Newsroom
Since the beginning of the academic year in September, a total of 10,700 students have been suspended for violating the new regulations banning cell phones in schools, according to Education Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis. These rules, implemented earlier this year, aim to reduce distractions and improve the learning environment. Students caught using phones are given a one-day suspension, with repeat offenders facing longer expulsions. Teachers also have the authority to remove disruptive students from lessons for several days.
This phone ban is part of broader efforts to tackle issues like cyberbullying, with a previous measure allowing for the expulsion of students who film and share videos of their peers to ridicule them online. However, Pierrakakis did not provide further breakdowns or specifics on the suspension data.
In addition, Pierrakakis confirmed the implementation of a new law addressing "perpetual students" at Greek universities. The law, which will take effect at the end of this academic year, mandates that students who exceed the prescribed time for completing their degrees by two or three years—depending on their university—will be expelled. This measure was enacted in 2022 to address long delays in degree completion.
