Riihimäki students regain focus after returning to textbooks

Students at lower secondary schools in Riihimäki have reported better concentration and a calmer working environment after the city replaced digital learning materials with printed textbooks two years ago, Yle reports.

The change has had almost entirely positive effects, according to Jari Lausvaara, Riihimäki’s education director. Teachers and students say pupils cooperate more, discuss assignments and learn the material more deeply.

“Concentration improved and peace returned to the classrooms,” Lausvaara said.

The city’s decision attracted interest as far away as Japan and Canada in 2024, because the use of digital learning materials had previously been unusually widespread in Riihimäki schools. The change was partly prompted by parents’ concerns about children’s increasing screen time.

Timo Olli, a physics, chemistry and mathematics teacher at Kara School, said students began working together and discussing assignments more after computers were replaced with books, pens and notebooks.

Students now spend more time practising, which Olli believes helps them learn the subjects more thoroughly. Printed books also make it easier for teachers to monitor pupils’ progress and identify when someone is struggling.

“The teacher is now more present among the students,” Olli said. Previously, teachers had to sit behind computers and check what pupils had completed. Now they move around the classroom, talk with students and work through difficult assignments with them.

Olli said computers could create distractions, as students can switch to other tabs instead of studying. Traditional books, notebooks and pencils may also help pupils whose motivation is low, he said.

“For a highly motivated student, it does not matter whether the tool is a book or a computer. But for a student who is struggling with motivation, the computer environment can be demanding and difficult,” Olli said.

Printed books are also expected to become cheaper over time. According to a recent study by the Finnish Publishers Association, Riihimäki spent 68 euros per pupil on all learning materials, both digital and printed, in 2023. Last year, the figure had risen to 161 euros, compared with an average of 150 euros per comprehensive school pupil in 2025.

Lausvaara said books do not need to be replaced every year and can be used by several classes and generations. Digital material licences, by contrast, often have to be purchased separately for every pupil every year.

The city surveyed teachers, parents and eighth and ninth graders at the turn of the year about the effects of the return to books. The results were so positive that Lausvaara believes the change could even affect the city’s PISA results.

The main criticism from students concerns the weight of their school bags. Ninth grader Eetu Rajala said digital materials make bags feel much lighter, but he still prefers books and notebooks.

“Things stay in your memory better when you read them from books. There are distractions on a computer, but with a book you can go into a quiet room and read from the paper,” Rajala said.

Digital materials and computers have not been abandoned completely and are still used in Riihimäki schools.