Reshaping classroom culture, the regional government of Madrid has approved a decree that significantly reduces the use of digital devices in schools. Beginning in the 2025–2026 academic year, over 550,000 students will face stricter limitations on tablets, laptops, and other screens — part of a broader effort to return to more traditional learning methods.
The decision comes after years of growing concern among parents and educators about the overuse of technology in early education. Supported by over 400 academic experts, the new regulations require schools to phase out one-to-one device use and instead encourage shared use under direct teacher supervision. Schools will have up to two years to adapt their curricula accordingly.
This shift, the government says, is not a blanket ban but a recalibration. While private schools and high schools (institutos) retain autonomy to set their own tech policies, the region strongly recommends guidelines that promote responsible use of digital tools. In public preschools and primary schools, however, new limits are clearly defined by age.
The article published by COPE explains that children aged 0 to 3 will no longer be permitted to use screens at all. From ages 3 to 6, students may use educational devices for no more than one hour per week, always in pairs and with a supervising adult. The time allowance increases modestly with age: children aged 6 to 9 will be allowed 90 minutes weekly, and those aged 9 to 12 may use devices for up to two hours, strictly for educational purposes.
For secondary students, decisions will be made by each school individually. However, even in these cases, the emphasis is on moderation and pedagogical relevance.
Exceptions are outlined for students with special educational needs, provided a formal assessment is approved by education authorities. Additionally, subjects that inherently require digital tools, such as coding or media studies, are exempt from the new restrictions.
Global trends
Madrid’s education authorities cite Sweden as an influence for the policy. The Scandinavian country, once a leader in classroom tech, is now investing €150 million to restore printed materials in schools after research linked excessive screen time to declining academic performance.
The regional president announced the new law as a necessary corrective: “We want to ensure that digital tools serve education — not distract from it.”
Many Spanish psychologists and educators have echoed that sentiment. Critics of screen-heavy education warn of shortened attention spans, reduced critical thinking, and easy exposure to inappropriate content. As recent OECD data show that 15% of Spanish students have repeated a grade, some see this move as a timely intervention.
For Catholic educators, the policy invites deeper questions about the purpose of learning. Pope Leo XIV, in a recent message to Catholic universities, warned against the “siren songs” of modern trends that appear promising but distract from truth and wisdom. In Madrid’s case, the new decree seems to share that impulse: a desire to help young minds learn to think, not just to swipe.
