by InTrieste
As summer wanes, students across Italy prepare to return to school, with classrooms in Friuli Venezia Giulia set to reopen on September 11, 2024. This year’s start of the academic year arrives against the backdrop of rising climate concerns and the introduction of new regulations prohibiting smartphone use in lower-grade classrooms.
The dates for school reopening vary depending on region. The autonomous provinces of Bolzano and Trento are the first to welcome students back, with reopening dates set for September 5 and 9, respectively.
Following closely behind, students in Friuli Venezia Giulia, Piemonte, Marche, Umbria, Veneto, and Valle d’Aosta will resume classes on September 11.
Meanwhile, pupils in Lombardy, Molise, Sardinia, Sicily, and Campania are scheduled to return to school on September 12. The final wave of reopenings will occur on September 16, when schools in Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Emilia-Romagna, Lazio, Liguria, Puglia, and Tuscany reopen their doors.
With temperatures still running high after Italy’s hottest summer on record, consumer watchdog Codacons has urged the Ministry of Education to take preventive action to protect students and teachers from future heat waves. The group highlighted the lack of air conditioning in schools across the country, revealing that “only six out of 100” educational institutions have climate control systems in place. Codacons is calling on authorities to prioritize the installation of air conditioning as a necessary defense against the rising threat of climate change.
As students head back to class, they will also be met with new regulations aimed at limiting digital distractions. Under newly introduced guidelines, the use of smartphones will be banned from primary level up to scuola media, or junior high school. This prohibition applies to all smartphone use, including for educational purposes. However, students will still be allowed to use tablets and computers, provided that these devices are used under the supervision of teachers.
Italy’s education authorities hope that these changes will improve classroom focus and create a healthier learning environment. The new rules are part of a broader effort to balance the benefits of technology with the need to minimize distractions, particularly for younger students. As the academic year begins, schools and families alike will have to adapt to these evolving policies and the ongoing challenges posed by climate change.
