Concerns are mounting over the widespread use of educational technology (edtech) in classrooms, with a growing number of educators and health professionals questioning its impact on students’ learning and wellbeing. This debate has gained prominence in the United Kingdom and internationally, with calls for greater scrutiny and potential limits on technology use in schools.

Damian McBeath, principal of John Wallis Academy in Kent, exemplifies a shift among educators who once championed edtech but have since turned skeptical. A decade ago, McBeath actively promoted digital tools in education, supporting efforts by companies like Microsoft to provide laptops and adaptive software aimed at closing achievement gaps. However, he now voices significant reservations about classroom screen use, taking tangible steps such as building a cabinet to cover the interactive whiteboard in his classroom to encourage more traditional teaching methods. “We’re 20 years into this experiment. It is an intervention that has cost the United Kingdom £20bn. And yet report after report says the evidence is inconclusive,” he said, highlighting the lack of clear proof that educational technology improves student outcomes.

McBeath’s concerns align with those raised in a recent letter to the British government signed by 150 clinicians, including consultant paediatricians. The letter warns of a “crisis” in language development among children, as well as early onset problems with vision, hearing, and speech tied to excessive screen exposure in schools. The authors argue for urgent reconsideration of the routine, all-day use of screens in the classroom, suggesting that the harmful effects could compound if left unaddressed.

Internationally, similar moves have been observed. Sweden, once an early adopter of tablet use in preschools, has reversed course, committing £157 million to repurchasing physical textbooks and introducing a new curriculum in 2028 emphasizing traditional learning methods. Denmark has followed a similar path, while Winchester College in the UK recently restored pen-and-paper lessons for much of its classroom and homework activities, citing concerns over “fragmented attention” caused by digital devices.

Critics also highlight data privacy and commercial concerns. In the United States, the popular edtech platform PowerSchool settled a $17.25 million lawsuit over allegations of illegal tracking of student information, although the company made no admission of wrongdoing. Activists like Emily Cherkin describe edtech as an extension of Big Tech’s profit-driven model, likening it to social media platforms that were widely adopted before evidence of harm or benefit was established.

Yet some educators caution against dismissing technology outright. They acknowledge that edtech can play a useful role in setting homework, supporting absent students, or assisting those with special educational needs, provided its use is carefully targeted and limited to outside classroom teaching. Jonathan Haidt, a prominent psychologist who has campaigned against smartphones in schools, recently advocated for removing laptops and tablets from desks during instruction, emphasizing the benefits of traditional note-taking with pen and paper.

Teachers like Harry Hudson, a secondary school educator in London, emphasize the importance of human interaction and focus in the classroom, arguing that technology often distracts from genuine learning. Hudson’s school has banned smartphones on campus, a move praised for improving student attention and behaviour. He stresses that teaching remains fundamentally a human endeavour that should not be replaced or overshadowed by devices.

The debate over edtech’s place in education is intensifying as governments and schools weigh balancing its potential benefits against emerging evidence and concerns about its impact on children’s development, privacy, and educational outcomes. With the UK market for edtech estimated at around £900 million annually, policymakers face pressure to carefully evaluate how and when technology should be integrated into teaching.