After the turn of vines already imposed on elementary and middle school, the Ministry of Education It extends the prohibition of use of smartphones also in high schools. With a new circular signed by the Minister Giuseppe Valditarais established that The use of cell phones will be prohibited throughout the school hoursincluding didactic activities. A move that aims to “Countering the negative effects related to improper use of technology”but that does not fail to raise questions in the world of education and innovation.
A (almost) total ban also for didactic purposes
The circular, addressed to school managers, requires schools to update internal regulations and educational pacts of co -responsibility. The ban is clear: no more smartphones among the desks, not even for educational purposes, except for rare exceptions. Among these, use is still allowed as a compensatory tool for students with disabilities or DSA, or in particular cases “personal needs”.
Other digital devices remain admitted; Tablets, PCs and interactive blackboards continue to be authorized educational tools, with the explicit invitation of the Ministry to enhance its potential. In short, it is not a rejection of technology itself, but a reference to its more conscious and structured use.
It is up to the supervisory schools: penalties arriving
Each institute must define the penalties For those who violate the new provisions. A no small liability, considering the consolidated habits of the students and the central role that the smartphone plays in their daily lives. However, the rule leaves room for targeted educational uses: for example, the use of smartphones is still tolerated in technical and professional paths with a computer or telecommunications, where the mobile phone can be an integral part of the training activity.
The narrow comes in response to a growing alarm documented by international studies. The circular explicitly recalls OECD data, WHO and the Higher Institute of Health, which highlight a correlation between immoderate use of the smartphone and decline in school performance, addiction, anxiety, insomnia and social isolation among young people. According to ISS, 25% of Italian teenagers would show signals of “problematic use” of the mobile phone. The measure is part of an increasingly attentive European framework; Valditara has in fact announced that it has solicited the EU Commission to promote a common orientation between Member States.
The document ends with an invitation to “Strengthen education to conscious use of digital tools”underlining the need to include a reflection on artificial intelligence and its applications in the world of teaching in the school path. The Ministry’s message is clear: prohibiting the use of smartphones does not mean giving up digital, but guiding students towards a more critical and profitable use.
