflict psychological damage on students, and because information on such Web sites could contribute to students becoming crime victims.

In April, a law to control harmful Web sites will go into effect. Under the law, entities that manage Web sites must take measures to prevent harmful information on Web sites from being accessed by youths. However, it is questionable whether screening efforts can keep pace with the growth of such sites.

According to the education ministry, cases of Web site bullying are increasing. In fiscal 2007, authorities at elementary, middle and high schools found about 5,900 such cases, an increase of about 1,000 from fiscal 2006. A survey in the January-March 2008 period reveals that 38,260 Web sites existed for students to exchange information. Slanderous and abusive language often appears on these sites.

Unfortunately, banning the use of cell phones at school is unlikely to reduce incidents of Web site bullying or lead to a decrease in the number of students falling victim to crime because children will still be able to access these sites after school hours. Parents and teachers must strive to make children more aware of how language can harm others and how they can prevent themselves from becoming crime victims.

Efforts to increase control over children rather than to educate them will only deprive them of the power to think for themselves.

文部科学省は全国の都道府県教委などに小中学校の携帯電話の持込を原則禁止する指針を出し、情報モラル教育の充実を求めた。

文科省は、携帯電話を使ったネットいじめや犯罪被害の実態を受けて指針を出した。

青少年ネット規制法も来月施行される。2007年度のネットいじめは5900件、「学校裏サイト」は08年1-3月で38260件確認された。校内だけで携帯を禁止しても、ネットいじめや犯罪被害は減らないだろう。言葉がいかに人を傷つけるか、犯罪被害を避けるにはどうしたらいいかを保護者や教師がもっと伝えるべきだ。青少年の教育より規制に力を入れることは、自分で考える力を子供たちから奪うだけだ。