Via mobile phones and tablets in primary and secondary schools, also for educational purposes. This is the line that the Minister of Education and Merit, Giuseppe Valditara, intends to include in the new school guidelines. The minister himself announced it in preview The paper, explaining that the decision stems from the often inappropriate use of these devices, risking generating tensions in relations between students and teachers, leading in some cases to attacks by school staff. Mim's goal is therefore to reduce distractions and promote greater responsibility among students. “Defending teaching staff means defending the principle of delegation and authority which is the cornerstone not only of the school system but also of the democratic system,” explains the minister. To justify this position, which risks appearing anachronistic, Valditara cites UNESCO which recommended banning the use of smartphones in class. According to the Organization, their excessive or inappropriate use causes distractions that negatively influence academic performance, increase tensions between students and teachers and harm students' memory, concentration and learning.
The other countries
However, this is a directive that very few have adopted. According to UNESCO data, we are talking about less than one country in four. Among these, there is France, which gave the green light in 2018 to a law banning the use of mobile phones, tablets and other connected devices, from kindergarten to high school. Sweden, Finland and the Netherlands have also followed suit. And, a few days ago, the UK government also moved in this direction with the stated aim of “minimizing disruption and improving classroom behavior”. As for our government and our country, Valditara had already announced in 2022 in a circular that it wanted to embark on this path in future school orientations.
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