Why Students Are Learning Less Despite More Technology in Classrooms
June 13, 2026 · Frisian News
Schools with the most technology spending show no improvement in test scores. The ed-tech sector profits not from student learning, but from districts buying equipment.
A study from the National Center for Education Statistics found that schools with the highest technology spending showed no measurable improvement in math or reading scores compared to lower-tech schools. Some performed worse. Billions have gone into tablets, interactive boards, and learning platforms with little to show for it.
EdTech companies have convinced administrators that classroom technology is essential. Investment firms and venture capitalists have made billions from the trend. The ed-tech sector does not profit from schools learning more. It profits from schools buying hardware.
Research tells a different story than the vendors do. A meta-analysis of 200 studies found that technology improves learning only when used for specific tasks, not as a blanket replacement for traditional teaching. The headlines proclaim revolution. The data shows marginal gains at best.
The real problems are simpler and cheaper to fix. Students spend class time distracted by screens instead of paying attention. Teachers waste weeks learning new systems with minimal training. Administrators buy equipment without asking whether it works. Classrooms become expensive tech warehouses.
Schools chased the technology solution for twenty years without results. Yet every year, new devices arrive and old ones gather dust. The cycle persists because vendors need the sales, not because students learn better.
Published June 13, 2026 · Frisian News