Sweden to Ban Mobile Phones in Schools Next Year, Citing Falling Reading Skills but Prompting Digital Literacy Concerns

Sweden will ban mobile phones in schools beginning with the next academic year. The measure continues a policy the centre-right coalition government began in 2023 to increase reading time and cut screen time, especially for preschool students. Lawmaker Joar Forsell, chairperson of the Swedish parliament’s education committee, said officials have recorded a decline in reading and writing ability among younger students.

“We’re rolling the screens back because we believe that books and more traditional ways of learning are better for kids,” Forsell said. The government has allocated 555 million Swedish krona ($59 million) this year for textbooks and teachers’ guides. Sweden’s public health agency has advised parents to maintain the same “screen-free zones” at home that apply to their children.

At Malmö Borgarskola high school, phones are already collected in a box called the “Mobile Hotel” before class. Student Melina Sallahi, 17, said the rule reduces distraction. “When you have a phone, there’s always something to look at.

It’s less of a distraction,” she said. Classmate Vasilije Stjepanovic, also 17, said apps are “more fun than learning” and that removing phones improves focus. Every student at the school receives a laptop, yet Deputy Headmaster Patrik Sander said pupils are now discouraged from using laptops in class unless a teacher directs otherwise.

“We have pushed back, learning that writing with your hands and a pencil helps you remember,” Sander said. Since last summer, Swedish children under two may use only nondigital materials such as books, and preschoolers face no requirement to use digital tools. A new curriculum prioritising book-based learning is scheduled for 2028.

Denmark is preparing a comparable ban, and Finland introduced restrictions on mobile devices in schools last August. The Los Angeles Unified School District will ban screens until second grade, set daily screen-time caps by grade, prohibit YouTube, and audit all education-technology contracts.

The Swedish Edtech Industry reported that 90 per cent of future jobs will require digital skills and warned that reduced classroom technology could create future skills shortages.

Peter Carlsson, chief executive of Malmö-based startup Imvi Labs, said some software remains “critical” for children with learning difficulties. Student Melina Sallahi said digital skills are already acquired outside school. “Everyone uses digital devices during their free time, so I don’t think that’s something that should be taught in school,” she said.