Use BBC.com or the new BBC App to listen to BBC podcasts, Radio 4 and the World Service outside the UK.

Find out how to listen to other BBC stations

Episode details

World Service,30 Apr 2026,8 mins

Should schools ditch screens?

What in the World

Available for over a year

After literacy levels started to fall in Sweden, the country’s government decided to ditch tablets and laptops…and focus more on good old pens and paper. Not everyone thinks this is the right approach though. Some tech bosses say getting rid of technology in classrooms will leave pupils less prepared for an increasingly digital world - and make it harder for them to find jobs in the age of AI. So - should more schools around the world follow suit and get rid of screens? In this episode, we unpack this education strategy and the research behind it with journalist Maddy Savage, who’s based in Stockholm. And we also hear from students across the globe, to get their take on whether going analogue improves how we learn. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler, Benita Barden and Chelsea Coates Video producer: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

Programme Website
More episodes