By Kathryn Robson, Chief Executive, Adult Learning Wales

It’s interesting to see what’s happening in Sweden, where schools are shifting back towards physical books, paper and pens in response to concerns about falling literacy levels. As recent coverage highlights, the move is already sparking debate about the right balance between digital and traditional learning.

This conversation feels familiar and relevant because it isn’t really about choosing one over the other. It’s about understanding what works best for learners.

At Adult Learning Wales, literacy and other essential skills sit at the core of our offer. Through our wide range of courses, we work with thousands of adults each year, many of whom are returning to learning after a long break, or who may not have had positive experiences of education in the past.

For these learners, confidence is often the first barrier to overcome, and that’s why our approach is deliberately varied and learner-centred. In our classrooms and community settings across Wales, tutors draw on a rich array of learning resources to support different learning styles and needs. This includes working with printed texts and books, encouraging learners to write by hand, and using different media to keep learning fresh, engaging and meaningful.

At the same time, we understand that digital skills and access to online resources also play an important part in modern life and learning. Adults need the confidence to navigate digital spaces, access information, and participate fully in society and work. But recognising the value of digital learning should not mean relying on a single approach. Different mediums, environments and teaching methods all have their place in creating rich and effective learning experiences.

From my visits across our provision, I see this first-hand, with learners writing poetry, taking part in creative writing, and exploring history and culture through shared texts and discussion. Many engage with libraries, sometimes for the first time, opening up new worlds of learning and discovery. In arts and creative writing courses, learners bring in objects that spark a memory, using them as a starting point to talk, reflect and write, creating powerful connections between past and present, and between individual experience and shared understanding. In drawing classes, something as simple as a pebble from the beach becomes a focus for close observation, its smoothness, patterns and colour examined in detail, building attention, creativity and confidence. Elsewhere, a conversation about Nain’s old iron, heated on the hearth in the 1950s, can spark fascination, discussion and a deeper curiosity about how life used to be.

As we look ahead, the challenge is not to choose between analogue and digital, but to get that balance right. For adult learners, particularly those building foundational skills, the fundamentals matter. Strong literacy underpins everything from employability and progression to confidence, wellbeing and participation in community life.

Sometimes, the most impactful step forward is not about adding more but about ensuring the basics, and the richness of the learning experience remain at the heart of what we do.