the disappearing child

Hand a child a screen and watch what happens to the room. She is still there, but she is somewhere else. Whatever may have emerged from that quiet, unstructured moment disappears.

Today’s devices are engineered to capture and hold attention for as long as possible. We adults struggle to resist them; children are completely defenseless against it.

The education technology industry sees this differently. Digital learning platforms, AI tutoring tools, and classroom software are being actively marketed to schools around the world. We remain unconvinced that any of it improves on a skilled teacher, a good book, and children learning together in physical space.

We also know children develop through real human interaction. Learning to read expressions, join conversations, navigate disagreement, notice tone, and feel comfortable in a room full of people are skills built through countless small encounters in physical space.

technology at hypha

None of that means that we should ignore technology. That would be dishonest in a world where technology is present in almost every aspect of our lives.

Instead, we use technology deliberately and where it clearly supports learning. Classrooms have projectors, and teachers may use images or digital resources to enrich lessons alongside books, handwriting, discussion, and whiteboards. But technology must earn its place. It is introduced as a tool, and is never at the center of learning.

Children themselves do not use personal devices during the school day, and our curriculum does not depend on any digital resources.

The exception begins in Year 5, where students use shared laptops for specific purposes – researching through Encyclopedia Britannica or designing simple websites.

A child who can invent a game, build something with their hands, or become absorbed in the physical world is developing capacities that screens cannot replace.

For families interested in the research behind these concerns, we recommend The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt.