Eton has banned smartphones and is giving students ‘brick phones’ instead

The top private school is bringing back the Nokia

Smartphones are one of the biggest debates facing schools, with a government committee saying that they should be banned for all children under 16 years old earlier this year.

Robin Walker, who chaired the committee, said the devices cause ‘extensive damage’ to young people who cannot stop using them, with one in four children using their phones in a way that resembles addiction.

Eton has written to parents to confirm that they are no longer allowing smartphones for pupils in their first year at the school.

Students will instead be given old school 'brick' phones like the classic Nokia 3310, and will be expected to transfer their SIM cards to these if they already own a smartphone.

The Berkshire boarding school is putting the policy in place for those entering year 9, which is the first year in the school that caters for boys aged 13 to 18.

"From September those joining in Year 9 will receive a ‘brick’ phone for use outside the school day, as well as a school-issued iPad to support academic study. Age-appropriate controls remain in place for other year groups."

The private school is not the first school to place a ban on smartphones.

Earlier this year, a group of 16 secondary schools in London introduced measures to encourage students to reduce "the negative impact of smartphones and social media in their schools".

The schools said they were bringing in "higher sanctions" for those below Year 10 found using smartphones compared to non-smartphones.

Another headteacher introduced plans for 12 hour days to tackle smartphone addiction among young people.

The head wants students to turn up to school at 7am and leave 7pm, encouraging them to take part in sports, art and cooking classes instead of spending time on devices at home.

Speaking to the Times, O’Neill said that smartphones are creating an “apathetic” generation.

He told the publication that he had found “some of the most shocking things I have ever seen” on confiscated phones. This included pupils blackmailing strangers and catfishing each other.

The 43-year-old also said pupils have been falling victim to online crime, including cyberbullying and sexting.

Since 2016, children at the school have been banned from carrying phones but can keep the devices in their bags or lockers.

O’Neill said smartphones were affecting the social lives of children, who he claims are getting worse at making friends, making eye contact with people and holding conversations.

He said: “We have a long-term issue we need to solve. If we don’t we will have a generational problem with workplaces and society.

“Some children are so apathetic. They don’t care about anything. They are buried in their phones.”

O’Neill said that whilst his three kids do have smartphones, they are only for tracking their location and the devices don’t have any social media apps installed.

He added that parents who don’t keep their children safe online should be reported to social services or prosecuted.