by Guisela Chiarella
High school students across Trieste are returning to classrooms today, some after a brief extension of their summer holiday, others already settling into their new schedules. The start of the academic year has been marked by a mix of orientation sessions for first-year students — including classroom tours and introductions to teachers — and shortened timetables designed to ease the transition back to school life.
This year, however, the return carries a notable change: cellphones are no longer permitted in classrooms, even during breaks.
The measure, introduced nationally by Giuseppe Valditara, Italy’s minister of education and merit, requires students to keep their smartphones switched off throughout the school day. In Trieste, principals have largely adopted a policy of trust rather than strict enforcement. Students may carry their devices in backpacks or pockets but are expected not to turn them on.
Schools will not require students to check in their phones upon arrival, and administrators have signaled that inspections will not be routine. Instead, the emphasis is on personal responsibility. Many schools in the city had already prohibited cellphone use during lessons, but the new directive formalizes and extends the ban.
Teachers are also expected to set an example by refraining from using their own devices during class time.
The policy aligns with broader discussions in Italy and beyond about the role of digital devices in education, amid concerns that constant connectivity may distract from learning and social interaction. For Trieste’s students, it adds a new layer of adjustment to the familiar rituals of the first days back at school.
