Sweden's government is championing a renewed focus on physical books, paper and pens in classrooms, designed to reverse falling literacy levels. But doubling down on analogue tools has drawn criticism from tech companies, educators and computer scientists, who argue it could impact pupils' employment prospects, and even damage the Nordic nation's economy.
At a high school in Nacka just outside Stockholm, final-year students are unpacking laptops from rucksacks and tote bags, alongside items they say they used less frequently a few years ago. I now go home from school with new books and papers often, says Sophie, 18. She says one teacher has started printing all the texts that we use during the lesson, while a digital learning platform in maths lessons has been swapped out for textbook-only teaching.
This image clashes with Sweden's reputation as one of Europe's most tech-savvy societies, with high levels of digital skills and a thriving tech start-up scene. Laptops became mainstream in Swedish classrooms in the late 2000s and early 2010s. By 2015, around 80% of pupils at municipal state-funded high schools had individual access to a digital device. The compulsory use of tablets in pre-schools was included in the curriculum in 2019, to prepare children for an increasingly digital environment.
However, the current right-wing coalition, which came to power in 2022, is pushing for reduced screen time in classrooms. Education spokesperson Joar Forsell remarked, We're trying, actually, to get rid of screens as much as possible. The government has promoted the slogan från skärm till pärm, meaning from screen to binder, believing that screen-free lessons create better conditions for children to focus and develop literacy skills.
As part of this strategy, more than 2.1 billion krona ($200 million) has been allocated for schools to invest in textbooks, with a curriculum expected to enforce textbook-based learning by 2028. Yet, many are concerned that this return to traditional education risks neglecting essential digital skills needed for future employment. Critics have voiced fears that such a shift could result in students being underprepared for a workforce increasingly reliant on digital capabilities.
Supporters of this reform argue it will improve research results and address the current issues with distraction in classrooms exacerbated by heavy technology use. Research shows that students who had extensive screen time tend to lag behind their peers in international reading and comprehension assessments. The debate continues as students, educators, and parents navigate the balance between traditional and digital learning.
At a high school in Nacka just outside Stockholm, final-year students are unpacking laptops from rucksacks and tote bags, alongside items they say they used less frequently a few years ago. I now go home from school with new books and papers often, says Sophie, 18. She says one teacher has started printing all the texts that we use during the lesson, while a digital learning platform in maths lessons has been swapped out for textbook-only teaching.
This image clashes with Sweden's reputation as one of Europe's most tech-savvy societies, with high levels of digital skills and a thriving tech start-up scene. Laptops became mainstream in Swedish classrooms in the late 2000s and early 2010s. By 2015, around 80% of pupils at municipal state-funded high schools had individual access to a digital device. The compulsory use of tablets in pre-schools was included in the curriculum in 2019, to prepare children for an increasingly digital environment.
However, the current right-wing coalition, which came to power in 2022, is pushing for reduced screen time in classrooms. Education spokesperson Joar Forsell remarked, We're trying, actually, to get rid of screens as much as possible. The government has promoted the slogan från skärm till pärm, meaning from screen to binder, believing that screen-free lessons create better conditions for children to focus and develop literacy skills.
As part of this strategy, more than 2.1 billion krona ($200 million) has been allocated for schools to invest in textbooks, with a curriculum expected to enforce textbook-based learning by 2028. Yet, many are concerned that this return to traditional education risks neglecting essential digital skills needed for future employment. Critics have voiced fears that such a shift could result in students being underprepared for a workforce increasingly reliant on digital capabilities.
Supporters of this reform argue it will improve research results and address the current issues with distraction in classrooms exacerbated by heavy technology use. Research shows that students who had extensive screen time tend to lag behind their peers in international reading and comprehension assessments. The debate continues as students, educators, and parents navigate the balance between traditional and digital learning.
