Saturday, September 6, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

“Tablet or pen – when school digitalization goes too far”

Why should it take so many years for our politicians to realize that younger children in school first need to learn to write with pen and paper before they are given digital tools? Writes Lena Nilsson from Uppsala, Sweden.

Published 16 November 2024
Politicians should have listened to teachers' warnings 25 years ago, says the writer.
4 minute read
This is an opinion piece. The author is responsible for the views expressed in the article.

In 1981 I started working as a primary school teacher. I had the privilege of working with the lower grades and every three years starting with a new first grade. In the first years of school, the pupils received a lot of training in shaping and writing both letters and numbers with a pencil. Many times we also used other materials to form and build letters, this to further train the motor skills and remember the letters in different ways, because we learn with the whole body.

In the fall of 1996, we got a computer in the classroom for the first time. It was placed at the back of the room and at the beginning it was only me and my colleague who used it to learn different programs. None of us were really that interested in bringing digital technology into the classroom. Even then, we thought it was more important for our students to get the letters and numbers “in hand” before they started writing on the computer.

Eventually, several educational computer programs, aimed at younger children, were published by educational publishers. There were many programs with exercises in, for example, preparatory reading. I had a few students who got a little help from some programs, to get started with reading and writing. But most of the class used the computer mostly for games in the afternoons, when after-school activities took over the classroom.

In 2001, the directive in our municipality was that every classroom in primary school should have two computers, and the call to us teachers was to ensure that those pupils who did not have access to a computer at home would have priority for the school computers. There was a great concern that these children would fall behind in digital development. That’s what they said at the end of the 20th century, that some students would miss out. Imagine if we had known then what it looks like today.

Today, many have realized that the decision to digitalize schools happened far too quickly. There was an over reliance on digitalization, and there was a strong desire for Sweden to lead in all things IT-related in education. Digitalization advocates argued that children learn better with computers and tablets. This may be true in some areas, but in other contexts, it can be entirely inappropriate.

While research shows mixed results on the place of computers in education, what happens if students do not learn handwriting is clear. What is the risk that students who are forced to write by hand, with pen and paper, will have to take courses on how to surf the internet later in life? Most likely, that risk is zero. The big problem today is all the pupils who have been given a tablet as early as first grade, instead of a notebook and pen. Many teachers are concerned that students who have been in school for several years have no functional handwriting. In other words, they cannot write by hand.

We take so much away from our children when they don’t learn to form letters with their hands. When they don’t practice their own handwriting, they also have trouble reading other people’s handwritten messages. Many of us will remember when SÖ (The Swedish National Agency for Education) introduced the new writing style in the 1970s. Students found it difficult to learn, and as a result, they could no longer read the handwriting of their elders. The new writing style had been developed by a calligrapher. However, many teachers criticized it without being heard. More and more teachers reverted to teaching the old handwriting style, which had been developed over so many years. The school board introduced the new writing style without listening to and taking advice from the experts, the teachers who worked in the school.

According to the Swedish Teachers’ Union, 95% of teachers believe it is important for children to be able to write by hand, yet a fifth of teachers say their pupils never do.

The Swedish National Agency for Education is now proposing a change to the curriculum, emphasizing that more time should be spent on writing practice in the lower grades. It also wants to remove the requirement for digital learning tools in preschool. This is exactly what so many teachers said 25 years ago, that children need to learn to write with pen and paper in the early years of school. Learning to write is a craft and it takes time to learn to write by hand.

As in so many other contexts, people forget or ignore to listen to those who are experts and have experience in a field. Debates on important issues and decisions are missing. Only one side is usually given the opportunity to speak, while the other side is silenced, mocked or ridiculed. We need to learn to speak up when things go wrong – to have the courage to speak out.

 

Lena Nilsson, Uppsala Sweden

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“Remembering history to build a brighter future”

The modern China

All peace-loving peoples share a responsibility to defend the postwar international order and build a community with a shared future for humanity, writes China's Ambassador to Sweden, Cui Aimin.

Published 2 September 2025
5 minute read
This is an opinion piece. The author is responsible for the views expressed in the article.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Eighty years ago, the forces of justice around the world united in courageous battles against their common foes, defeated the overbearing fascist powers, and won the great victory recorded in history. Eighty years later today, the international landscape is fraught with turbulence and transformation, global challenges keep emerging, and the world is standing at a crossroads where choices must be made. We must look back on history to illuminate the present and look toward the future, and draw wisdom and strength from the hard lessons of the Second World War and from the great victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. We must build on past achievements, refute false narratives to set the record straight, cherish peace, pursue common development, and work together to build a better future for humanity.

We should firmly uphold a correct historical perspective on WWII and protect the historical truth. History may fade with time, but historical memory must never be erased. The Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War represent the decisive battle between justice and evil, light and darkness, and the forces for progress and the reactionary. Japanese militarists burned, killed, and plundered on Chinese soil, committed the horrific Nanjing Massacre, waged appalling biological and chemical warfare, and conducted “human experimentation.” These heinous atrocities were a brutal trampling on life and human rights, and a grave challenge to human civilization. Under the banner of the Chinese united front against Japanese aggression, which was advocated and established by the Communist Party of China, the Chinese people launched a relentless struggle and held ground in the principal theater in the East of the World Anti-Fascist War after making immense sacrifices of over 35 million military and civilian casualties and economic losses amounting to hundreds of billions of U.S. dollars.

They defeated the brutal Japanese militarists, and carved out an immortal epic of heroic resistance and ultimate victory against Japanese aggression. Eighty years after the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, there are still a few people who ignore the clear historical facts that countless innocent lives were lost during the wars, and repeatedly attempt to deny or glorify the history of aggression, arousing strong condemnation among all peace-loving peoples of the world, including the Chinese people. History cannot be rewritten, and facts cannot be denied. Any attempt to distort the historical truth of WWII, to whitewash the history of aggression and crimes, to overturn the verdict on militarism, or to turn back the wheel of history will never be accepted by the Chinese people, nor by the people across the world.

We should resolutely uphold the postwar international order and jointly meet the challenges of the times. History is the best textbook and the best remedy. The history of WWII is not only a record of the past, but also has a profound impact on contemporary international relations and on the postwar international order. The U.N.-centered international system is the embodiment of the victorious outcome of WWII. It has underpinned global stability and prosperity, ensured overall peace, and propelled the progress of human civilization. At present, the world faces various challenges. Unilateralism and power politics are severely impacting the U.N. and the multilateral system.

Certain countries are aggressively putting their own interests first, practicing power politics, bullying others, and attempting to replace multilateralism with unilateralism and to substitute the postwar international order with so-called rules of their own making. The painful lessons of WWII remain vivid. Hegemonism and the law of the jungle, where might makes right, must never be allowed to return. All peace-loving people of the world must remember the history written with blood and sacrifice, firmly defend the victorious outcome of WWII, uphold true multilateralism, defend the authority and sanctity of the U.N., uphold the vision of global governance featuring extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit, jointly oppose hegemonism, power politics and bullying, promote greater democracy in international relations, and defend international fairness and justice.

We should build a community with a shared future for humanity and create a brighter future. History cannot be changed, but the future can be shaped. Facing the important question of “what kind of world we need and how to build such a world”, President Xi Jinping has put forward the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity as well as the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative. They provide China’s wisdom and solutions from multiple dimensions for meeting global changes and addressing the challenges confronting humanity, and respond to the universal aspiration of all peoples for peace, development and cooperation. They set clearer goals and chart a brighter course for humanity’s future, demonstrate China’s sense of responsibility as a major country through concrete actions, and are widely recognized and supported by the international community.

No matter how the international landscape evolves, China will stay committed to the path of peaceful development and the mutually beneficial strategy of opening up, and will remain a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, a defender of international order and a provider of public goods. China will continue to promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and work with other countries to build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world of lasting peace, universal security, and shared prosperity. In advancing the great cause of building a community with a shared future for humanity, countries must draw lessons from history and stand together in solidarity. We need to replace confrontation with cooperation, prevent lose-lose situations through win-win solutions, actively promote friendly cooperation, firmly resist the Cold-War mentality and zero-sum games, and strive to advance world peace and security and the common progress of humanity.

The smoke of WWII has long cleared, but the warning bells of history will always ring. We must follow the logic of history and keep pace with the trend of the times. China will walk hand in hand with countries around the world to uphold what is right, safeguard global stability, deepen win-win cooperation, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, thereby passing on the torch of peace and development from generation to generation.

Cui Aimin,
Chinese Ambassador to Sweden

“Strengthening dialogue among civilizations and creating a better future together”

The modern China

History has repeatedly shown that openness fosters mutual understanding, and exchanges deepen mutual trust. The Chinese and Swedish peoples share a deep consensus on this, writes China's Ambassador to Sweden, Cui Aimin.

Published 19 June 2025
For Aimin, dialogue is the key to advancing human civilization and building a shared future.
4 minute read
This is an opinion piece. The author is responsible for the views expressed in the article.

On June 10, we celebrated the first International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations of the United Nations. This commemorative day, jointly initiated by China and over 80 countries, carries the common expectations of the international community for peace, development and friendship. It also marks a new starting point for different civilizations in the world to jointly meet challenges and embrace a better future. Dialogue among civilizations is a good way to resolve differences, mutual learning among civilizations is the source of human progress, and inter-civilizational exchanges can provide a continuous flow of fresh ideas and strong impetus for China-Sweden friendly cooperation.

Dialogue among civilizations: The “golden key” to meeting the challenges of the times

At present, the international landscape is undergoing profound changes, marked by intertwined crises and risks, along with increasing deficit in peace, development, security and governance. Against this backdrop, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Civilization Initiative in 2023, which has received broad support from many countries and injected strong momentum into the modernization of human society and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. In 2024, the 78th UN General Assembly unanimously adopted the resolution to establish the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations, which reflects the universal aspiration of people of all countries to foster dialogue among civilizations and advance human progress. It also makes important contributions to enhancing equal exchanges and dialogues among different civilizations and promoting world peace and development.

History has repeatedly shown that openness fosters mutual understanding, and exchanges deepen mutual trust. The Chinese and Swedish peoples share a deep consensus on this. Nobel’s belief of serving humanity as a citizen of the world and the statement from China’s Book of Rites, “A just cause should be pursued for the common good,” both embody the philosophy of transcending civilizational barriers and striving for harmonious coexistence. As we mark the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and the founding of the United Nations, dialogue among civilizations holds even greater significance. Barriers and prejudices only exacerbate conflicts; only through inter-civilizational dialogue can we build a solid foundation for mutual trust and ensure common security.

Mutual learning among civilizations: The anchor of promoting China-Sweden cooperation

Human history is an epic of encounters, mutual learning, and symbiosis among different civilizations. Although China and Sweden are located at the opposite ends of the Eurasian continent, the two countries share a long history of friendly exchanges. More than 280 years ago, the merchant ship Götheborg established the bond of exchanges between China and Sweden. Seventy-five years ago, Sweden became the first Western country to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have maintained active exchanges and cooperation in the fields of economy and trade, science and technology, culture, and education. In the digital age, people-to-people exchanges have been further invigorated, depicting a vibrant picture of mutual learning among civilizations in the new era.

Sweden became the first Western country to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China.

Civilizations have become richer and more colorful with exchanges and mutual learning. The complementary strengths of China and Sweden in the fields of scientific and technological innovation, green development and cultural exchanges have not only promoted the steady development of bilateral relations, but also contributed Eastern wisdom and Nordic experience to global sustainable development. This kind of mutual learning among civilizations, based on mutual respect, openness and inclusiveness, transcends geographical and cultural differences. It builds a bridge of win-win cooperation, and stands as a vivid practice of mutual success and shared progress of countries with different civilizations, different systems and different stages of development.

Mutual advancement of civilizations: The compass for creating a better future

President Xi Jinping has pointed out that countries are not riding separately in some 190 small boats, but are rather all in a giant ship on which our shared destiny hinges. It is the cherished vision of the Chinese people that a noble cause is never a lonely pursuit and the whole world is one family. Promoting human progress and world harmony has been a relentless pursuit of the Communist Party of China. China and Sweden should take the International Day of Dialogue among Civilizations as an opportunity to draw on historical wisdom, seize the opportunities of the times, carry forward traditional friendship, and strengthen exchanges and cooperation. We should actively promote international free trade, jointly oppose unilateralism and the law of the jungle, firmly safeguard their legitimate rights and interests as well as the common interests of the international community, and contribute greater stability and certainty to the world.

Dialogue among different civilizations has always been a timeless theme in the progress of humanity. China is ready to work with Sweden and other partners around the world to uphold equality among civilizations, promote exchanges among civilizations, advance the progress of civilizations, move toward the inspiring vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, and join hands to create a better tomorrow.

 

Cui Aimin, China’s Ambassador to Sweden

“Sweden – trading biodiversity for trophies”

Biodiversity

It is becoming a sore pill to swallow for most Swedish citizens, seeing how the country with one hand portrays itself as a nature-preserving country and with the other hand literally sells out the country’s biodiversity, writes wildlife expert Misha Istratov.

Published 28 April 2025
4 minute read
This is an opinion piece. The author is responsible for the views expressed in the article.

While most Swedes were recovering after their New Year’s celebration, a few hundred were instead preparing for an adventure. On dark parking lots around five wolf territories, masked men in snow-white camouflage were adjusting silencers on their rifles and baiting their specially bred hunting dogs for a pursuit of a lifetime. The second day of the year bore promises of skins and furs from an endangered species, namely the Swedish wolf. Around 4,000 hunters had submitted interest in being chosen for killing one of the 30 wolves, out of which almost 400 were foreign trophy hunters. In the end, 25 wolves were killed, while the remaining five were not present in their territory. The only feasible explanation is illegal hunting, meaning that they had already been shot, but without permission.

The barrels had barely gotten cold before it was time for another next fauna execution. In February, practice is yearly allowed on the iconic lynx, where loose dogs are set loose in order to train the pursuers to find the mysterious cat. The practice is called “treeing” since the lynx has developed a defence against larger carnivores where it most aptly finds refuge in a tree. Unfortunately, this protection does not help against humans, whose rifles easily end the felines lives, after which they fall from the tree. The real hunt started on the first of March, and during the last two years, over 350 lynxes (roughly 13 percent yearly of the endangered population) have been shot to death, with over ten thousand hunters filing for the exclusive right to kill a lynx.

This “right” is delegated by the Swedish Environment Protection Agency to the counties to issue, and it is called “licensed hunting” or simply, culling. Most experts on European law agree that these practices violate the EU’s Habitats Directive since both the lynx and the wolf (as well as the bear and the wolverine, who are both also hunted yearly) are protected animals. Sweden has been under supervision by the EU for an infringement case in 2010 concerning the wolf hunt and this year a new submission will be opened because of the lynx culling.

Swedes are generally eager in shaming trophy hunters that go abroad to kill rhinos and other endangered animals and return with interior design items fashioned from the remains of their kills. Nor does the Swedish public brace itself in antipathy for killers of large African cats such as Cecil the lion. But when it comes to the rare cats in their own forests, such as the endangered lynx, the trophy hunt is met with surprisingly dispassionate reactions from the general public.

Just like African trophy hunters create myths like the ones that trophy hunting helps preserve species, boosts local economies, and is directed towards older individuals (all of which are scientifically inaccurate according to a large number of studies), Nordic trophy hunters have created their own fallacies to pawn in order to sway less knowledgeable politicians and civilians. Here, a myth has been fabricated that licensed hunting reduces illegal hunting, after a paper’s result was distorted by the hunting interest.

Several international studies, as well as a Swedish study, point in the direct opposite, and this is hardly surprising—if the authorities themselves allow the killing of wolves, how wrong can it be if private citizens take matters into their own hands? Since only three people have been convicted for illegal wolf killing in over ten years in Sweden, while hundreds of wolves have gone “missing”, the reward seems to outweigh the risk for certain individuals.

The propagators of these cullings, namely the two large hunting organisations, are receiving millions of governmental funds yearly. Meanwhile, nature protection organisations survive on scraps, and their funding is being cut by half this year. All this despite the fact that we are in the middle of a species crisis where 73 percent of global wildlife populations have disappeared in the last 50 years, according to WWF’s Living Planet Report.

In Sweden, red-listed species among mammals and birds have increased 50 percent in only twenty years. While the four large carnivores are on the Swedish red list, as well as 131 other species, one would expect the government to issue resolute action.

Instead, the authorities do all they can to enable the trophy hunt. It reaches such extents that they do not only allow the shooters to keep the furs of the killed red-listed animals, but the Swedish Veterinary Agency offers all the shooters the service of boiling and preparing the skull to keep as a keepsake for a symbolic cost.

Meanwhile, it is becoming a sore pill to swallow for most Swedish citizens, seeing how the country with one hand portrays itself as a nature-preserving country and with the other hand literally sells out the country’s biodiversity, encouraging trophy hunting of endangered animals.

 

Misha Istratov, entrepreneur, wildlife ambassador and writer

About the commentator

Misha Istratov is the CEO of Elithus and an independent commentator on sustainability in general, specializing in wildlife management.

“Trade wars have no winners – protectionism is a dead end”

Donald Trump's USA

Open cooperation represents the trend of history and mutual benefit is what the people want, writes WAN Degang, Charge d'Affairs of the Chinese Embassy in Sweden.

Published 11 April 2025
Aerial view of cargo ship carrying container running for export import near cargo yard port concept freight shipping.
3 minute read
This is an opinion piece. The author is responsible for the views expressed in the article.

Recently, the United States has imposed tariffs arbitrarily on all its trading partners under various pretexts. This severely infringes upon the legitimate rights and interests of all countries, violates World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, undermines the rules-based multilateral trading system, and disrupts the global economic order. People from many countries have pointed out that the U.S. overlooks the well-being of of its own citizens and the interests of other countries, which could ultimately lead to internal and external difficulties, resulting in losses for all parties involved.

First, the U.S. tariffs are widely criticized by international community.

The U.S. side claimed that it is being ripped off in international trade, and increased tariffs on all its trading partners under the pretext of reciprocity. This is in complete disregard of the balance of interests achieved through years of trade negotiations. It also neglects the fact that the U.S. has gained huge interests from international trade over the years. Such action is widely criticized and opposed by the international community. The European Commission, the European Central Bank, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom and other institutions and countries have stated that the U.S. tariffs negatively impact the global economy, disrupt the trading system that has fostered great progress for humanity and undermine the global free trade order. Faced with such unilateral and bullying action, the only way to stop the U.S. from harvesting the world is for all countries to strengthen their solidarity and cooperation to jointly resist and oppose such action.

Second, the U.S. tariffs hurt the U.S. itself as well as other countries.

The U.S. unilateral policy of so-called “reciprocal tariffs” is bound to result in a “lose-lose” situation in practice, inflicting direct harm to the global economy and the interests of its trading partners, while negatively impacting its own economy, businesses and consumers. The day after the U.S. announced its tariffs plan, the S&P 500 index plummeted 4.8%, wiping out over $4 trillion in market value in a short span. Experts at JP Morgan estimated that the tariffs could reduce U.S. GDP by 0.3% for the year, down from the previous forecast of 1.3% growth. Meanwhile, the U.S. inflation level remains high. The Core Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) Price Index, which excludes food and energy prices, rose 2.8% year-on-year in February. Relevant U.S. agencies predicted that the new tariffs will cost Americans an additional $660 billion annually in taxes, with average local car prices expected to rise by $3,000 to $5,000. The impact won’t stop at the automotive sector; industries such as food, electronics, household appliances, construction materials and agricultural equipment will also be affected, leading to significantly higher expenditures for American households.

Third, the U.S. tariffs hinder global sustainable development.

The U.S. abuse of tariffs deprives countries, especially those in the Global South, of their right to development. The U.S. imposes tariffs on more than 180 countries and regions worldwide, including some economies classified by the United Nations as least developed. According to WTO data, given the disparities in economic development and strength, U.S. tariffs could further widen the global wealth gap, with less developed countries suffering a heavier blow. The Spokesperson for the U.N. Secretary-General warned that the trade war will adversely affect implementation of Sustainable Development Goals, and the concern right now is with the most vulnerable countries, which are the least equipped to deal with the current situation. The WTO noted that the U.S. tariffs could lead to an overall contraction of around 1% in global merchandise trade volumes this year, disrupting global trade and economic growth prospects.

Open cooperation represents the trend of history and mutual benefit is what the people want. Development is a universal right of all countries, not an exclusive privilege of a few. Countries need to uphold the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefit, and remain committed to true multilateralism. They should practice true multilateralism, jointly oppose all forms of unilateralism and protectionism, and defend the U.N.-centered international system and the WTO-centered multilateral trading system. We are confident that the vast majority of countries, committed to fairness and justice, will stand on the right side of history and act in their best interests.

 

WAN Degang,
Charge d’Affairs of the Chinese Embassy in Sweden

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