Danish school replaces computers with pen and paper to improve focus

A primary school in Denmark has removed computers from daily classroom use, reporting improved concentration and social interaction among students, according to a report by Danish broadcaster DR.

At Tranegård School in Hellerup, laptops are now stored in locked cabinets and only brought out for specific tasks, while students in 7th grade complete most assignments by hand in notebooks. The shift follows years of digital-first teaching, where teachers observed students struggling to focus.

“Students were gaming, shopping, or browsing [social media] during lessons,” said Louise Lund, a 7th-grade teacher. “Even those without computers were distracted by others’ screens.”

Since the change 18 months ago, teachers report students are more engaged. “They’re more present, and I connect better with them face-to-face,” Lund said. “What they write by hand, they remember better.”

Students echo the benefits. “We talk more during breaks, play cards or chess—we’ve learned to be together without screens,” said 13-year-old Oscar Risager. Classmate Thomas Hornblow added that his handwriting has improved, noting, “Letters are clearer now, not messy like before.”

Researcher Louise Klinge, a school and child development expert, praised the move, calling excessive screen time in schools “costly” for concentration and social skills. “Computers have dominated at the expense of focus, relationships, and physical activity,” she said.

The school still uses computers for longer writing tasks, dictionary work, or AI lessons but emphasizes balance. A 2025 Aarhus University study found Danish primary students use screens in 70% of independent work.