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Recommendation on Inspection of Elementary School Students' Diaries [2005] KRNHRC 9 (1 January 2005)

The Commission made a recommendation to the Minister of Education and Human
Resources Development to provide instruction and guidance for improving the
educational use of the diary writing of elementary school children in a manner
consistent with children's human rights, because mandatory diary writing and its
inspection and evaluation by teacher may violate children's basic rights such as their
privacy, liberty, and the freedom of conscience that are guaranteed by the international
human rights standards and the Constitution.

In response, the Minister of Education and Human Resources Development issued an
official notice to superintendents of municipal/provincial school boards asking to
refrain from practicing mandatory diary-writing and its evaluation while continuing to
encourage students to keep diaries.