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SCHOOLS

Italy’s government attempts to ban cellphones in the classroom

The Italian government issued a directive on Tuesday banning mobile phones in lessons, though it wasn't clear how the rule could be enforced.

The Italian government has issued an order banning phone use in the classroom.
The Italian government has issued an order banning phone use in the classroom. Photo by Yasuyoshi CHIBA / AFP.

Giuseppe Valditara, Italy’s new minister for Education and Merit, delivered the order via a circular sent to Italian schools on Tuesday morning.

The document notes that Italy has in fact had a ban on phones in classrooms for over 15 years – which might make some wonder why a new rule is required.

The use of cellphones in class was “disrespectful to teachers” and created “an element of distraction”, Valditara wrote, adding that the move was intended to help to restore teachers’ authority.

“I intend to pursue the common interest of a serious school that puts learning and commitment back at the centre,” the letter said.

However no penalties will be applied for failing to enforce the rule, he clarified, adding, “we are not introducing disciplinary sanctions, we are calling for a sense of responsibility.”

The ban applies to both students and teachers, and extends to similar electronic devices; an exception is made for the use of digital tools as a learning aid.

The prohibition has been in force in Italy since 2007, the document notes, with the issuance of a previous circular that in turn made reference to a 1998 law.

The directive was broadly approved by the president of Italy’s National Association of Principals, Antonello Giannelli, who called it “acceptable both in substance and in form.”

He noted, however, that mobile phones can be used to make teaching more inclusive and can serve a function in schools. 

“Yes to the cell phone as a teaching tool, no as a distraction tool,” Giannelli said.

The news received more mixed reactions on social media sites.

The government is taking a step back, argued journalist Tommaso Cerno on Twitter, saying “let’s turn on brains instead of turning off technology.”

A Twitter user named Rossana Rolando, who says she teaches philosophy and history, pointed out that students weren’t allowed to use their phones in class before now anyway.

“I don’t think it changes the educational problem of cellphone use one iota, inside and outside schools,” she wrote.

And Ciro Pellegrino, a senior reporter for the news outlet Fanpage in Naples, criticised the government for not focusing on more important issues.

“Great! Now that they’ve finally eliminated the #cellphone in school, is there any hope they’ll reintroduce toilet paper?” he wrote.

“No, because in some schools, students and even teachers bring their own.”

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POLITICS

Florence elects first woman mayor after runoff elections

The Italian city of Florence, a leftist bastion, on Monday elected its first woman mayor as Sara Funaro easily defeated the right-wing ex-director of the prestigious Uffizi Galleries.

Florence elects first woman mayor after runoff elections

Funaro, a local councillor with the centre-left Democratic Party, won 60 percent of the vote in a second round run-off against German-born art historian Eike Schmidt, official results showed.

Schmidt, a political novice known for his successful revamp of the Uffizi Galleries during eight years as director, was backed by far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s coalition government.

If elected, he would have been the first right-wing politician to lead the historically liberal city. But it was not to be.

Funaro, 48, has been a city counsellor since 2014 in the administration of outgoing mayor Dario Nardella, charged with welfare, health care, immigration and teaching.

A psychologist by training, she dedicated her victory to her grandfather Piero Bargellini, a venerable figure in Florence known as the “Flood Mayor” for directing emergency and recovery efforts during the catastrophic 1966 flood.

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