Italy cracks down on mobile phones in classrooms

Mobile phones are set to be banned from Italian classrooms in the new school year, under a decree issued on Thursday by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing administration.

The measure was introduced by Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara from the nationalist League party and aims to prohibit the use of smartphones in schools, including for teaching purposes. Tablets and computers can still be used with teachers' consent.

The ban on mobile phones is intended to improve pupils' behaviour. In addition, schoolchildren are to be encouraged to improve their handwriting skills.

Valditara further announced the reintroduction of a "school calendar" in which tasks must be written down by hand, allowing parents to keep track of their children's education. "We need to get our children used to pen and paper again," said the minister.

A ban on mobile phones in Italian schools has been in place for several years, but was not widely enforced. Other countries have introduced similar measures in recent years to create a better learning environment for schoolchildren.

Italy's education ministry was renamed the Ministry of Education and Merit after Meloni's right-wing coalition took office in October 2022. The change is intended to reflect a stronger emphasis on individual achievement.