Over 6,000 pupils suspended for violating school phone ban, Pierrakakis says

More than 6,000 pupils have been suspended since the start of the academic year for flouting a ban on mobile phones at school, Education Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis said on Monday.

Speaking to Skai radio, Pierrakakis praised the effectiveness of the mobile phone ban and said that despite the 6,043 suspensions, its impact has been "remarkably good."

The minister went on to note that 213 incidents of school-related violence have been reported on the stop-bullying platform since schools reopened after the summer break, raising the total to 501 since the platform's launch in April.

Addressing the issue of so-called "perpetual" university students, Pierrakakis confirmed that a 2022 law, which sets a maximum study duration to six years, will be enforced. This means that students who exceed this limit will be struck off university registers.

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