Printed paper still matters: Why UK education needs pages as well as pixels

In an age of tablets, smartboards, and cloud-based learning platforms, it’s easy to assume that printed materials are becoming obsolete in UK education. But the evidence tells a different story - one where paper continues to play a vital role in student engagement, comprehension, and long-term learning. At Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) Ltd, we’ve seen this first-hand through our partnerships with schools, academies, and universities across the country.

Print vs. Digital: What the research says

A growing body of research shows that print offers cognitive advantages that digital formats struggle to replicate. For example, ‘A Comparison of Children’s Reading on Paper Versus Screen: A Meta-Analysis’, published in the Review of Educational Research, is a study that reviewed 39 studies involving over 1,800 children and found that paper-based reading generally led to better story comprehension than digital formats — especially when digital enhancements weren’t aligned with the story content.

So, why does print outperform digital? One reason lies in how we read. An article by Two Sides highlights research from the University of Maryland, which found that digital readers tend to skim and overestimate their understanding, while print readers engage more deeply and retain information better. This is particularly important in secondary and higher education, where critical thinking and retention are key.

Printed books also offer tactile and visual cues - like page thickness and layout - that help readers form a mental map of the content. A study from Stavanger University in Norway found that students reading on paper outperformed screen readers in comprehension, especially when recalling narrative structure, thanks to these spatial and physical cues.

Digital distractions

Digital devices, built for multitasking, often disrupt focus with notifications, hyperlinks, and apps - making it harder for students to stay engaged. In contrast, print materials foster deeper concentration and memory retention by eliminating these distractions. Prolonged screen use can also lead to eye strain, headaches, and sleep disruption, affecting cognitive performance. Print offers a fatigue-free, credible medium that supports sustained reading and lower stress.

The classroom reality

Despite the rise of digital tools, many UK schools continue to rely on printed materials for good reason. Print is distraction-free, accessible, and doesn’t require logins, batteries/recharging, or bandwidth. Teachers often report that students are more focused when working with paper, and that printed worksheets and textbooks support differentiated learning styles more effectively than screens.

Print that works for education

At Konica Minolta, we support many UK education institutions - from multi-academy trusts to sixth forms and universities - with tailored print solutions that balance cost-efficiency, reliability, and learning impact. Our Managed Print Services streamline operations through secure exam printing, scan-to-email workflows, and fleet optimisation, helping reduce volumes, cut colour usage, and protect sensitive data.

We don’t replace print with digital - we integrate them. Whether it’s digitising admissions while retaining printed welcome packs, or automating attendance reporting alongside printed newsletters, we help educators use both formats intelligently to meet operational and teaching needs.

Sustainability and cost control

Print in education has obvious learning benefits, but it doesn’t have to mean waste either. With the right strategy, schools can reduce their environmental footprint while improving learning outcomes. Konica Minolta’s print audits and discovery processes help institutions identify inefficiencies, consolidate devices, and adopt responsible print policies.

Take Inspire Education Group (IEG) for example, which cut print volumes by 1 million pages and reduced annual costs from £480,000 to £350,000 with Konica Minolta’s support - lowering emissions in the process. Through the PaperCut Grows scheme, IEG also funds tree planting to offset usage, having already supported the planting of around 3,000 new trees.

Paper is inherently easier to recycle effectively than e-waste – figures from Statista show that the UK recycles 73.4% of paper and cardboard. If you compare this to electronic recycling, it paints a stark picture - figures show that only 17.4% of e-waste is known to be collected and properly recycled globally.

Konica Minolta also supports education providers through our extensive circular economy and recycling programmes, which include the ‘A World on Loan’ recycling programme for print consumables and also the responsible disposal of legacy print devices, strictly recycled in line with WEEE guidelines.

Print still has a place

As the Two Sides article rightly points out, print engages the student brain in ways that digital formats often cannot. It supports deeper learning, better recall, and more inclusive access. In UK education, printed materials remain a cornerstone of effective teaching - and Konica Minolta is proud to support that mission.

Whether you’re a school administrator looking to modernise your print setup, a university IT lead exploring hybrid workflows, or a teacher who knows the value of a well-thumbed textbook, we’re here to help. Because in education, the right mix of print and digital isn’t just practical, it’s powerful.



Find out more about How Konica Minolta can help your school academy or university with its print provision with our Schools and Academies Resource Hub, and how we have specifically helped UK education providers in our Case Studies