Edtech Wars: Meet The Mums Fighting Screens In Classrooms

"“I'm so proud that the UK is an edtech powerhouse,” the Education Secretary declared in a speech in January. Announcing a £23m expansion of the government's edtech pilot programme, she continued: “AI can deliver the biggest leap forward for learning in centuries - perhaps even since the invention of the printing press”."

"For an increasingly vocal group of parents, however, edtech is an unwelcome development in their children's education - one that is being foisted on them, both at school and at home, without their consent. They suspect that the government's enthusiasm for edtech is based on the push for economic growth via tech investment, but believe that children's education and attainment is being harmed in a way that will do little good for our economy in the long term."

"Those parents have recently scored victories in other areas of education policy. The government has agreed, ahead of the results of its consultation on a ban, to put restrictions on the social media use of under-16s. And in March, it released new guidance urging parents to limit the screen time of under-5s - avoiding it altogether under two years, and no more than one hour a day for children aged two to five."

"“Parents of young children are facing a constant battle with screens,” the press release unveiling the guidance empathetically states. Yet the guidance, while putting the onus on parents, d"

The UK government is expanding edtech initiatives, including a £23m expansion of an edtech pilot programme and a £187m TechFirst skills programme to bring AI into classrooms. The government also plans to roll out AI tutoring in schools for disadvantaged pupils and frames these efforts as a digital revolution in education. Some parents oppose edtech, saying it is being introduced at school and at home without their consent. They suspect the drive is tied to economic growth through tech investment and argue that children’s education and attainment may be harmed, undermining long-term economic benefits. Parents have achieved policy wins on screen use, including restrictions on social media for under-16s and guidance limiting screen time for under-5s.

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