Overview

• On June 16, the Education Ministry issued a circular extending the smartphone ban during school hours to all upper secondary schools, effective next academic year.
• Schools must revise their regulations and educational responsibility pacts to enforce the ban and define disciplinary sanctions for students who violate the rule.
• The ban excludes cases covered by individual education plans for students with disabilities or specific learning disorders, as well as phone use integral to specialized technology and telecommunications instruction.
• Other digital devices such as PCs, tablets and electronic whiteboards remain permitted for didactic purposes under schools’ autonomy.
• The ministry cited studies from OECD, WHO and the Italian National Institute of Health linking excessive smartphone use to health and academic impacts, and has called on the European Commission to draft an EU-wide recommendation.