Global 🌎 | Smartphones in the Classroom: Italy's Ban 🚫 and Global Debate

[pemanuele90]

Hello educators of all the world from Google Office in Milan, Italy! 

Schools are opening, the new school year is going to begin and here we're facing the debate: Is it good or not to ban the smartphone from the teaching and learning activity?

- What's happening in Italy? 🤔

Students, teachers, and parents everywhere are debating the role of smartphones in schools. In Italy, this discussion is especially lively after our Minister of Education, Giuseppe Valditara, extended the ban on personal smartphone use to high schools, also for teaching and learning activities.

- Italy’s "Screen-Free" Policy 📵

The new rule, which was already in place for younger students, requires phones to be switched off and out of sight during class. The goal is clear: to fight distraction, improve focus, and protect the mental well-being of students. The Ministry believes that less screen time leads to better academic performance and stronger social connections in the classroom.

- The Question for everyone: Ban or Educate? 

Italy's decision highlights a global conversation. While many support the ban as a necessary step to bring back traditional learning, others disagree.

And in your countries? What are the decisions about this topic? Curious to see how's the life in your schools. 

Have a great begin of school year! 

Ema. 

@Kristal @CFisanotti @valentinamassa 

[CFisanotti]

Working on skills today means working together in tech. 📲✨

Rather than banning devices, we should guide students in using them with purpose—to collaborate, to create, and to grow. Education is not only about protecting from distraction, but also about building digital responsibility and competence.

Curious to learn how other countries are balancing this challenge! 🌍👩‍🏫👨‍🏫

[tomjank]

A new law banning personal phones during school hours has started to take effect in Lithuania. The aim is for students to use only safe, school-provided devices for educational purposes during the school day. This also seeks to protect personal data, fight distraction, improve focus, and safeguard students' mental well-being. It's believed that less screen time leads to better academic performance and stronger social connections in the classroom.

We're facing significant problems with student health because they use phones too much during the day. Additionally, computer science (CS) subjects from the first grade onward have the purpose of teaching students to use ICT—to collaborate, create, and grow—in order to build digital responsibility and competence.

[pemanuele90]

Thanks for your answer! 

It's interesting this point of view, question. At school, you are supported to give devices to students by the MoE?

[tomjank]

State schools get funding for computers from two main sources: the Ministry of Education (MoE) and local municipalities. Our goal is to purchase Chromebooks, as they are a better option for several reasons. They are more secure, more affordable, and require less maintenance from our IT department. Additionally, they are more user-friendly for students than traditional devices running on Windows and using Microsoft Office.