Sweden, long seen as a leader in digital technology, will ban mobile phones in schools in the fall of 2026, part of a broader international move away from screens in the classroom. Since 2023, the country's center-right government has favored books and other traditional learning tools over time on screens. Officials say the change responds to falling reading and writing skills, especially among younger students.

"We're rolling the screens back because we believe that books and more traditional ways of learning are better for kids," said Joar Forsell, who chairs the Swedish parliament's education committee.

The move back to books was triggered by falling reading comprehension. In a 2022 international study, 24.3% of Swedish ninth graders did not reach a basic level. To support the change, the government set aside 555 million Swedish krona ($59 million) in 2026 to buy textbooks and teachers' guides.

The shift is already visible at one high school in Malmö, a city in southern Sweden, where phones are collected in a box nicknamed the "Mobile Hotel" during lessons. "When you have a phone, there's always something to look at," said student Melina Sallahi, 17. "It's less of a distraction."

Not everyone agrees with the change. Swedish Edtech Industry, a trade group, warned that 90% of future jobs are expected to require digital skills, and that limiting technology could create a shortage of skilled workers. Even so, some students are not worried, saying they already use digital devices in their free time and learn more easily from books.