Literacy crisis: Why did Norwegian schools abandon iPads?
In 2016, a revolutionary step was taken in the Norwegian education system. In most schools in the country, free iPads and laptops were distributed to 5-year-old primary school students. Education was transferred to a 100% digital format. However, 8-10 years later, the result of this policy was the exact opposite of what was expected. The literacy level of children has dropped sharply, they are no longer able to read even simple texts.
**Literacy Crisis: Why Are Norwegian Schools Abandoning iPads?**
Norwegian schools are embarking on a major overhaul of their tablet policy. Decades of observation and international research have shown that giving children digital devices from an early age significantly reduces their reading and comprehension skills.
**Failed experiment**
In 2016, a revolutionary step was taken in the Norwegian education system. Free iPads and laptops were distributed to 5-year-old primary school students in many schools across the country. Traditional notebooks and books were almost completely removed from classrooms, and education was transferred to a 100% digital format. However, 8-10 years later, the result of this policy was exactly the opposite of what was expected.
According to the PIRLS (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study), which assesses students' ability to read and comprehend text, the performance of Norwegian children has dropped sharply. Since 2016 (the beginning of digitalization), Norway has had the fastest decline in reading literacy among OECD countries.
According to the Norwegian Ministry of Education and researchers, more than 15,000 students currently completing primary school cannot even read simple texts consisting of a few sentences to the end and have difficulty explaining the main content. Nationally, about 500,000 people (about 10 percent of the population) have serious difficulties reading and understanding simple text information needed in everyday life, such as instructions, official letters, and news.
In surveys of Norwegian students, the percentage of children who answered "I like reading" was one of the lowest in the world. Screens have completely destroyed the reading culture in children.
**What do experts say?**
Researchers say that tablets have taught children to quickly scroll through text with their fingers, rather than to read it carefully. As a result, students are unable to focus on reading long texts for more than 1-2 minutes. The ability to remember complex plots and logical chains is significantly impaired.