Thank you, Natalia. It’s great being here.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I must admit, when I told people I was heading to BETT and London, it left them quite confused.

You see, back in Norway, I’m not exactly known for cheering on digitalization.

Since I got this job, we’ve taken phones out of the classrooms.

We’ve demanded that every students’ devices must have up-to-date filters.

And we’re now taking steps to reduce screen-time in schools, especially for the youngest students.

So, from what I was told, my coming to BETT, was basically walking straight into the lion’s den.

But the truth is – I am not opposed to technology. Far from it.

But I am against bad use of technology.

I am worried about children – whose brains are rapidly developing - using digital tools, when research increasingly points to risks for sleep, concentration and learning.

And I am alarmed by the power big tech wields over our children, Keeping them inside algorithm-driven platforms designed to hold their attention for as many hours of their young lives as possible.

                                                              *

Over the last decade, politicians – especially in Western countries – have been racing to digitalise their schools.

No one wanted to be seen as lagging behind.

And so, the scale-up was swift. The questions few. And the oversight minimal. Including in my own country:

In 2016, 13% of Norwegian 5th graders reported having their own digital device at school, according to data from PIRLS.

In 2021: 87% reported the same.

13 to 87% in five years.

In the same period, learning results begin to slip in Norway.

Our children start to read less. Their reading skills decline.

So do their motivation and well-being in school.

And ironically, even their digital competence fails to improve.

In fact, the 2023 ICILS survey found that 40% of Year 9 students performed at the lowest level.

The pandemic might explain some of it, but not nearly all.

And strikingly, it’s happening at a time when Norwegian teachers have never been more highly educated than they are today.

To me, it simply doesn’t add up. We’re getting something wrong.  

So now, we’re working to take back control:

Taking back control of the hours our children spend on digital devices.

Taking back control of algorithms and harmful content.

Taking back control of children’s personal data. Data that belongs to them, not to tech companies.

And taking back control of children’s attention, their physical activity, their learning.

Tech companies are not the ones who should be shaping our children’s education.

That responsibility rests with those who truly put students first:

Our teachers, our headteachers, and everyone within our schools.

Let me be clear: We’re not abandoning digital solutions.

But we must do things differently.

We must raise our standards.

We must insist on more quality in every product, every tool, every piece of software we place in the hands of our children.

                                                                *

This means creating products that are truly accessible and inclusive.

It means handling children’s personal data responsibly and according to the law. Never as a commodity. Never for profit.

And it means ensuring teachers have the guidance they need to use technology effectively and responsibly.

Above all, it means keeping an unwavering and uncompromising focus on learning. Real learning.

Which also means challenging the idea that all learning has to be fun.

That students must be entertained at every turn.

I do worry that too many digital products are making that their priority.

 Let’s be real - real learning is often hard work. At times, downright dull.

And if there’s one capability our children truly need in life, it’s the ability to push through – especially when they don’t feel like it.

Right now, we’re seeing a genuine crisis of endurance and attention among young people.

We must – and we will – turn it around. But not with more dopamine hits and instant gratification.

What we need, are teaching methods training focus and building stamina.

Teaching that forges resilience in a world where powerful forces compete for our attention, our time and our values.

                                                                *

And when we are talking about building students’ digital competence - which we of course all agree is essential - let it be real digital competence.

Not the ability to swipe a screen.

But the ability to truly understand the technology in their hand.

Seeing its potential. And its risks.

Let it mean learning to think critically. To exercise sound digital judgement in the age of AI and disinformation. 

In Norway, we’re now looking at creating a new technology subject.

Perhaps something similar to what you call "computing” here in the UK.

A subject designed to give students a better and a deeper understanding of technological development.

                                                                *

And finally, my last appeal: We must be far more deliberate about when we introduce what.

A 6-year-old is not a 16-year-old – their needs differ. Profoundly.

In maturity. In the protection they require.  And in the kind of digital competence they need.

In Norway, we are now preparing to revise the national curriculum. Where we make it clear: Digital tools should be used with particular caution in the Years 1 to 4. It should not dominate the school day.

Why? Because for a 6‑ or 7‑year‑old, the essentials in those first school years are simple:

Playing with friends, learning social skills, building trust with their teacher, and learning the fundamentals of reading, writing and mathematics.

                                                                   *

I believe we must use the same kind of caution when deciding how – and when – to use generative AI in our schools.

But also here, one thing remains essential, above all:

It’s the teacher that must decide how AI is used in the classroom.

Yet today, we know that companies, such as Microsoft under certain circumstances, now can activate AI features in their products without approval from school authorities. Potentially breaching privacy regulations.

This means that schools choosing not to use AI, may find they cannot fully switch it off.

Let me be crystal clear: Such products should have no place in Norwegian classrooms.

Let’s never forget: Technology must strengthen the teacher’s role - not replace it.

The teacher is - and will always be - the most important resource in the classroom.

                                                                 *

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Going forward, Norway is determined to taking back control.

Of our children’s learning, of their safety and of their childhood.

We are prepared to face criticism, including - perhaps - from some of you in this room.

But after two days here in the lion’s den, I am perhaps more convinced than ever:

This is the right path.

For our schools and for our children.

Thank you.