There’s a growing body of data suggesting that piling screens into classrooms isn’t an automatic shortcut to better results.
Recent international evidence points to a correlation between heavy use of digital devices in school and lower test scores on major assessments such as PISA. Students who spend more unstructured time learning on laptops and tablets tend to perform worse on reading, maths and science than peers with less screen-centric instruction. In some systems this has been enough to prompt a return to print textbooks and paper-based tasks to sharpen focus and deep thinking.
The graph above reflects this pattern: as daily screen exposure increases, average PISA scores drop. More screen time isn’t just a technology issue. It’s about how attention, memory and deep engagement are shaped. Screens fragment focus, interrupt sustained reading and can weaken the rich, embodied cognitive processes that paper and human interaction support.
A common worry among school leaders I hear is, “If we focus on relationships and wellbeing, will our academic performance suffer?” The short answer is No. If anything, schools that prioritise human connection outperform because they sustain the conditions that enable deep learning.
And so, working restoratively isn’t neglecting academic rigour. It is relational and structured. It demands presence, accountability, dialogue and reflection – real human engagement that builds attention, self-regulation and cognitive endurance. These are the very capacities that high-stakes tests like PISA measure. When students feel seen, connected and cognitively anchored, they stay focused longer, persevere through challenge and engage in deeper learning.
If the fear is that building human schools detracts from performance, the evidence points the other way. Human connection fuels the focused, thoughtful, disciplined learning that underpins performance.
Schools that cultivate relationships as a priority don’t slow down.
They push the performance pedal to the metal.
Keep fighting that good fight,
P.S. If student behaviour is draining your energy, the Student Behaviour PhD offers clear, practical ways to steady your responses.
And if you want a good listen – this week’s episode of my Real Schools of Thought podcast is a little different. It’s the Real Schools Origin Story.
I talk about my Frankston roots, my school leadership journey, a disrespectful act of grubby consultancy on Milingimbi and how it all – good and bad, right and wrong – helped me develop our world first approach to partnering with schools.
If you’re inclined, you can catch it here.
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