Eton bans smartphones

Eton's youngest students are going to banned from using smartphones.

The private school is instead swapping them for basic Nokia ‘brick’ phones.

The Berkshire school, which charges up to around £52,000 a year, says ‘age-appropriate controls’ will remain in place for older year groups.

School leaders said that the decision was made ‘to balance the benefits and challenges that technology brings to schools’.

It comes as schools across the country grapple with young people’s smartphone use.

There is currently no national legislation telling schools to adopt a certain position – but many have moved to adopt no-use policies.

A survey in February found that 49 per cent of secondary schools in England have banned the use of phones during school hours. But only 16 per cent of them banned phones on the premises altogether.

Some lock phones away when students arrive to the school day and give them back at the end.

Other schools have encouraged parents to not let their children have a smartphone before the age of 14.

Research from think tank Policy Exchange says that phone bans offer ‘potential benefits’ for school performance and pupil attainment, as well as children’s wellbeing.

The research, which analysed 162 different school’s approaches, found a ‘clear correlation’ between an effective phone ban and better school performance.

Charities and campaign groups have welcomed Eton’s announcement and have encouraged more state schools to adopt similar policies.

Smartphone Free Childhood, which works to highlight the risks of phones in schools, said ‘we have to ensure its not only the most privileged in society who are able to protect their children’.

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