First-year Eton College students must trade their smartphones for school-provided “dumb” Nokias | The ban-and-replace is part of Eton’s effort to refocus younger students on learning

From the article: Eton College, a boys boarding school located near Windsor just outside London, boasts an impressive list of notable alums, including Prince William, Prince Harry, Tom Hiddleston, and Eddie Redmayne. The school is also renowned for educating several future British prime ministers, such as David Cameron and Boris Johnson.

Eton College, one of the most prestigious boarding schools in the world, is set to ban smartphones for its incoming first-year students. The school, which houses and educates boys aged 13 to 18, will offer ancient Nokia phones as an alternative. This move reflects the school’s efforts to balance technological advancements with students’ education.

An Eton spokesperson told Business Insider that Eton frequently reviews its mobile phone and device policies to weigh the benefits and challenges technology brings to the educational environment. Starting in September, new “Year 9” (freshmen) students will receive “brick” phones, which allow calls and texts but have no internet functionality.

Furthermore, students can only use their phones outside school hours. They still have access to school-issued iPads during classes, but only to support their academic studies. Eton’s “age-appropriate” technology rules for upperclassmen remain unchanged.