Estonia ties strong PISA results to how schools use technology

Estonia achieved strong results in the Programme for International Student Assessment without banning mobile phones in schools, and it is embracing artificial intelligence tools in secondary schools, according to Neil Selwyn, a Monash University professor and expert on digital education.

Selwyn said the Estonian government put that success down to a history of trusting schools and teachers to make their own decisions, setting high expectations of students, consulting students and parents, and properly evaluating what they do with technology. He said officials would argue that the results come from a system-wide set of factors, and that technology use is part of this rather than a driving factor.

His comments come as Australia’s federal education minister, Jason Clare, says recent PISA results show a need to reduce screen time in schools, describing it as a digital detox. Sweden has since 2023 pursued a shift from screens toward paper and books, begun work on curricula that would make compulsory schooling largely screen-free in the early and middle years, and banned mobile phones in schools. Sweden’s recent PISA results were among the lowest the country has recorded.

An OECD report on the 2025 PISA results said that across OECD countries, moderate use of digital devices for learning is associated with stronger science performance, while excessive use and digital distraction are associated with weaker outcomes. Selwyn said the main lesson from Sweden so far is that it is extremely difficult to turn off technology in schools at a minister’s whim.