Sweden is set to ban mobile phones in schools beginning this fall, joining a broad international reversal on the use of screens in classrooms. The move, which takes effect for the next academic year, is the latest step by the country's center-right coalition government in a years-long push to prioritize books and traditional learning tools over digital devices.
Lawmakers tied the decision to a measurable decline in students' core skills. Joar Forsell, chairperson of the Swedish parliament's education committee, said officials had observed a drop in the general ability to read and write, particularly among younger students. "We're rolling the screens back because we believe that books and more traditional ways of learning are better for kids," he said.
The data underpinning the policy is sobering. In the 2022 Program for International Student Assessment, the most recent study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 24.3% of Swedish ninth graders did not reach a basic level of reading comprehension, a figure that has alarmed educators and policymakers.
Since 2023, the government has pursued a strategy of more reading time and less screen time, especially among preschool-aged children, favoring physical books and other conventional materials. This year it set aside 555 million Swedish krona, about $59 million, as part of a new grant for purchasing textbooks and teachers' guides.
The shift represents a notable about-face for a country long regarded as a leader in classroom technology. Sweden had embraced digital tools in education over the past decade, and the new restrictions reflect growing skepticism among educators and parents about the effect of constant device use on learning and attention.
Sweden is not acting alone. In the Nordic region, Denmark appears poised to implement a similar ban, and a law restricting the use of mobile devices in schools in Finland took effect last August. The measures are part of a wider trend across Europe and beyond, as governments respond to concerns about screen time, distraction and declining literacy.
Supporters of the ban argue that removing phones from classrooms will improve concentration, reduce bullying and free up time for reading and direct instruction. Critics of blanket bans have questioned whether they address the underlying causes of falling scores or simply shift the problem outside school hours.
For Sweden's schools, the practical work of implementing the ban will begin over the summer, with the policy due to be in force when students return for the new academic year in the autumn.