by EH
Italy plans to enforce restrictions on the presence of smartphones and tablets in school settings, impacting students from kindergarten through junior high school, according to Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara.
Valditara highlighted concerns over the misuse of electronic devices, which often lead to tensions between students and educators, sometimes resulting in aggression toward school staff.
The minister outlined new guidelines discouraging smartphone use in nursery, primary, and lower secondary schools, while suggesting limited educational tablet usage in primary schools.
Valditara referenced a recent UNESCO recommendation supporting the prohibition of smartphones in schools due to their disruptive influence on student focus and learning outcomes.
This initiative is part of a longstanding discourse on mobile phone policies in schools, dating back nearly two decades. Italy initially implemented a ban on phones in classrooms in 2007, under the direction of then-Minister Giuseppe Fioroni, who characterized phones as a distracting element and a sign of disrespect toward teachers.
In December 2022, shortly after assuming office, Valditara reaffirmed the ban on mobile phone use in classrooms through a circular distributed to all schools, permitting their use solely for educational purposes.
