British college, where Prince William, Harry, Boris Johnson and others studied, bans smartphones for freshmen
Many school districts have long banned the use of smartphones by students during the school day, but one British boarding school has gone much further. Starting in September, Eton College, the prestigious school where Prince William and Harry, Ian Fleming, and Tom Hiddleston have all studied, will introduce a new mobile phone policy for its freshmen.
Here's What We Know
According to CBS News, these students will have to leave their smartphones at home and place their SIM cards in old Nokia offline phones with simple numeric keypads that only allow for calls and texting.
This new policy is based on UK government guidelines that allow headteachers to ban smartphone use by students during the school day.
Hopefully, no one will tell school officials about the Snake game.
Meanwhile, similar smartphone bans and guidelines are already becoming widespread in American school districts. According to Govspend, there is at least one school district in 41 states that has implemented a rule requiring students to put their smartphones in Yondr magnetic bags when they go to school.
The Los Angeles Unified School District in June passed a ban on student use of phones in schools, prompting California Governor Gavin Newsom to call for a similar law at the state level.
Meanwhile, New York City Public Schools Chancellor David Banks said he plans to introduce a ban on phone calls in the coming weeks. New York Governor Kathy Hochul is working with the state legislature to pass two new bills that would allow students to carry only phones without Internet access.
Even Florida has a statewide ban on smartphones in schools, which also requires schools to block students from accessing social media on Wi-Fi.
This new policy has drawn mixed reactions. Some people believe it will help students focus on their studies and reduce their dependence on technology. Others argue that it is too harsh and that students need access to their phones in emergency situations.
Source: CBS News
