Elizabeth Foster

Sweden is committing more than €100 million to a sweeping classroom overhaul: replacing tablets and screens with traditional printed textbooks to help reverse falling student performance and sharpen focus. After more than a decade of embracing digital-first education, Swedish authorities are now pivoting back to paper-based learning. Official data and recent studies cited by the Ministry of Education show that prolonged screen use in class has been linked to shorter attention spans, weaker reading comprehension, and reduced critical-thinking abilities. Research consistently finds that reading on illuminated screens requires greater mental effort and invites more distractions compared to the calm, linear experience of physical books—factors believed to have contributed to declining academic outcomes in recent years. Under the new plan, every student will receive printed textbooks for all core subjects, restoring books as the central learning tool. Digital devices and online resources will remain available as supportive tools, but they will no longer dominate daily instruction. This bold €100+ million investment signals Sweden’s leadership in rethinking the role of technology in education. It underscores a broader, growing recognition worldwide: while screens provide speed and access, the hands-on, distraction-free engagement of physical books supports deeper concentration, stronger memory retention, and more effective long-term learning. By choosing paper over pixels, Sweden is charting a path toward a more balanced, evidence-informed classroom future—one that puts proven pedagogical principles ahead of unchecked digital trends.

A.A. Milne showing us how to wrap up a story in the most beautiful way possible.

The first song I wrote as a teenager was Mighty Peace - some natural predisposition at work here. UK children have voted PEACE as the word of the year according to The Oxford University Press. youtu.be/5KEJaA78Z8M?si… #Peace #Children

"Books give soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything." Plato

Too many leaders today view human rights as the problem. We know human rights are the solution. They are the foundation of peace. They are the engine of progress. And they are the path out of conflict & chaos to security & hope.

When Ray Bradbury said, “Stuff your eyes with wonder, live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds,” and “Look closely at everything. Don’t be a snob. Be joyful; writing is not a serious business—it’s a celebration,” he had it exactly right.

Tony: Don't say my name backwards. Me: Y not.

@DeborahSnow Agree - it was a peaceful community protest with mums and dads and kids there - despite confusing instructions from the police people kept their calm.

Claims by some NSW police that today’s harbour bridge march at times came close to catastrophe are over the top from where I stood : it was remarkably self- regulating with a collective will to keep it moving smoothly and peacefully #SydneyHarbourBridge #MarchForHumanity

Ursula le Guin on resistance through art

Not very long ago we believed we were the smartest generation in history, and it feels like overnight we just accepted that people are getting dumber and there’s nothing we can do about it. But it doesn’t have to be like this. We have to return reading to the center of culture.

@ChrisMurphyCT Clear explanation thx - jeepers

So it’s really important you understand the Trump Coin grift. It hasn’t gotten enough attention, but it’s maybe the biggest White House corruption in a century. Right out in the open for all to see. I’m going to explain how the grift works. Only takes 3 minutes.

@FranceskAlbs Awesome DNA 🌺

My detractors cannot wrap their head around it: I am not paid by anyone for my work on Palestine, not even the UN. Special Rapporteurs serve pro bono. And I have so much fun at doing what I do, you know why? Because I despise bullies, mafias and apartheid. It is in my DNA, and I will fight all three happily till my last breath. Now, minions, get a life.

One of the best monologues of cinematic history.

I don't think it was pain that made him so great, I think painting brought him whatever happiness he had. * RIP David Lynch

RIP David Lynch😔

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien (art by Charles van Sandwyk)

Whoever wish to help families in Gaza, Check @CareForGaza

people who say “why do we need [fine arts, humanities degrees, mid-budget films] when they don’t make a ton of money?” are insufferable. why do we need chrysanthemums? why do we need bonfires or baleen whales or the color blue? we just do. we just do.

The Unexpected Power of Random Acts of Kindness nytimes.com/2022/09/02/wel…

@TrevorIvers There a few still fighting the fight but not the pollies. Bob Brown, for one. How to leave a legacy 101.

Where is that Bill Shorten of humanity we once knew, the man who now supports Zionist Israel & protects gambling advertising? So disappointed. Australia politics live: gambling ‘not the same as tobacco’ and balance needed on advertising bans, Shorten says #block-66bbe4b38f08e4bf5d12c5ad" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">theguardian.com/australia-news…