At the inauguration of its new secondary school premises on Avenue Hector Otto, the team at the British School of Monaco unveiled their innovative approach to tackling the hot topic of the place of mobile phones in schools, which will play out in the form of a new collaborative partnership with Monaco Telecom.
On Thursday 19th September, the British School of Monaco officially inaugurated its new secondary school premises, located in the L’Escorial building at 31 Avenue Hector Otto, in the presence of its recently appointed principal, Alan Stevens, and co-founders Luke Sullivan and Dr. Olena Sullivan-Prykhodko.
This year, the school will be accepting students in Years 7 (11 to 12 years old) to 11 (15 to 16 years old). The facilities include a science laboratory, art room, music facilities, playground, infirmary, administrative offices and a dining area.
Looking ahead, the British School of Monaco plans to introduce early years education for younger students starting in the 2025/26 academic year. Additionally, the school aims to launch the IGCSE exams in 2027 and open a Sixth Form (A-Levels) programme in 2028.
PhoneWall: a fresh take on school phones
Martin Peronnet, CEO of Monaco Telecom, joined the staff members at the inauguration and spoke of the company’s new collaboration with the British School of Monaco, which seeks to address the negative impacts of smartphone use among students.
This partnership will manifest in the form of PhoneWall, an initiative whereby Monaco Telecom will offer refurbished Nokia 3210 phones to students for a symbolic €1, plus a monthly charge of €8.99. For Monaco Telecom clients, the phone itself is free of charge.
The Nokia 3210 is a basic mobile phone that allows students and their parents to communicate during the school day, when needed, without all of the distractions associated with more advanced smartphone models.
Research has shown that excessive smartphone use among teenagers can lead to increased anxiety, decreased attention spans and other mental health issues. In response, many schools in Europe have banned mobile phones entirely on school premises or put in place stringent restrictions.
See more: Total ban on mobile phones in French schools possible by 2025
Principal Alan Stevens told Monaco Life, “I think this initiative is here to stay. This partnership between the British School of Monaco and Monaco Telecom is pioneering as, so far, schools have not found a way in which students can keep in touch with their parents and each other, they have simply banned phones.”
Parents who attended the secondary school’s inauguration were invited to sign up for the scheme, with one mother of a 12-year-old pupil telling Monaco Life, “I tried to set up protections on [my son’s] smartphone, but he has managed to bypass them by creating new Google accounts, so I can never restrict anything. This is where I think this PhoneWall initiative is great because he can still use a phone, just not anything beyond basic usage. I think if we do this collectively, this initiative will work.”
Those who were unable to attend the inauguration can still sign up to the scheme by visiting the Monaco Telecom boutiques on Boulevard des Moulins and Rue de Gabian.
For further details on the PhoneWall initiative or the secondary school, contact the British School of Monaco by email at contact@britishschool.mc or by calling +377 92 00 27 80.
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Left to right in main photo: Dr. Olena Sullivan-Prykhodko, Luke Sullivan, Martin Peronnet and Alan Stevens. All photos by Monaco Life