Tesfaye has asked the Agency for Education and Quality (Styrelsen for Uddannelse og Kvalitet, Stuk), which answers to the Ministry of Children and Education, to produce guidelines or recommendations on the use of screens at elementary schools, after-school institutions (skolefritidsordninger, SFO’er) and youth education programmes.

The move by Tesfaye was first reported by education media Skolemonitor.

The new guidelines would be aimed at head teachers, teachers and other school staff.

In the instructions to Stuk, Tesfaye wrote that excessive screen use can distance pupils from each other.

“Digital-based lessons can be well-justified as a didactic learning element, but screens can also reduce intimacy, distract and in some contexts pacify children and young people and make them less capable of performing individual tasks,” he wrote.

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Different guidelines could be produced for different stages of the school system.

The order from Tesfaye comes after debate in recent weeks on the potential benefits of limiting screen use at Danish schools.

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen suggested in comments last month in parliament that children’s wellbeing can suffer if screen use is excessive.

“It’s not the traffic that’s most dangerous for children now. It’s this,” she said as she waved a smart phone.

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Tesfaye has meanwhile suggested that a law change could minimise the amount of screen use by children aged 0-6 in childcare and early years education.

Recommendations from the agency are expected to be ready in October for youth education programmes, but not until December for schools.