A significant shift is on the horizon for learners at Camps Bay High School, where the use of cellphones during the school day will come to an end from the start of the 2026 academic year.
From January 2026, pupils will be expected to either leave their phones at home or secure them in on-site lockers upon arrival, only retrieving them once the final bell ring.
The decision, confirmed by school leadership and shared publicly with parents and learners, places Camps Bay High among a growing number of schools rethinking the role of smartphones in education.
Speaking on the matter, principal Louis Mostert said the change has been under discussion for some time, driven by daily classroom realities, according to EWN.
‘This has been coming on for quite a while now,’ he said, noting that staff had increasingly raised concerns about the impact of phones on learning.
As outlined by school management, the move is rooted in concerns around attention, interaction and wellbeing. Mostert explained that cellphone use had become harder to manage, with learners often distracted during lessons and withdrawn during breaks.
‘We are an educational institution, and we’re supposed to be teaching the kids the correct way and the right things,’ he said. ‘There’s no harm in them not having access to their phone for the school day.’
He added that learners frequently sat apart from one another during free periods, earphones in, absorbed in their screens rather than engaging face to face, a pattern staff felt was affecting the school’s social environment.
To address concerns from families, Mostert emphasised that communication channels would remain open.
‘If there’s an emergency at home, there’s a reception, you can phone and get hold of the child,’ he said.
In a post shared directly via social media, Camps Bay High confirmed that cellphone lockers are already being installed on campus, describing the process as ‘the first step toward Camps Bay High becoming a Phone-Free School from the first bell to the last.’
As the countdown to 2026 begins, Camps Bay High frames the move as a proactive step rather than a punishment, one aimed at fostering focus, connection and healthier habits during the school day.
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Picture: Camps Bay High/ Facebook
