A teacher has challenged a neuroscientist's call to cut screen use in schools, arguing that dismissing technology entirely fails to recognise its crucial role in equity, accessibility and basic school operations. Charlotte Bleakley, a teacher at Roding Valley high school and digital lead at Chelmsford Learning Partnership, wrote in response to an article headlined 'Our children are less cognitively capable,' says neuroscientist who wants to cut screen use in schools, published on 16 August.
Data Supports Moderate Device Use
Bleakley pointed out that even the neuroscientist Jared Cooney Horvath's own data, cited mid-article, shows that moderate school device use is associated with better outcomes than no device use at all. It is only the heaviest daily use that drags results down, she noted. 'That is a case for sensible integration, not blanket alarm,' she wrote.
The article's most significant omission, according to Bleakley, is what technology means for students with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) and for those learning English as an additional language.
Technology as a Lifeline for SEN and English Learners
With continual cuts to Send funding and learning-support staff, a single teacher cannot differentiate instruction for 30 children unaided, Bleakley argued. Assistive technology – text to speech, translation tools, audio versions of lesson content – is often the only thing that allows these students genuine access to the national curriculum, she explained.
'Technology in moderation is an invaluable tool, but it shouldn't replace meaningful human interaction in the classroom,' Bleakley wrote. 'However, dismissing screen use entirely fails to recognise the crucial role that modern technology plays in equity, accessibility and basic school operations.'
Technology Democratises Learning
When used thoughtfully and purposefully, moderate educational technology does not diminish learning, it democratises it, Bleakley concluded. Her response highlights the need for balanced integration of technology in schools, particularly to support vulnerable student groups.
