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 mentions that 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.
It's an image that clashes with Sweden's reputation as one of Europe's most tech-savvy societies, thanks to 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 as part of the previous Social Democrat-led government's mission to prepare even the youngest children for an increasingly digital work and private life.
However, the current right-wing coalition, which came to power in 2022, is moving teaching in a different direction. We're trying, actually, to get rid of screens as much as possible, says Joar Forsell, an education spokesperson for the Liberal party whose leader is Sweden's education minister. The government has frequently used the slogan från skärm till pärm, which sounds catchy in Swedish and translates to from screen to binder.
This shift aims to create better conditions for children to concentrate and develop their writing and reading skills. Since 2025, pre-schools are no longer required to use digital tools, and tablets aren't given to children under the age of two. A new curriculum designed to enforce textbook-based learning is due in 2028, with schools already allocated over 2.1 billion krona ($200 million) in grants to invest in textbooks and teacher guides.
The government hopes this return to traditional education practices will bolster Sweden's performance in international assessments, as the country's scores in literacy and mathematics have significantly declined in recent years. Critics, including the Swedish EdTech Industry, contend that this approach risks underpreparing students for a digital workforce. Furthermore, disparities in exposure to technology between students may exacerbate social inequalities in the educational system.
As the debate continues, opinions among students remain divided, with some advocating for more digital education while others express concerns about the impact of technology on attention and 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 mentions that 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.
It's an image that clashes with Sweden's reputation as one of Europe's most tech-savvy societies, thanks to 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 as part of the previous Social Democrat-led government's mission to prepare even the youngest children for an increasingly digital work and private life.
However, the current right-wing coalition, which came to power in 2022, is moving teaching in a different direction. We're trying, actually, to get rid of screens as much as possible, says Joar Forsell, an education spokesperson for the Liberal party whose leader is Sweden's education minister. The government has frequently used the slogan från skärm till pärm, which sounds catchy in Swedish and translates to from screen to binder.
This shift aims to create better conditions for children to concentrate and develop their writing and reading skills. Since 2025, pre-schools are no longer required to use digital tools, and tablets aren't given to children under the age of two. A new curriculum designed to enforce textbook-based learning is due in 2028, with schools already allocated over 2.1 billion krona ($200 million) in grants to invest in textbooks and teacher guides.
The government hopes this return to traditional education practices will bolster Sweden's performance in international assessments, as the country's scores in literacy and mathematics have significantly declined in recent years. Critics, including the Swedish EdTech Industry, contend that this approach risks underpreparing students for a digital workforce. Furthermore, disparities in exposure to technology between students may exacerbate social inequalities in the educational system.
As the debate continues, opinions among students remain divided, with some advocating for more digital education while others express concerns about the impact of technology on attention and learning.
