The Government of Mexico invested almost 7 million pesos eleven years ago in a project that was doubtful from the beginning for a good part of the country. A large part of that investment was allocated to purchase of hundreds of iPads (and other tablets) to reduce the digital divide in schools. All this within the framework of the PIAD (Digital Inclusion and Literacy Program).
On paper and despite the exorbitant figure, the truth is that it could make sense. However, It was a project doomed to failure. And so it happened that three years later it was canceled, revealing the poor functioning of the plan. A case that now comes to mind in connection with how some European countries propose stopping the digitalization of classrooms.
Technology in classrooms does not have the desired impact
We often think that digitalization of classrooms is beneficial. And in fact, if I may give my opinion in the first person, I will say that I firmly believe that it is important. However, we often see negative consequences for not being applied in the way it should, creating a completely opposite effect.
In the aforementioned program in Mexico, which began in 2013, it ended up blowing up in 2016 when it was revealed that few students brought their devices to school. Only 18%, while 15% acknowledged having never used them. 65% did wear it, but not every day, since they only wore it three days or less per week of the five classes.
Apart from iPad, the program also included the purchase of other lower cost devices such as laptops or cheap tablets that sometimes did not even have Android or had it in an old version for the time. Overall, it was estimated that almost 60% of all devices ended up failing.
An OECD study in which these data are collected finally recognized that there was no positive impact on the Mexican educational system. Instead, the Mexican authorities in charge of the matter proposed other projects that, in the absence of more specific data, seem to be having a better impact. And without the need for all students to have an electronic device.
In Sweden they are clear: no technology in the classrooms
Beyond prohibiting smartphones for personal use, something that is already being regulated even in Spain, there are countries in which, like Mexico, they do not end up clearly seeing the positive impact of introducing technology in school classrooms.
See Sweden as an example, since it is there where they began to investigate whether or not the progress of the digitalization plan that began in 2021 was bearing fruit. In the end it was advocated restrict the use of technology in favor of textbooks. In the vast majority of the country, paper was already residual compared to studying on tablets and computers.
The most conservative stated that there is a risk of “see a generation of functional illiterates”, given that many students demonstrated that they did not know how to navigate outside the digital system. And so things were, at the end of last year they decided to officially back down, something that is not cheap either. It is estimated at around 1.6 million euros what it will cost the Swedish government to bring textbooks back to the classrooms.
Cover image | Generated with DALL-E 3 and Photoshop