"Less distraction"

Italy wants to ban smartphones in schools

The aim of the government in Rome is to ensure that pupils are less distracted from lessons.(Bild: serg - stock.adobe.com)

The Italian government wants "less distraction" from lessons and is planning to ban tablets and smartphones in primary and secondary schools.

The decision has been taken for educational reasons and also because the inappropriate use of smartphones and tablets often leads to tensions between pupils and teachers, which in some cases even result in aggression towards school staff, explained Education Minister Guiseppe Valditara to the newspaper "Il Foglio".

Tensions between teachers and pupils
Less distraction, more responsibility, is the government's motto. UNESCO has already recommended a ban on the use of smartphones in classrooms, as cell phones, when used excessively or inappropriately, are an increasing distraction that impairs academic performance, fuels tensions between pupils and teachers and has a negative impact on a child's memory, concentration and learning, according to the minister from the right-wing Lega party.

Since the right-wing government led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni took office in October 2022, the Ministry of Education in Italy has been called the "Ministry of Schools and Merit". Meloni is thus clearly signaling that performance should count more in the Italian school system in future. Recently, there have been repeated serious attacks on teachers in Italian schools.

There are already bans in these countries
Similar bans are already in place in France, the Netherlands, Sweden and Finland. The British government recently published guidelines for schools on how to prevent the use of smartphones.