Sweden returns to paper
Sweden is reportedly rolling back classroom digital tools and shifting back toward physical books in schools amid concerns about screen time and retention, a change that has generated public debate on social channels (x.com). The BBC post about the policy change drew thousands of reactions as educators and parents weighed the tradeoffs (x.com).
Sweden has been steering schools back toward printed textbooks, paper and handwriting after its government said younger pupils need less screen time and more books. (government.se) The shift has not been a single ban on technology. Since 2023, Stockholm has funded textbook purchases, set a goal of one textbook per pupil and subject, and changed the law so pupils’ access to textbooks and other learning tools is explicitly protected from July 1, 2024. (government.se) The money is substantial. The government says textbook and teacher-guide grants totaled 685 million Swedish kronor in 2023, 658 million kronor in 2024, and 755 million kronor in 2025, with 555 million kronor allocated for 2026 and later years. (government.se) Preschools were an early target. In October 2023, the government asked the National Agency for Education to remove the curriculum requirement that children use digital learning tools and to make preschool education mainly screen-free. (regeringen.se) That preschool change later took effect on July 1, 2025. Sweden’s public radio reported that the new curriculum dropped the old requirement for tablets and computers and said apps and other digital tools should be used sparingly. (sverigesradio.se) The government has tied the policy to reading results. Sweden’s National Agency for Education said PISA 2022 showed Swedish 15-year-olds did worse in reading and mathematics than in 2018, even though Sweden still remained above the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development average in all three tested subjects. (skolverket.se) The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Sweden profile put Sweden’s 2022 reading score at 487, above the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development average of 476. A separate Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development review also said Sweden has high digital access but uneven classroom use of digital tools and persistent disruptions. (oecd.org, oecd.org) Sweden’s ministers have also leaned on newer screen-time research. In June 2024, the government said Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reports showed 30 percent of pupils in Sweden were distracted by mobile phones and other digital devices at school, above the international average. (government.se) The policy is not a full rejection of classroom technology. Sweden’s 2023 textbook grant allowed schools to buy printed textbooks with or without digital components, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s 2025 Sweden review said the country still benefits from high digital access when tools are used well. (regeringen.se, oecd.org) That is why the argument in Sweden has turned into a question of timing and balance, not paper versus computers in every lesson. The government’s current line is that digital tools should be introduced when they help learning rather than get in the way, while schools are being pushed to rebuild shelves of physical books first. (government.se)
