Norway gave an iPad to every student, and it nearly tanked its education system

Once hailed as a trailblazer of the "iPad kid" era, Norway is now grappling with the unintended consequences of its early embrace of classroom technology.

In 2016, the country rolled out a policy to modernize education by giving every child their own digital device starting at age 5.

Now, critics said the shift coincided with a noticeable decline in reading skills, prompting a nationwide reassessment, The Times reported.

"We are far, far too rich, so we do stupid things with our money," said former education minister Trine Skei Grande, now the director of the Norwegian Publishers' Association, per The Times.

The results have been difficult to ignore. Around 500,000 people in Norway now struggle to read basic texts, and the country ranks among the lowest globally for children's enjoyment of reading. 

"Norwegian children used to be among the best readers in the world," said Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, per The Times. "But today, 15,000 pupils finish primary school without being able to read properly. That is serious."

Without regular reading habits, children may develop what Skei Grande described as "kitchen language," a limited vocabulary focused on everyday communication rather than more complex ideas.

The consequences extend well beyond the classroom. Strong reading skills are closely linked to academic success, career opportunities, and even long-term health. When literacy declines, the effects can ripple through every aspect of a child's future.

In response, Norway is now working to reverse course.

iPads have been removed from early education, mobile phones are banned in schools, and new national reading initiatives are underway.

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Libraries are also getting creative. At Deichman Bjorvika in Oslo, teens help design events, from roller-skating parties to rap workshops, to make reading more social and engaging.

The approach appears to be gaining traction. The library system lent out a record 2.2 million books last year, about half of them to children.

Norway's experience is a reminder that while screens can be powerful tools, foundational skills like reading still need dedicated time and space to develop.

"It is not enough that books exist. They must be read or heard," said Sarah Willand, director of Cappelen Damm, per The Times.

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