
Yomiuri: Osaka Pref. eyes cell phone use ban in schools
Students will be prohibited from using cell phones at the majority of public primary, middle and high schools in Osaka Prefecture from the next school year, under a plan announced this week by Osaka Gov. Toru Hashimoto. The new regulations will allow high school students to have cell phones at school, but prohibit their use on school premises, while possession of cell phones at other schools will be banned entirely. However, schools in the cities of Osaka and Sakai will be exempt from the ban, as the prefectural government does not have jurisdiction over such matters in these cities. Hashimoto's policy was prompted by the increasing number of bullying cases and other incidents linked to social networking Web sites accessible by cell phones...more...