For more than 20 years, Sweden was presented as the model of digital education in Europe. Beginning in the early 2000s, schools across the country gradually replaced traditional textbooks with laptops and tablets, while many municipalities adopted the “one device per student” model. Today, however, the same country is making a dramatic reversal, bringing paper, printed books, and handwriting back to the center of the classroom.

The change is neither symbolic nor limited to isolated initiatives. The Swedish government announced funding of 685 million Swedish kronor for the purchase of new school textbooks during 2023, while allocating an additional 500 million kronor annually in the coming years to ensure that every student has access to printed educational materials. Sweden’s Ministry of Education has also made it clear that children up to the age of six should use little or no digital devices during the school day.

Concerns About Learning Outcomes

In the international PIRLS study, which assesses the reading ability of fourth-grade students every five years, Sweden’s score fell from 555 points in 2016 to 544 in 2021. Although the country’s performance remains above the international average of 500 points, the decline was considered significant enough to spark public debate about the educational policies of the past decade.

The picture is not limited to international assessments. Swedish teachers have reported that an increasing number of students struggle to read long texts without interruption, while their concentration declines noticeably when learning takes place exclusively through a screen, whether it is a personal computer, a tablet, or even the interactive whiteboard found in every classroom.

The phenomenon became even more pronounced after the pandemic, when millions of hours of teaching worldwide temporarily moved online.

At the same time, UNESCO published its 2023 Global Education Monitoring Report on technology in education. The report noted that only about 10% of educational studies evaluate the actual impact of digital tools on learning with a high degree of reliability. The organization emphasized that technology should serve as a support for teaching rather than an end in itself, urging governments to adopt solutions based on scientific evidence rather than market capabilities.

The Role of Neuroscientists

Researchers at the Karolinska Institutet argue that handwriting simultaneously activates brain regions associated with vision, motor coordination, language, and memory. By contrast, typing involves much more repetitive and limited movements, reducing the range of sensory input involved in the learning process, particularly in young children.

Similar conclusions emerge from international studies on reading. Various studies comparing thousands of school pupils and university students have found that text comprehension is generally better when material is read in print rather than on a digital screen. Scientists attribute this to the fact that paper provides spatial reference points, allowing the brain to organize information more easily and recall content more effectively.

This does not mean that Sweden is abandoning technology. The country remains one of the most digitally advanced economies in the European Union. More than 95% of households have internet access. Computers continue to be an essential tool for information gathering, student collaboration, and the development of digital skills. The difference is that, in Swedish education, these tools are now viewed as a complement to teaching rather than a substitute for books.

The new policy comes at a time when screens occupy an ever-larger share of children’s daily lives. According to OECD data, teenagers in developed countries spend an average of more than three hours per day using digital devices outside of school, not including the time required for schoolwork. Educators fear that the constant switching between images, notifications, and applications makes it more difficult to develop deep concentration—a skill essential for understanding complex texts.

Even so, the return to books has not been accepted without criticism. Many researchers point out that the decline in academic performance cannot be attributed solely to screens. Sweden faces a far more complex situation: the effects of the pandemic, social inequalities, changes in the composition of the student population, and differing educational policies also influence outcomes. They argue that the goal should not be to eliminate technology but to use it rationally and with clear educational objectives.

Sweden’s case is particularly significant because it comes from a country that invested more heavily than almost any other in the digital transformation of education. When one of the pioneers chooses to take a step back, the decision does not go unnoticed. Several European governments are already closely monitoring the results of Sweden’s new strategy. The real challenge, of course, is finding the right balance between books and screens—and determining whether this model can prove more effective than complete reliance on digital technology.