Latest news with #KnightsbridgeSchool
Metro
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Hugh Grant slams rules at his kids' ‘ridiculous posh private schools'
Hugh Grant did not hold back when discussing the rules over screens at his children's 'ridiculous posh private schools.' The Bridget Jones actor shares three children with his wife Anna Eberstein: John Mungo, 12, Lulu, nine, and Blue, seven. He also welcomed Tabitha, 13, and Felix, 11, from his previous relationship with Tinglan Hong. The Heretic star is currently campaigning for schools to introduce more outdoor play at school, drawing on his experience with his children in education. Hugh described himself as 'another angry parent fighting the eternal, exhausting and depressive battle with children who only want to be on a screen' during an event at Knightsbridge School in London this week. The Notting Hill actor slammed the 'pathetic' rules these 'kind of ridiculous posh private schools' have when it comes to screen time. 'They're the ones saying they're not going to play outside today because it's raining, or they can't go on the climbing frame because it's windy,' he began according to The Telegraph. 'It's pathetic — it seems to me that there is space here for a hero school, a set of schools to break the mould.' 'The final straw was when the school started saying, with some smugness, 'We give every child a Chromebook, and they do a lot of lessons on their Chromebook, and they do all their homework on their Chromebook,' and you just thought that is the last f*****g thing they need, and the last thing we need.' The event was also attended by Dr Jonathan Haidt as well as Peep Show actor Sophie Winkleman, who slammed ChatGPT use by students and teachers alike, asking 'what's the point of school?' 'We were sold a dream that technology would revolutionise education, personalise learning and prepare kids for a digital future. Billions of dollars and pounds later, where are we?,' she continued. 'Test scores are plummeting globally. The increased screen use is damaging children's health.' They aren't the only celebrities taking a stand against technology, with ex-footballer Jamie Redknapp, actor Benedict Cumberbatch and singers Rachel Stevens and Paloma Faith signing the 'Parent Pact.' The campaign, which has more than 100,000 signatures so gar, aims to get families to commit to delaying giving their children a smartphone until they turn 14 and social media until they turn 16. The NGO said: 'Delaying smartphones becomes possible when we do it together.' The group added: 'In every corner of the UK, at 40% of schools in the country, families are committing to wait until at least 14 before getting their kids' smartphones.' According to the Smartphone Free Childhood website: 'Founded in February 2024 after one WhatsApp group went viral, we're now a community of over 200,000 parents working together to change the culture around kids and smartphones. 'We've made it our mission to provide solidarity, support and solutions to parents who are struggling with what's become one of the defining parenting challenges of our time. 'And we're using the voice of our community to push for more support from the government in the battle to reclaim childhood from Big Tech's addictive algorithms and devices.' The mission of the Parent Pact is to 'to use the growing groundswell of support for this movement to create lasting change for children.' You can sign the pact online here. It comes after Hugh opened up on a 'creepy' airport incident that occurred with his children, who he largely keeps out of the public eye. On X, the Notting Hill star wrote: 'Just came through Heathrow with wife and children. We all have the same last name (Grant) on our passports. More Trending 'Immigration officer engages my children in chit chat then whispers to them 'Are these your Mum and Dad?' Intrusive, insulting and creepy.' Hugh has been open about how much he enjoys being a father, even joining his kids at concerts like BlackPink and Taylor Swift. While on the SmartLess podcast, Hugh was asked about his children and shared: 'I had them much too old in life. You know I started when I was 52.' 'I think I was a dried-up, middle-aged, golf-addicted Englishman,' he added. 'Then I had children and suddenly I had heart and I had more layers, or something.' Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Full list of 750 free school breakfast clubs opening today MORE: Billy Ray Cyrus and Elizabeth Hurley's turbulent dating lives after 'confirming' romance MORE: 'Andrew Tate phenomena' sweeping schools with boys 'barking at female teachers'
Fox News
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Hugh Grant blasts his children's 'posh private schools' for 'pathetic' rules
Hugh Grant vented frustration over the "posh private schools" his children attend as he pushes to ban laptops and tablets from classrooms. On Wednesday, the 64-year-old actor joined American social psychologist and author Jonathan Haidt and King Charles III's second cousin, Sophie Winkleman, at London's Knightsbridge School for an event organized by the group Close Screens, Open Minds. While speaking during the event, Grant, a father of five, accused schools of fueling children's addiction to technology and limiting outdoor play. The "Bridget Jones' Diary" star described himself as "another angry parent fighting the eternal, exhausting and depressive battle with children who only want to be on a screen." Grant also blasted school officials at "ridiculous posh private schools" for their "pathetic" rules he claimed were keeping children indoors. "They're the ones saying they're not going to play outside today because it's raining, or they can't go on the climbing frame because it's windy," the actor said, according to a story published by the Telegraph Wednesday. "It's pathetic," Grant continued. "It seems to me that there is space here for a hero school, a set of schools, to break the mold." The Golden Globe winner shares John Mungo, 12, and daughters Lulu, 9, and Blue, 7, with wife Anna Eberstein. Grant is also father to daughter Tabitha, 13, and son Felix, 11, whom he shares with his former partner Tinglan Hong. Grant explained that he decided to speak out after becoming fed up with the schools' overreliance on technology in the classroom. "The final straw was when the school started saying, with some smugness, 'We give every child a Chromebook.' And they do a lot of lessons on their Chromebook, and they do all their homework on their Chromebook, and you just thought that is the last f---ing thing they need and the last thing we need," he said. Haidt is advocating for phone-free schools in addition to a ban on smartphones for children under the age of 14 and barring students under 16 from using social media during classes. According to the Guardian, in his 2024 book "The Anxious Generation," Haidt said smartphones have created an "epidemic of mental illness" in children by "rewiring" the younger generations' brains, which led to "attention fragmentation." Grant said other parents haven't voiced their concerns about the increasing digital consumption in education due to their fears of "rocking the boat." However, he called on other parents to join him in his efforts to fight education technology [EdTech] since he believes attempts to turn to the schools or government for support will be futile. "Do you lobby the schools, and if you do, what's the weird, sudden, frozen, sepulchral silence from them on this issue?" he said. "Do you go to government? My experience, campaigning with the [press ethics campaign] Hacked Off over 12 years, is that's probably a bad idea," Grant noted. "I'm very cynical about it now. "I don't think politicians ever do anything because it's the right thing to do, even if it's the right thing to do to protect children," he added. "They'll only do what gets them votes. They only care about their career. "Therefore, I think the third option on this, which is to go after parents, is the right one. Because I think that once you get a critical mass of parents who are outraged by EdTech, as well as all the other issues, the phones, etc., that is when politicians listen because they're scared of that. "That's also when schools start to listen because they're scared of people leaving their schools and losing business."
Telegraph
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Hugh Grant: Screen-obsessed schools are ruining our children
Hugh Grant is campaigning to remove laptops and tablets from schools. The actor, a father of five, says he is 'another angry parent fighting the eternal, exhausting and depressive battle with children who only want to be on a screen'. Grant has joined forces with Dr Jonathan Haidt, the American social psychologist and author of The Anxious Generation, to banish smartphones and educational technology (EdTech) from the classroom. According to a 2023 report by the Department for Education, 98 per cent of teachers use technology across a range of classroom activities with laptops and tablets now available to more than 9 in 10 pupils in the UK's primary and secondary schools. Grant appeared alongside Dr Haidt and Sophie Winkleman, the Peep Show actress, at an event organised by the campaign group Close Screens, Open Minds at Knightsbridge School in London. He said: 'The final straw was when the school started saying, with some smugness, we give every child a Chromebook, and they do a lot of lessons on their Chromebook, and they do all their homework on their Chromebook, and you just thought that is the last f---ing thing they need, and the last thing we need.' Dr Haidt, who is campaigning for phone-free schools, smartphones to be banned for under-14s, and under-16s to be prohibited from using social media, said technology should have a role in school, but 'not on children's desks'. His 2024 book argues that the introduction of smartphones has caused an 'epidemic of mental illness' in children, 'rewiring' the brains of the Zoomer and Alpha generations, resulting in 'attention fragmentation'. The Government has rejected calls for a law banning phones in classrooms, and Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, has dismissed the demands as a 'headline-grabbing gimmick'. Test scores 'have plunged' 'Test scores began going down after 2012,' Dr Haidt told the event. 'I don't know if it's because of the phones, or because that's when we put iPads and Chromebooks on kids' desks. Whatever it is, as soon as we brought in the EdTech, scores plunged.' Referring to maths and spelling apps which reward pupils with colourful tokens, icons and emojis, he added: 'If you gamify a quarter of a child's school day with these quick rewards, the child's dopamine neurons will habituate to that constant stimulation and will become less responsive, needing more stimulation in order to make the child feel normal. 'What that means is that the child will now find anything that's not gamified painfully boring. That's what we've done to our kids, by giving them devices in school.' Grant, 64, who has Tabitha, 13, and Felix, 11, with his former partner Tinglan Hong, and John, 12, Lulu, eight, and six-year-old Blue with his wife Anna Eberstein, said parents feared 'rocking the boat' by challenging the digitisation of learning. 'Do you lobby the schools and if you do, what's the weird, sudden, frozen, sepulchral silence from them on this issue?' he said. 'Do you go to government? My experience, campaigning with Hacked Off (the press ethics campaign) over 12 years is that's probably a bad idea. I'm very cynical about it now. 'I don't think politicians ever do anything because it's the right thing to do, even if it's the right thing to do to protect children. They'll only do what gets them votes. They only care about their career. 'Therefore, I think the third option on this, which is to go after parents, is the right one. Because I think that once you get a critical mass of parents who are outraged by EdTech, as well as all the other issues, the phones, etc, that is when politicians listen because they're scared of that. 'That's also when schools start to listen because they're scared of people leaving their schools and losing business.' 'We need a hero school' Grant also hit out at the 'kind of ridiculous posh private schools' he sends his children to for restricting outdoor play. 'They're the ones saying they're not going to play outside today because it's raining, or they can't go on the climbing frame because it's windy. It's pathetic. It seems to me that there is space here for a hero school, a set of schools, to break the mould.' Winkleman, who is married to Freddie Windsor, the King's second cousin, and has two daughters, said: 'We were sold a dream that technology would revolutionise education, personalise learning and prepare kids for a digital future. Billions of dollars and pounds later, where are we? 'Test scores are plummeting globally. The increased screen use is damaging children's health. Pupils are resorting to ChatGPT to write their essays, and teachers are employing AI to mark them, which begs the question, what's the point of school?'
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Hugh Grant: Screen-obsessed schools are ruining our children
Hugh Grant is campaigning to remove laptops and tablets from schools. The actor, a father of five, says he is 'another angry parent fighting the eternal, exhausting and depressive battle with children who only want to be on a screen'. Grant has joined forces with Dr Jonathan Haidt, the American social psychologist and author of The Anxious Generation, to banish smartphones and educational technology (EdTech) from the classroom. According to a 2023 report by the Department for Education, 98 per cent of teachers use technology across a range of classroom activities with laptops and tablets now available to more than 9 in 10 pupils in the UK's primary and secondary schools. Grant appeared alongside Dr Haidt and Sophie Winkleman, the Peep Show actress, at an event organised by the campaign group Close Screens, Open Minds at Knightsbridge School in London. He said: 'The final straw was when the school started saying, with some smugness, we give every child a Chromebook, and they do a lot of lessons on their Chromebook, and they do all their homework on their Chromebook, and you just thought that is the last f---ing thing they need, and the last thing we need.' Dr Haidt, who is campaigning for phone-free schools, smartphones to be banned for under-14s, and under-16s to be prohibited from using social media, said technology should have a role in school, but 'not on children's desks'. His 2024 book argues that the introduction of smartphones has caused an 'epidemic of mental illness' in children, 'rewiring' the brains of the Zoomer and Alpha generations, resulting in 'attention fragmentation'. The Government has rejected calls for a law banning phones in classrooms, and Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, has dismissed the demands as a 'headline-grabbing gimmick'. 'Test scores began going down after 2012,' Dr Haidt told the event. 'I don't know if it's because of the phones, or because that's when we put iPads and Chromebooks on kids' desks. Whatever it is, as soon as we brought in the EdTech, scores plunged.' Referring to maths and spelling apps which reward pupils with colourful tokens, icons and emojis, he added: 'If you gamify a quarter of a child's school day with these quick rewards, the child's dopamine neurons will habituate to that constant stimulation and will become less responsive, needing more stimulation in order to make the child feel normal. 'What that means is that the child will now find anything that's not gamified painfully boring. That's what we've done to our kids, by giving them devices in school.' Grant, 64, who has Tabitha, 13, and Felix, 11, with his former partner Tinglan Hong, and John, 12, Lulu, eight, and six-year-old Blue with his wife Anna Eberstein, said parents feared 'rocking the boat' by challenging the digitisation of learning. 'Do you lobby the schools and if you do, what's the weird, sudden, frozen, sepulchral silence from them on this issue?' he said. 'Do you go to government? My experience, campaigning with Hacked Off (the press ethics campaign) over 12 years is that's probably a bad idea. I'm very cynical about it now. 'I don't think politicians ever do anything because it's the right thing to do, even if it's the right thing to do to protect children. They'll only do what gets them votes. They only care about their career. 'Therefore, I think the third option on this, which is to go after parents, is the right one. Because I think that once you get a critical mass of parents who are outraged by EdTech, as well as all the other issues, the phones, etc, that is when politicians listen because they're scared of that. 'That's also when schools start to listen because they're scared of people leaving their schools and losing business.' Grant also hit out at the 'kind of ridiculous posh private schools' he sends his children to for restricting outdoor play. 'They're the ones saying they're not going to play outside today because it's raining, or they can't go on the climbing frame because it's windy. It's pathetic. It seems to me that there is space here for a hero school, a set of schools, to break the mould.' Winkleman, who is married to Freddie Windsor, the King's second cousin, and has two daughters, said: 'We were sold a dream that technology would revolutionise education, personalise learning and prepare kids for a digital future. Billions of dollars and pounds later, where are we? 'Test scores are plummeting globally. The increased screen use is damaging children's health. Pupils are resorting to ChatGPT to write their essays, and teachers are employing AI to mark them, which begs the question, what's the point of school?' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
