Italy Bans Mobile Phones in Schools

The Italian government has issued a ban on the use of mobile phones by pupils while inside schools following several recent incidents of "happy slapping" where camera phones are used to record attacks by pupils on each other.

Children who use phones during school can have punishments ranging from confiscation to being banned from taking exams.

Education Minister Giuseppe Fioroni said something must be done before schools are "destroyed by delinquents" as he outlined a series of recent vicious teen assaults around the nation, ANSA reported. There also were a number of attacks on teachers.

Last November, a cameraphone video showing a disabled pupil being bullied by classmates caused consternation after it was rebroadcast on the Internet. In another incident, pupils filmed each other sexually harassing a female teacher."

Posted to the site on 19th March 2007