Screen time and technology use in Finnish classrooms
After a decade of heavy investment in classroom tablets and devices, Finland has pulled back: national rules now restrict phone use during the school day, and many schools are leaning back on printed books for early literacy.
- A national law restricting smartphone and mobile device use in schools during the day took effect from the 2025 to 2026 school year.
- Phones are prohibited during lessons and lunch, with at least some recess time also kept device-free, and teachers can confiscate a device that disrupts learning.
- A poll by the Trade Union of Education in Finland found around 70% of teachers felt digital gadgets had reduced pupils' ability to concentrate.
- The policy follows a period in the 2010s when Finnish schools invested heavily in classroom screens; several are now returning to more print-based teaching, particularly for early reading.
From tablets-for-everyone to a phone restriction law
Finland was an early adopter of one-to-one devices and digital learning tools in the 2010s. More recently, concern from teachers, backed by a Trade Union of Education in Finland poll suggesting a majority felt gadgets were hurting pupils' concentration, fed into new national legislation restricting personal mobile device use during the school day.
It is worth being precise about scope: the law targets personal phones and similar devices, not the school-provided technology used in planned lessons.
What the rules mean day to day
The restriction is deliberately simple to apply in a K-5 classroom, though the detail matters for how schools implement it.
- Phones are away by default during lessons and lunch
- At least part of recess is kept mobile-free
- Pupils can use a device with a teacher's permission for study or a health need
- Staff can confiscate a phone that is disrupting the class
How this connects to Finland's approach to digital literacy
None of this is a retreat from teaching technology skills. Digital literacy and coding in Finnish schools continues as planned, structured classroom activity. The distinction Finland is drawing is between purposeful, teacher-directed technology use and unstructured personal device use, which is also consistent with the low-pressure classroom culture described in wellbeing in Finnish schools.
Frequently asked questions
Does this mean Finnish schools have stopped using technology?
No. Schools continue to teach digital literacy and coding as planned lessons; the new rules target personal phone use outside those planned activities.
When did the phone restriction law take effect?
It came into force from the 2025 to 2026 school year, following legislation passed in 2025.
Can teachers still use tablets or laptops for lessons?
Yes. School-provided devices used for planned learning activities are unaffected; the restriction is on personal mobile phone use.
Why did Finland introduce this restriction?
Lawmakers cited concerns about pupils' wellbeing and ability to concentrate, supported by a teachers' union poll on the effect of gadgets in class.
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