39 percent of Swedish eighth-graders perform at a low or very low level when it comes to what they can do with a computer, according to the international study Icils, in which Sweden is participating for the first time.
This is proof that the school needs to go from "screen to book", thinks Minister of Education Lotta Edholm (L).
Tiktok and parents
The fact that four out of ten teenagers have large gaps in IT skills should lead to a discussion about content rather than time limits, thinks Henrik Pallin.
It's not about less screen time, but about the right screen time, he says, and continues:
Being able to scroll on Tiktok or install Netflix better than grandma doesn't mean you have IT competence. It's about being able to utilize the digital tools.
Pallin has written two books about screen time and believes that a large part of the responsibility lies with parents.
They have the biggest assignment, he says.
Recipes and competence
Pallin uses the anecdote that many children sit with a screen in front of them during, for example, a car ride with the family and ask "how much longer?", rather than looking up the information themselves on their phone or tablet.
Currently, we're not using screens to become digitally competent.
Let the children be involved instead. Let them find a recipe for the dinner you're going to cook tonight, let them find one on Tiktok and cook together. Was it as easy as in the video? Or let them be the navigator next time you're going to football practice.
Pallin emphasizes that the school also has a role to play. So do those who develop many of the most popular apps.
The test results are divided into five levels:
Below level 1: The student can only do the simplest tasks, if they receive clear instructions. (In Sweden, 14 percent perform at this level.)
Level 1: Basic knowledge (25 percent).
Level 2: Basic level (41 percent).
Level 3: The student shows independence in their computer use. Can independently search, find, and critically evaluate information. (19 percent).
Level 4: Advanced level (1 percent).
The EU Commission has set a goal that the proportion of low-performing (below or at level 1) eighth-graders in the EU should not be higher than 15 percent by 2030.
Over 30 countries participated in the study. Sweden was involved for the first time.
Source: IEA (a collaborative organization for pedagogical research institutions in a large number of countries)
