Less screen, more thinking: Educational neuroscience expert backs school reform but warns against missing the bigger picture

Australia's education reset must focus on how the brain actually learns – not simply how much technology is used in classrooms.

That’s according to CQUniversity educational neuroscientist Professor Ken Purnell, who says the Federal Government’s response to persistent and uneven literacy and numeracy outcomes provides an opportunity to rethink the fundamentals of learning.

“You can't build a skyscraper on foundations that aren't secure. Literacy and numeracy are the foundations that allow students to tackle increasingly complex learning,” Professor Purnell said.

“When those foundations are secure, working memory is freed up for higher-order thinking. When they aren't, students can spend all their cognitive effort trying to understand the basics rather than thinking about the bigger problem.”

His comments follow Federal Education Minister Jason Clare's call for a “digital detox” in schools and his announcement that education ministers will consider ways to reduce screen use in classrooms.

Professor Purnell agrees reducing unnecessary technology use is sensible, but says the debate must go beyond simply taking screens out of classrooms.

“The question isn't whether technology belongs in the classroom. The question is whether it is helping the brain learn or getting in the way of learning,” he said.

Australia's current education debate provides an opportunity to move beyond arguments about whether schools should be “traditional” or “digital”.

“This isn't a battle between pencils and laptops. It is about putting learning first,” Professor Purnell said.

The 2025 PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) results show Australia remains above the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average in reading, mathematics and science, but its longer-term decline in literacy and numeracy remains a concern.

The OECD also found Australian students spend among the highest amounts of time internationally using digital devices for learning at school, while digital distraction remains a concern.

“The PISA results shouldn't lead us to conclude that technology is the problem. They should lead us to ask whether we are using technology in ways that support learning or ways that compete with it,” Professor Purnell said.

Professor Purnell says early identification of learning gaps must be matched with timely intervention.

“Screening without effective intervention is simply finding a problem and then leaving the child with it,” he said.

“The real value of early assessment is that it tells us what the next learning goal should be and gives teachers the opportunity to act before a small gap becomes a large one.”

Students needing additional support also need more than additional time.

“Extra time isn't an intervention. Students need explicit teaching, guided practice, useful feedback and repeated opportunities to experience success.”

The Federal Government has committed to Year 1 phonics and numeracy checks and is considering changes to the early years of the mathematics curriculum.

Professor Purnell says curriculum reform should also address the problem of trying to teach too much, too quickly.

“We have known for years that curriculum overload is a problem. When too much is taught too quickly, students don't have enough time to practise, retrieve and consolidate knowledge.”

“Learning is a marathon, not a sprint. Covering more content does not necessarily mean learning more.”

Successful education reform needs to recognise the expertise of teachers and school leaders.

“The people closest to students need to help shape the response. Policy can create the conditions, but skilled teachers and school leaders are the people who adapt evidence to the real child sitting in front of them.”

Reducing unnecessary administrative workload should also be part of reform so teachers can focus on activities that directly support learning.

Ultimately, Professor Purnell says the success of education reform should be measured by what students actually learn.

“The true test of school reform is remarkably simple: are more students understanding more, remembering more and becoming increasingly independent learners?”

“And perhaps just as importantly, are they enjoying learning?”

“We should use every tool available to us – including contemporary neuroscience and technology – but we should never lose sight of the fundamentals of how human brains learn.”