Gyeonggi Education Chief Ahn Min-seok, 'Phone-Free School' as first order of business... Reading, arts, and sports activities instead of smartphones

Gyeonggi Province Superintendent of Education Ahn Min-seok began his term by signing a "Phone-Free School" initiative, a key campaign promise. This policy seeks to restrict non-educational smartphone use during school hours, reallocating that time towards activities that foster learning, relationships, and student development.

The initiative is partly inspired by Jonathan Haidt's book "The Anxious Generation," which discusses the negative impacts of smartphones on adolescent mental health and proposes alternatives. Superintendent Ahn has been advocating for a "Youth Smartphone-Free Movement" since June of the previous year, conceptualizing this policy to address issues of smartphone over-reliance among young people.

The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education plans to fill the time students spend away from their phones with programs focused on reading, cultural arts, and physical education, aiming for holistic student growth. The office believes that reducing smartphone use can help restore literacy and social skills.

Superintendent Ahn emphasized that this policy differs from previous regulations by encouraging voluntary participation and collaborative decision-making among students, parents, and teachers. The "Phone-Free School" program will be implemented across all elementary, middle, and high school classes through a phased approach to minimize the burden on schools. The office will provide operational guidelines, hold explanatory sessions, and share best practices. An explanatory session for students, parents, and teachers in the Anyang region is scheduled for July 6th.

“

Unlike existing one-sided regulations, this policy is differentiated by the fact that school members (students, parents, teachers) discuss and voluntarily decide, and it is an educational approach that involves spending the entire school day without smartphones.