Japan Considering Ban on Mobile Phones in Schools

Japan's government is considering imposing a ban on school children taking their mobile phones into schools following an alarming rise in bullying associated with mobile phones. Government statistics claim that nearly 6,000 bullying incidents linked to mobile phones occurred in 2007 - a rise of over 1,000 on the year before.

Responding to the issue, the government set up a group to study the problem - and it has now recommended a nationwide ban on mobile phones on school properties. The proposals will be put to the Prime Minister next month. The current Prime Minister is politically weakened at the moment, so it is unlikely that the move would be approved in a hurry as it would stir up a lot of controversy.

Last month, The Governor of Osaka introduced a ban on using mobile phones when in school, but it understood that the nationwide ban would prohibit them even being carried into the schools. A similar ban in New York, USA resulted in local convenience stores setting up secure storage safes for mobile phones so that pupils could carry their phone to and from school - but not into school.

A schoolboy in Kobe committed suicide last year after a nude photo he had taken with his mobile phone was circulated widely amongst his school.

Posted to the site on 21st December 2008