Student in Achaia suspended for using mobile phone in school
A student at a school in Achaia, southern Greece, received a one-day suspension last Monday (Sept. 16) for using a cell phone in class.
The incident reported in the area of Magoula became known after the child’s parents filed a complaint against the school principal.
It is not clear if this is the first expulsion since new legislation came into effect this year banning the use of cell phones by students in schools.
In their complaint, the parents questioned the decision, asking to know who reported the incident to the school principal (who ordered the expulsion) and the teachers’ association, what was the opinion of the teacher who was present, if the parents were called by the school and what recommendations were made to the student and the parents, how their child use the cell phone during class, and what kind of recommendations were made from the beginning of the year to the school community regarding the new regulation.
The director of Secondary Education of Achaia, Eugenia Pierri, told Kathimerini the complaint is being investigated. “We have requested a written explanation from the school principal, while an educational consultant will go to the school and inquire exactly how the matter was handled pedagogically.”
She notes, however, that the expulsion is provided for by the new legislation. “It is indeed the principal’s responsibility to issue a dismissal. But we need to reach out to the education community, help kids realize that cell phone use is not needed at school and is harmful for a number of reasons. It is a difficult undertaking. Legislation does not invalidate the existence of an educational climate or cooperation with parents on how to convey the message to their children.”
Based on the new legislation, students who openly use their cell phone at school will face suspension of one day, while those who use their devices to make video recordings exposing or mocking their classmates during school hours could be expelled. The bill obliges students to hand in their cellphones at school at the start of classes.
While the ban on the use of cell phones in school already existed, the new law introduces clear penalties for violating it.
