Vaasa upper secondary school saves by using printed textbooks over digital materials

Vaasa’s Lyseon lukio upper secondary school is saving hundreds of thousands of euros by using traditional printed textbooks instead of digital learning materials, reports Yle. The savings have allowed the school to reduce class sizes and improve teaching quality, while students report better concentration with physical books.

The school’s principal, Jaakko Perttu, explains that the cost difference comes from reusing printed textbooks, whereas digital licenses must be purchased annually for each student. In history and social studies alone, the school has saved €53,000 by sticking with printed books. When including other subjects like biology, geography, and religion, the total savings reach into the hundreds of thousands.

“Next year, our average class size for first-year students will be 25, which is quite small for upper secondary education,” Perttu said. The savings have been reinvested in smaller groups and better teaching resources, though textbooks are periodically updated to reflect current topics, such as welfare regions and security developments.

Other schools in the Ostrobothnia region have also returned to printed materials to cut costs. Seinäjoki Upper Secondary School established a library where students can borrow textbooks using a standard library card, saving the school €20,000–30,000 annually in license fees—a solution rehtori Teijo Päkkilä calls rare in Finland.

Kokkola’s vocational upper secondary school and Finnish-language upper secondary school have similarly shifted back to printed books, with estimated savings of €30,000–50,000 per year. Rehtori Markku Anttila admitted the initial switch to digital was rushed: “In hindsight, we might have done things differently. Large schools went digital, and there wasn’t another option.”

Not all schools can follow suit. Karleby Svenska gymnasium, which teaches in Swedish, lacks access to printed textbooks in its language. Meanwhile, teachers like Janne Dahlsten, who instructs in history, religion, and social studies, prefer printed books, which students say help them focus better.

Sakari Laiho of the Finnish Publishers Association noted that while digital materials dominate—85% on the upper secondary level—teachers should decide what works best. “It’s crucial that the choice isn’t imposed from above,” he said.

Students prefer printed books for focus

First-year students Elisia Lahtinen and Alexa Mensch, both 16, use printed history textbooks and notebooks in class, saying physical materials help them concentrate. “It’s easier to follow along without distractions,” they explained.

While digital licenses require yearly renewal per student, printed textbooks are reused, cutting long-term costs. The approach has gained traction across Ostrobothnia, though availability varies by language and subject.