New students at Eton College, a private British school for boys, have been ordered to leave their smartphones at home and are being given Nokia push-button phones instead. This was reported by CBS.
The letter sent to the students' parents states that the children should leave their smartphones at home and that their SIM cards will be installed in Nokia phones that only support calls and SMS messages.
The ban will come into effect in September. It was adopted after the government supported school principals who decided to ban the use of smartphones during the school day to minimize disruption and improve classroom behavior.
A spokesperson for the school told CBS that Eton regularly reviews its mobile phone and device policy to balance the benefits and challenges that technology brings to schools. He also noted that in addition to Nokia phones, students will receive school iPads for studying.
Eton College is known as one of the most prestigious private schools in the UK. Tuition at the school can cost about $60,000 a year. 14 of the school's graduates went on to become prime ministers, including Boris Johnson, who is well known to Ukrainians.