7th November 2026
The use of Chromebooks, laptops and other digital devices in schools was once widely regarded as an important step towards modernising education. Giving every pupil access to technology promised to improve learning, widen access to information and prepare young people for a world increasingly dependent on digital skills.
Highland Council was among the early adopters of this approach. However, almost a decade after its Chromebook programme began, questions are now being raised about whether the balance between traditional teaching and digital learning has moved too far towards screens.
Two Highland councillors, Michael Gregson and Helen Crawford, have raised concerns about the possibility of digital devices replacing rather than supporting teaching. Their motion asks the council to examine whether the current balance is appropriate and to take account of the views of teachers, parents, carers and pupils.
They are not arguing that technology has no place in education. Their concern is that excessive reliance on screens could affect children's ability to concentrate, process information and develop essential learning skills. They also highlight the importance of handwriting, which involves different mental and physical processes from typing.
An amendment from councillors John Finlayson and Drew Millar suggested that head teachers and school staff should take responsibility for planning, monitoring and reviewing how pupils use digital devices.
It is an important discussion, particularly given the scale of Highland's investment.
A major investment in digital education
Highland Council began its Chromebook project in November 2017, following pilot schemes in Kingussie. Pupils from Primary 6 through to Secondary 6 were allocated individual devices for use both at school and at home. Younger primary pupils initially shared devices, although the programme subsequently moved towards one device per child.
More than 22,000 Chromebooks were distributed during the initial rollout, at a capital cost of approximately £5.925 million.
The project was ambitious and reflected a belief that access to digital technology would improve educational opportunities across a large and geographically dispersed authority.
There were practical advantages. Pupils could access learning materials, undertake research, complete assignments and communicate with teachers without always needing printed resources. Digital access could also help pupils in remote communities where educational resources might otherwise be harder to obtain.
However, the original investment is only part of the financial picture. Devices need replacing, software and online services require support, networks need maintaining and teachers need training.
The council should therefore be able to explain not just what it spent initially, but what the programme has cost over its lifetime and what measurable educational benefits have resulted.
International concerns are growing
Highland is not alone in reconsidering the role of technology in classrooms.
Sweden is an interesting example. After years of promoting digital learning, the country has begun placing greater emphasis on printed textbooks, reading and traditional teaching methods.
The Swedish Government has committed substantial funding to improving access to physical textbooks. It has also moved towards restricting mobile phone use during the school day.
This does not mean Sweden is abandoning technology. Rather, it is reconsidering the assumption that more screens automatically produce better education.
UNESCO reported in April 2026 on Sweden's changing approach, describing how schools that had embraced digital learning are now trying to restore a better balance between technology, books and teacher-led instruction.
The experience provides a useful warning for other countries. Introducing new technology is relatively straightforward. Establishing whether it genuinely improves learning is much harder.
What does the research tell us?
The OECD has been examining the relationship between digital devices, classroom concentration and educational performance.
Its 2024 report, Managing Screen Time, highlighted concerns about distraction. Nearly one in three pupils across OECD countries reported being distracted by digital devices in class.
More recent evidence from PISA 2025 provides further insight.
Scottish pupils reported spending an average of 1.7 hours each school day using digital resources for learning. Around 18.2% reported spending more than three hours a day on these activities.
Importantly, 37% reported that digital resources distracted pupils in some science lessons. A further 20.4% reported distraction in most or every lesson.
These figures do not prove that Chromebooks are damaging education. Nor do they establish that traditional teaching is always more effective.
The OECD's findings suggest that moderate use of digital technology for learning can be beneficial, while excessive use and non-educational activity can undermine concentration.
The distinction is important. A computer used by a teacher to demonstrate a complicated subject is not the same as every pupil spending hours working independently on a screen.
There are also questions about reading and memory. Reading printed material and reading from screens are not necessarily identical experiences. The layout, opportunities for annotation and the temptation to move between different activities can influence concentration and comprehension.
Handwriting also deserves attention. Children need to develop the ability to write clearly, organise their thoughts and express themselves without depending entirely on a keyboard.
The teacher must remain central
Perhaps the biggest issue is the role of the teacher.
Technology can provide access to information, exercises and educational programmes, but it cannot automatically recognise when a child has misunderstood something, is losing confidence or needs an explanation presented differently.
A good teacher does much more than deliver information. They encourage questions, identify difficulties, stimulate discussion and help pupils develop the ability to think independently.
There is also a danger that pupils become accustomed to finding quick answers online without developing the patience to work through difficult problems themselves.
Artificial intelligence adds another dimension. Pupils now have access to tools that can summarise information, answer questions and even produce written assignments. These tools may become increasingly useful, but they also make it more important that children develop the ability to judge information, question answers and produce their own work.
Digital literacy is essential, but so are traditional literacy, numeracy and critical thinking.
What should Highland Council do?
The recent motion provides an opportunity to undertake a proper assessment rather than simply debate whether screens are good or bad.
Highland Council should examine how much classroom time is spent using digital devices, whether pupils have sufficient access to printed textbooks and whether teachers believe technology is improving the quality of lessons.
It should also look at educational results since the Chromebook programme began. Have reading, writing and numeracy improved? Are pupils better prepared for further education and employment? Are there differences between schools that use devices extensively and those adopting a more balanced approach?
Parents should have an opportunity to express their views, particularly concerning homework and the amount of screen time children experience outside school.
The financial implications also deserve attention. When thousands of devices have to be replaced, the council needs to consider whether all pupils require individual devices for every aspect of their education or whether a mixture of shared equipment, textbooks and classroom technology would be more effective.
There is no reason why schools cannot use modern technology while retaining exercise books, printed textbooks, handwriting and traditional classroom discussion.
Finding the right balance
Children leaving school today will enter a world where computers, artificial intelligence and digital communication are increasingly important. Denying them the opportunity to develop those skills would be a mistake.
However, preparing children for the future does not mean making every aspect of education digital.
The experience in Sweden and the OECD's research suggest that education authorities should be prepared to reconsider policies when evidence changes. Technology should serve the educational needs of pupils, rather than schools feeling obliged to use technology simply because it has been purchased.
Highland Council made a substantial investment in its Chromebook programme almost ten years ago. That decision reflected the thinking and expectations of the time.
The question now is whether the programme is delivering the improvements originally promised and whether the balance between digital and traditional teaching remains appropriate.
A Chromebook can be a useful educational tool, but it is not a substitute for a good teacher, a well-written textbook or a child learning to concentrate and think independently.
The real measure of a successful education system is not how many devices it distributes. It is what children learn and how well prepared they are for adult life.
Listen to the debate at Highland council 5 Novmber 2026
Agenda item 19.4 Digital Technology n Schools
The motion was defeated 35 to 21 and the amendment was accepted.
MOTION 4
This Council notes:
• Highland Council has made a huge investment in technology in recent years,
in order to enhance the educational experience in our schools and, above all,
to narrow the digital divide and reduce inequality. The initial rollout of
Chromebooks involved expenditure of some £6m, and the current refresh
c£1.2 pa. The Council currently has 29,312 pupils from P1 to S6, with
devices. The cost of repairs to Chromebooks totalled £33,817.60 in the year
to January 2026.
• Highland Council passed a Motion in May 2025 instructing all schools to
consult parents, pupils and staff, with a view to removal of mobile phones
from classrooms. This was a clear commitment to the need for fewer
distractions. Many schools have progressed with this instruction.
• There is growing evidence that, although educational technology can benefit
learning – especially for those with additional support needs – excessive
reliance on digital devices can hinder cognitive progress.
• It is also increasingly recognised internationally that brain activity is enhanced
by the physical act of handwriting as against typing on a keyboard.
• Furthermore, despite a conscientious and skilled educational workforce, the
trend to default to digital devices, both in class and in homework tasks,
relegates human interaction and the teaching process.
Accordingly, the Council agrees:
• To request Officers to prepare a Report on the use of digital devices in our
schools, assessing whether the current balance between digital and nondigital learning is appropriate.
• The Report should consider the impact on concentration, attainment,
handwriting, reading, social interaction and direct teacher-led learning, while
recognising the particular benefits technology provides for pupils with
additional support needs.
• The Report should reflect the views of staff, parents/carers and pupils and
make recommendations to ensure digital technology complements, rather
than replaces, high-quality teaching and learning.
• The Report to be presented to the meeting of the full Council on 10
December.
Signed: Dr M Gregson Mrs H Crawford
AMENDMENT
Head Teachers, as empowered school leaders, are responsible for ensuring that
digital devices are used appropriately and effectively within their schools. Through
ongoing self-evaluation and school improvement planning, they should work with
staff to plan, monitor and review device use, taking account of their school's context
and geographical location and engaging with pupils and parents. This work should
reflect current national and Highland Council guidance and the Education and
Learning Improvement Plan. High-quality teaching and learning, including the
development of core literacy and numeracy skills, should guide decisions about the
most appropriate resources and approaches for all pupils.
Area Quality Improvement Managers will work with Head Teachers in undertaking
these reviews and promoting an appropriate balance of digital and non-digital
learning, with assurances provided through existing education improvement
reporting arrangements, avoiding additional reporting requirements and extensive
data collection.
Signed: Mr J Finlayson Mr D Millar