Parents Highly Critical of the High Presence of Technology in Schools Soar

The number of parents who are highly critical of what they consider to be an excessive presence of technological tools in their children's education has skyrocketed in a very short time. They believe that the predominant use of tablets, calculators, computers, or digital whiteboards is sidelining writing, reading, arithmetic, and memory, thereby harming the overall education of children and young people. This is confirmed by the 'Global Education Monitor,' a monographic study conducted in 30 countries across five continents by the multinational polling firm Ipsos, coinciding with the days leading up to the start of the school year.

In Spain, parents who support this view have now become the majority. In fact, it can be said that they have withdrawn their approval of the introduction of technology in schools in record time—just one year. Those who saw more benefits than drawbacks in digital education last year, at 48%, have now decreased to 28%, a 15-point drop in twelve months, surpassed by those who see more negative points, at 31%.

In line with this perspective, a majority of Spanish parents now also support banning the use of artificial intelligence (including Chat GPT) in teaching. This stance has also reversed within a single year, shifting from 40% opposing it to 39% supporting it.

Two other widely supported arguments follow this same direction. Sixty-three percent—two out of three parents—back the new policy implemented this school year by various educational authorities (the Ministry and regional councils) to ban the use of smartphones during school hours.

They are even more radical regarding social media. Seventy-three percent—three out of four—support the Spanish regulation that prohibits access to social media for minors under 14 years old without explicit authorization from their parents or guardians.