Sweden to Ban Smartphones in Schools
Sweden, widely regarded as one of the leading countries in digital education technologies, is preparing to ban the use of mobile phones in schools starting from the new academic year. The decision is considered part of a growing international debate on the effects of screen use in classrooms on students’ learning processes.
Since 2023, Sweden’s center-right coalition government has pursued a policy aimed at reducing screen time, particularly among younger age groups, and strengthening book-based learning. Joar Forsell, Chair of the Swedish Parliament’s Education Committee, stated that reading and writing skills have declined in the country, especially among younger students, and emphasized that reducing screen use would be more beneficial for children.
The new regulation aims to expand phone restrictions, already implemented in many schools, across the country. At Malmö Borgarskola High School in Malmö, students place their phones in boxes called “Mobile Hotels” during lessons and collect them at the end of class. Students say that phones increase distractions in the classroom and that social media or games can become more attractive than learning.
The Swedish government has also allocated 555 million Swedish kronor, approximately 59 million dollars, for textbooks and teachers’ guides. This policy gained further importance after the 2022 PISA results showed that 24.3 percent of Swedish ninth-grade students did not reach the basic level of reading proficiency.