Sweden: after abandoning textbooks in favor of digital technology, the country is backtracking

In Swedish classes, textbooks and other notebooks are rare, even non-existent. They have been abandoned for 15 years, in favor of computers and tablets. But screen and learning do not necessarily go hand in hand. According to an international study, the average level of young Swedes has decreased in reading and written comprehension in recent years. The Swedish government has therefore announced the release of several million euros in 2023 and the following years to buy back textbooks.

Digital increasingly present in France too

In France too, digital is taking up more and more space in schools, and nine out of ten teachers recognize its educational benefits in primary education, according to a survey by the Ministry of National Education. For the founder of a French association for digital education, textbooks and screens must coexist in order to meet the educational needs of each student. “Sweden’s mistake is to have wanted to do everything digital”, explains Thomas Rohmer, director of the Observatory of parenting and digital education (LOPEN). In Sweden, the average level of students is still higher than that of its European neighbors, and among the 15 best in the world.