Latest news Greece: Cell phones remain in school bags
In Greece, cell phones will be banned during lessons from the start of the new school year at the beginning of September. "The motto is: the cell phone stays in the school bag," said Greek Education Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis on the Greek news channel Skai.
30.08.2024, 16:47
SDA
Anyone who does not comply will be expelled from school for a day. In the event of a repeat offense, there is a threat of exclusion from lessons for several days. Anyone who also records their fellow pupils or teachers on video without permission could, in the most drastic case, even be expelled from school completely and would then have to transfer to another school.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also announced a tougher approach to pupils who use cell phones in the classroom during a meeting of the Council of Ministers in the middle of the week, which was broadcast on the radio. "We do not necessarily have the ambition to ensure 100 percent compliance from the first moment, but we want to explain to children, parents and teachers why it is important that the student is absolutely committed to the educational process at school," Mitsotakis said.
This is the first time in Greece that the use of cell phones in the classroom has been punished with severe penalties. Previously, there was a general ban on use. However, teachers were unable to enforce it and the ban on cell phones was relaxed - until the government's new initiative. A spokesperson for the high school teachers' union (OLME) said on Greek radio that it was important to really convince pupils to switch off their cell phones and not just threaten them with punishments.
