Smartphones to be banned in schools even for learning use

(ANSA) - ROME, FEB 22 - The use of smartphones and tablets is to be banned in Italian classrooms even for teaching purposes under new guidelines to be issued shortly, Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara said in an interview to daily newspaper Il Foglio published Thursday.
    The crackdown, which concerns kindergarten, primary and lower secondary schools, extends an existing ban on the non-academic use of smart devices introduced in Italy in 2007, but not always enforced.
    Valditara told Il Foglio the decision has been taken both for educational reasons and because the use of smartphones and tablets can often create tension between students and teachers, sometimes also leading to acts of aggression against school staff.
    "Defending the teaching staff means defending the principle of delegation and authority that is the lintel not only of the school system but also of the democratic system," said the minister, who after taking office in 2022 issued a circular reiterating the ban on the non-academic use of smartphones in kindergarten and primary schools.
    Last year the UN's educational, cultural and scientific agency UNESCO recommended that smartphones be banned from schools around the world on grounds they distract students and have a negative impact on learning outcomes.
    Photo: Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara (ANSA).