Prince George and Eton classmates face clampdown on iPad use at prestigious school
Prince George and Eton classmates face clampdown on iPad use at prestigious school
Svar Nanan-Sen Sun, September 27, 2026 at 8:26 AM UTC
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Prince George | Source: FLICKR
Eton College has imposed significantly stricter controls on the school-issued iPads given to its newest intake, a cohort that includes Prince George, after parents raised alarms about their sons developing unhealthy screen habits.
The prestigious Berkshire boarding school has drawn up fresh guidance for first-year pupils which sharply curtails how and when they may use their devices.
Under the revised rules, boys will be restricted to browsing through a purpose-built secure browser, limited to a "white list" of websites vetted and approved by their teachers.
The policy overhaul, uncovered through reporting by The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, follows complaints from parents in 2024 that pupils were using the tablets for gaming and unrestricted internet access during lessons and homework time.
In December 2024, over 100 parents collectively wrote to the school's provost, Sir Nicholas Coleridge, and its senior leadership to express their dissatisfaction with the existing device and internet policy.
The letter, obtained by TBIJ and shared with The Telegraph, argued that the school's approach was "currently failing the boys" by allowing them to "game and gain access to the internet on their school-issued iPads" both in class and while completing homework "unsupervised in their bedrooms."
Parents contended that the situation was damaging pupils' learning and mental health, citing "clear evidence of harm to a significant number of boys in the school's care due to screen addiction."
Their demands included stripping out browser access entirely and permitting Wi-Fi connectivity only for email, Microsoft Teams, and school-sanctioned applications.
The letter concluded that the iPad policy amounted to "a failing in the school's duty of care and safeguarding for the boys" and represented "a failure of leadership," urging immediate reform "before more vulnerable boys are damaged."
In response to the parental pressure, Mike Grenier, Eton's deputy head, contacted the families of incoming pupils in July this year to outline a substantially tightened regime for iPad usage.
His letter, also seen by The Telegraph, confirmed that boys would continue to receive school iPads for academic purposes, but the devices would now connect exclusively to a dedicated network named Eton-Learning.
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During their opening weeks at the school, pupils would have access only to a restricted selection of Microsoft 365 applications.
From October onwards, they will be permitted to use a specially constructed safe browser to visit websites appearing on a "white list" curated and endorsed by their beaks.
The phased approach represents a marked departure from the previous system, which afforded first-years considerably broader internet access from the outset.
The overnight device ban, which has been enforced since 2018, remains in place. Devices may be collected again at 7am the next morning.
Prince George, who turned 13 this year, began his time at Eton on 8 September, arriving for his first day alongside the Prince and Princess of Wales.
His parents have previously disclosed that they restrict their children's time in front of screens and that none of their three children own mobile phones.
Prince George | Source: GETTY
The Princess of Wales has been particularly vocal on the issue, penning a forceful essay last year in which she cautioned parents against using phones during family mealtimes, arguing that device dependency was eroding family life and fuelling "an epidemic of distraction."
The revised Eton policy arrives amid mounting national pressure on schools to prevent pupils from misusing devices during lessons.
Eton College told The Telegraph that it is "firmly committed to online safety, to digital literacy and to striking an appropriate balance in the use of technology within our boarding community."
A spokesman added: "We have clear and well-established processes for responding to concerns raised by pupils, parents or staff and for ensuring that appropriate support and interventions are put in place where necessary. Any suggestion that concerns relating to screen use or online activity have been disregarded is not correct."
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