More rules from schools and more attention from students.
The first effects of the Ministry of Education's clampdown on the use of smartphones in the classroom are already beginning to be seen.
This is despite the circular sent to schools at the end of December - which invites you to avoid as much as possible the temptation to look at your mobile phone screen during lessons, unless expressly authorized for educational reasons - which gives schools ample freedom of maneuver.
According to a survey carried out by the Skuola.net site - by interviewing 1,800 students from high schools, technical and professional institutes - when they returned to school after the Christmas holidays, in fact, as many as 1 out of 6 students found a "surprise" waiting for them: specific indications or new bans, put on paper.
Substantial numbers that add up to the long list of schools that had already acted independently on the subject in the past, based on the reference legislation issued over the years, first and foremost the 2007 circular signed by the then Minister of Education Fioroni who, for earlier, he had broached the subject.
In the end, on balance, currently 75% of the students interviewed declare greater attention from the school on the use of smartphones for the purpose of personal distraction, the result of written regulations or verbal indications.
Even if, then, the level of "rigor" applied in practice can vary a lot.
In almost half of the cases (44%) there are no preordained punishments depending on the violation committed.
At the same time, however, the fact that in the rest of the cases the consequences can be quite serious is not negligible: 1 out of 3 says that it can lead to a note on the register, 1 out of 4 even to suspension.
But that the climate has changed can also be perceived from the students' answers.
Before the last circular, in almost 90% of cases - regardless of the existence of clear rules - 49% said that they practically used their cell phones even during lessons.
Now the picture has changed.
In half of the cases, to avoid problems, the devices are used less shamelessly (40%) or have even completely disappeared from under the counter (10%).
Furthermore, contrary to what one might think, the intervention in Viale Trastevere does not find all the students disagreeing.
In fact, for 18% it is "sacrosanct" to ban the smartphone at school for purposes other than teaching and 32% agree with the provision of punishments in the event of non-compliance with codified rules.
However, the position that is most popular is that of mediation.