The Great EdTech Reckoning. As Other Countries Roll Back on EdTech, The UK is Doubling Down. Help Us Call for Change!
After years of battling digital distraction in schools, a shift is underway in Europe and some US states.
Digital distraction is not just limited to smartphones – iPads, Chromebooks and 1:1 devices are harming attention, development and learning.
As the New York Times reported, one school in Kansas has begun removing Chromebooks from desks, returning them to carts and asking students to take notes by hand. A simple change, but a telling one.
It comes after more than a decade of rapid expansion in classroom technology. Billions have been spent embedding devices into learning, yet the promised improvements in outcomes have not materialised. In many cases, the opposite is reported.
Across classrooms, the reality is hard to ignore, with pupils off task, messaging during lessons, playing games, and switching between tabs. Some parents were even alerted to their child watching Taylor Swift movies and accessing inappropriate content, including “manosphere” podcasts. All in the school day.
And school systems have been used for harm, with bullying taking place through shared documents and school email platforms.
What was introduced to support learning is, in many cases, undermining it.
Now, a backlash is emerging.
After more than $10 billion invested in educational technology, some say a ‘growing global reckoning’ is coming.
At least 10 US states, including Utah, Missouri, Tennesse and Virginia, have proposed laws to:
✔️Limit classroom screen time
✔️Require proof that EdTech is safe, effective and educational
✔️Restrict or ban digital homework
✔️In some cases, let parents opt out
In Utah, schools are even exploring monitoring systems to track student activity on devices.
The direction of travel is clear.
“Technology can be a tool. It is not the answer to education.”
In the UK we are calling for a pause on 1:1 devices and pupil-facing EdTech until independent evidence can demonstrate both safety and educational value.
Help us make children’s wellbeing and learning a national priority.
Sign our petition today!
