Perspectives on the proposal for a national plan of action for the digitalisation of school

Proposals at the national level and coordination of national actors 

We base the proposal on an analysis of the current situation and a description of the needs of the school organisers, says Annika Agélii Genlott, project manager for the action plan at SKR.  

- It is important to remember that the action plan is not a checklist for school organisers or local and regional work. Our purpose is to make proposals at the national level and to distribute the work between the various actors. The concrete developmental work in regions, municipalities and schools is taking place all the time. It also includes support for local and regional work within the framework of some initiatives we propose in the action plan. 

Open and broad collaboration 

The work with the national action plan was based on open and broad collaboration between schools, research, business, the public sector and civil society. In reference and working groups, there have been representatives from Skolforskningsinstitutet (Swedish Institute for Educational Research), universities and colleges, the edtech industry and other actors in the school area, government agencies and foundations, and municipal and independent school organisers. The public has also taken part in the work through the open discussion boards that have been arranged. 

- Approximately 3000 people have taken part in the physical and digital discussion boards that we arranged during Almedalen Week last year. Some of them were open, while we intended other ones for specific target groups. For example, we have had regional discussions for school organisers and digital discussion boards for the country’s students, teachers and principals. We have also arranged discussions at the large conferences Skolforum in Stockholm and Learning Forum in Gothenburg. 

Governance, project management and international outlook 

A steering group comprising representatives from the Ministry of Education, the National Agency for Education and SKR has had the overall responsibility for the national action plan. Annika Agélii Genlott led the project management group, which included representatives of RISE and the National Agency for Education and the project managers for the three focus areas:  

1. Digital competence for all in the school system 
2. Equal access to and use of digital learning resources 
3. Research and follow-up on the possibilities of digitalisation. 

The project management group has inspected what is being done in other countries. The group has also started some collaborations. They have, for instance, created a reference group with representatives of ministries and authorities in the Nordic and Baltic countries. It has functioned as management support and as an advisory group, says Annika Agélii Genlott. 

- It is imperative to connect to international networks when working with the digitalisation of school, just as the National Agency for Education does. SKR and similar organisations, together with researchers and the business community, also need to enter into a more formalised broader collaboration with relevant actors in other countries. 

Eighteen national initiatives and activities 

The draft action plan recommends eighteen national initiatives and activities linked to the three focus areas. The international contacts show that Sweden has significantly less national coordination of digitalisation and other school development than other comparable countries. We must tackle that, says Annika Agélii Genlott. 

- The most central thing in the proposal is to start coordination of the work that needs to be done by different national actors. All initiatives are equally important, and there is no specific order of priority. Many of them need to be run simultaneously, and some of them depend on other projects. 

School organisers welcome the proposal 

Many school actors in Sweden have been waiting eagerly for this proposal to be presented, says Per Kassman, who is responsible for digitalisation at Stadsmissionens skolstiftelse. 

- There is a need for a national action plan that launches initiatives that help us as school organisers to achieve the goals set in the strategy for the digitalisation of school. My first impression is that it holds together overall and specific goals in the right way. 

It is essential to highlight how the proposed action plan has been developed. Openness and transparency have always been in the forefront, says Ellen Lindqvist, head of school at NTI Gymnasiet. 

- I appreciate that we as a private school organiser have been able to take part in this work together with many other actors. Everyone willing and able to develop students’ digital skills must be allowed to do so. Together, we can help Sweden become a leading country when it comes to the digitalisation of school.  

Overall responsibility and long-term agreement 

The proposal recommends that the National Agency for Education should coordinate the national work. It also states that the government and SKR need to sign a broad and long-term agreement to ensure that all necessary conditions fall into place throughout the country. 

It is reasonable that the National Agency for Education has the primary responsibility for holding together and leading the state’s work, says Per Wikström, who is head of Digitalization and Innovation at The Compulsory School administration in the city of Gothenburg. 

- It is necessary to coordinate and steer the entire work in the right way so that everyone moves in the same direction. We try to do this in Gothenburg now that we have created a central primary school administration. At the national level, of course, it is even more critical. 

The proposal is a balanced combination of vision, strategic thinking and concrete measures, says Viveca Dahl, who is head of education in the City of Lund. 

- There is a need for an action plan that can support the digitalisation of school at the school organiser level. Around the country, it is still being discussed whether the national strategy for the digitalisation of school really should guide the daily school operations. Many principals focus mainly on what the Education Act says. There is an obvious risk that they will overlook necessary actions in this area. I think the next step should be to supplement the Education Act with mandatory formulations about the principals’ responsibilities. If not, it will be challenging to achieve the goals of the national strategy. 

Continued competence development is necessary 

The proposed action plan suggests that the National Agency for Education should continue working with teachers’ competence development more extensively. Per Kassman agrees.  

- Competencies are crucial to achieve the digitalisation of school. The National Agency for Education has already shown the way. For the continued work, it is vital to have a dialogue with the principals about what needs there are at their schools. They also need to be able to take advantage of all the skills that already exist in the country. 

Principal’s education needs to change 

Viveca Dahl also works with the principal’s education. She thinks it is valuable that the proposal recommends that principals learn how to lead the school’s strategic digital development work. 

- It is crucial to make the digitalisation of school a natural part of the principal’s education. The national strategy states that all parts of the school system must have adequate digital competence. Of course, this also applies to the principal. Otherwise, they cannot take their responsibility as school leaders. 

Teacher education must be able to meet the teachers’ knowledge needs   

The proposal also recommends the development of teacher education, so it can meet the knowledge needs that arise when the entire school system is becoming digital.  

An improvement is necessary, concludes Per Wikström. 

- Many principals expect new teachers to have good digital skills, but they are often stunned when they come to school. This is a problem that must be addressed. Otherwise, the implementation of the national strategy and the plan of actions will slow down. 

There is a need for a better understanding of what digitalisation means 

According to Per Kassman, there must be sufficient knowledge at all levels in the school of what the digitalisation of school is.  

- The general perception is that there is a specific set of knowledge that defines digital literacy that all teachers need to learn. Whether you are a social science teacher or a school principal seems insignificant. Everyone gets to hear about the new jobs of the future, how media is consumed today, and so on. It is by no means enough. 

Viveca Dahl believes it is more important to invest in increased competence among the decision-makers at the school organisers. 

- We must raise their level of knowledge. Otherwise, there is a risk that they will opt-out of digitalisation when they need to reduce the budget. 

A well-functioning infrastructure is a necessary condition 

Of course, infrastructure issues must not be forgotten either. The proposal points to the need to develop common standards that simplify the administrative work and make it easy and safe to access and use digital learning resources. National support for public procurement and technical system evaluation is also necessary,  

Standardisation and easier access to digital learning resource 

Per Wikström thinks that the work that Skolfederation conducts on technical standardisation is critical. Single sign-on solutions make it possible to access all available digital learning resources on the school’s network without additional logins. There is also a strong need for a better overview of available educational content and more flexible licensing solutions. This kind of work is underway in the Gothenburg region, but it must also be established at the national level. 

Ellen Lindqvist agrees that common standards and easier access to learning resources are valuable. There is also a need for standardisation and better national coordination concerning the transfer of information between schools. Today, too much of the responsibility lies with the school organiser, and that is not sustainable. 

Data collection and data-driven development 

The proposal also contains a recommendation for a national initiative on systematic data collection. This would facilitate the evaluation of the work that is being done to advance the digitalisation of school, says Ellen Lindqvist. Data-driven development helps us to conclude what de facto works and what we know instead of what we think we know. 

Ellen Lindqvist adds that practice-based research is valuable in this context. It is thus positive that they highlight the need for collaboration between school and academia in the proposal for a national action plan. The same applies to the recommendation to give the National Agency for Education a strengthened assignment to disseminate research and proven experience. 

We need other research perspectives to increase the benefits for the school 

Viveca Dahl also believes it is vital to establish closer ties between academia and school. Still, other research perspectives are needed to increase the benefits for the school and provide a better basis for the continued pedagogical development. 

- I call for research that looks more closely at how children and young people perceive and relate to their social surroundings. They grow up with the computer screen and the web as natural parts of life. Therefore, it is necessary that they understand and can handle the digital media landscape and new opportunities in critical and developing ways. Today we have one cluster of researchers who say that screen time should be limited, and another one who says that digitalisation is only positive. There is a need for research that can look at the problem with fresh eyes! 

How do school organisers proceed? 

Stadsmissionens skolstiftelse must read the proposal for an action plan carefully and look more closely at what needs to be done, says Per Kassman. It is essential both to see what it requires in general at the school organiser level and to break down to each school’s local action plan. 

The education administration in the city of Gothenburg will do similarly. There is already an assignment from the decision-makers to develop a digitalisation program that extends from preschool to high school, says Per Wikström.   

- We will start from the initiatives and activities recommended in the proposal and analyse the extent to which they cover what needs to be done in Gothenburg. What efforts are required for our schools to achieve the goals of the national strategy? When we have a better idea of ​​what applies, we will develop concrete action plans for each form of school. 

In the city of Lund, they will continue to integrate digitalisation into teaching and to develop working methods that promote students’ knowledge development and understanding of the world and society, says Viveca Dahl. Our mantra is: create more and consume less! We want to work as far as possible with value-creating teaching, from preschool to high school. 

- More and more should be real and based on cooperation with companies and other businesses in reality outside the school. Organisations and companies find it exciting, and it is both developing and motivating for students. Digitalisation means it is easier than ever to work like this. All communication and all work can take place at the school, via the internet. By using shared documents, students can quickly get feedback directly from their clients. 

The schools that are run by NTI Gymnasiet are already working systematically and purposefully with digitalisation, states Ellen Lindqvist. This applies not least within the framework of the partnership with RISE and other school organisers. If we implement the recommendations in the proposal, it will facilitate and speed up further development. 

- I hope and believe that it will challenge the entire Swedish school to think more agile and to dare to test themselves. It requires a curious approach and a certain amount of courage, but it will be easier if the government creates national structures that provide help and support. If we work smart and document everything we do, we can by analysing the collected data both benefit from failures and successes to move forward. 

Action and decision is required 

Many have been involved in the work and development is already underway at several school organisers, says Annika Agélii Genlott. But for us to reach our goal, both the state and the national actors concerned must take their responsibility. 

- These are cost-driving issues for the school organisers, and they also affect how the organisation looks and functions. Therefore, the government must conduct an impact assessment of the digitalisation strategy, which includes both financial and organisational consequences for the school organisers. 

From 18 March to 1 April, there will be a digital consultation where the involved actors share their views on the work process and the content of the final proposal. Even those who have not previously taken part in the process can be part of this council. Another purpose of the discussion is to investigate the interest in participating in the continued work, says Annika Agélii Genlott. 

- Now a government decision on the action plan and a new agreement between SKR and the government is required. If nothing happens now, it will disappoint many. Some may even become unwilling to get involved in issues regarding the digitalisation of school. But there is a lot of commitment, and I am certain the work will go on.