Order of priority for school digitalization: 1. Leadership 2. Pedagogy 3. Tools

Digitization Skills supply Public procurement Education and training

The digitization of schools is now on the lips of many, which is good in itself. Unfortunately, we see the same pitfalls in this process as in so many other IT initiatives: too much focus on the tools and too little on leadership and working methods. In a letter to the Swedish National Agency for Education, IT&Telekomföretagen wants to turn this around, and at the same time provide suggestions on how the industry can contribute to the digitization of schools.

Just before Christmas, a working group under the IT & Telecom Companies' IT Competence Council submitted a letter to the National Agency for Education with the industry's views on what should be prioritized in the National Agency for Education's mission to develop national strategies for school digitization. The most important parts can also be found in a debate article published in Dagens Samhälle on December 30.

In this digitalization process, as in all other IT initiatives, leadership is paramount. If principals and other leaders at the school authorities themselves are not both aware of and driving the digital changes, the risk of costly failures is great. We therefore believe that a digital principals' boost should be priority number 1 in the Swedish National Agency for Education's mission to develop strategies for school digitization.

Digital leadership is about showing the way for what changes in working methods are needed - in the case of schools, pedagogy - to take advantage of the opportunities offered by digitalization. With a clear view of how pedagogy should be developed, tools can then be procured and implemented. The important thing is that it comes in that order: Leadership, pedagogy and finally the tools.

In the letter, we also address the issue of programming in the school curriculum. This is certainly an important issue, but it should be seen as part of a larger whole where programming should be one among many in the students' repertoire of digital skills.