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Forum: Greater clarity on AI in schools welcome, but usage discipline ...
The Ministry of Education’s calibrated approach to artificial intelligence in schools brings long-awaited clarity to how AI should be used in education (P4 pupils have ‘executive functioning skills’ to start using AI under supervision: Desmond Lee, May 6).The intent is clear. AI is to support learning, not replace it. Introducing AI from Primary 4 reflects pupils’ developmental readiness. Lower primary years remain grounded in hands-on learning.But clarity of intent does not guarantee clarity of practice, and this is where many reforms struggle. Across systems, two opposing biases towards AI are already taking shape.One drives efficiency and risks normalising dependency. The other resists AI altogether. Neither is likely to produce the intended outcome.Balanced use will not emerge naturally from exposure to the technology and has to be deliberately constructed.Students therefore need structured friction: attempting tasks independently before using AI, then explicitly reflecting on how it changed their thinking.They should also be exposed to flawed AI outputs so that critique becomes part of learning, not an afterthought. Without this, “AI literacy” risks becoming tool usage rather than judgment.The same issue is already visible beyond schools. Capability is too often defined as familiarity with tools, not the ability to decide when not to use them. This is a thinking gap.There is also a need to dispel the notion that when guard rails exist, practice will follow. That assumption may be optimistic.Implementation aligns with intent only when it is reinforced through design, feedback and correction over time.Ultimately, this is less about artificial intelligence and more about discipline in cognition.Schools that succeed will need to go beyond teaching students to use AI, and teach when to resist it. This is a long and involved change management process.Chitra Venkatesh
The backlash against AI in schools is starting
The backlash against AI in schools is starting By Katie Notopoulos You're currently following this author! Want to unfollow? Unsubscribe via the link in your email. Senior Correspondent covering technology and culture AI programs are being used to teach reading and math in some elementary schools. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images 2026-05-14T16:47:12.055Z AI is being used in some elementary schools around the US to teach reading and math. Proponents say AI is here, and it's useful for personalized instruction. But many parents are wary of these new programs. I am! Some are starting to organize against them. As an adult with a generally optimistic view on technology, I had a rude awakening recently: My third grader mentioned that he and his buddies had been using Google's Gemini on their school-provided Chromebooks to make funny pictures of poop and dinosaurs. Technically, he admitted they're not supposed to be using Gemini like this, but they've figured out they have access to the tool — and if they finish their assigned schoolwork a few minutes early, they have time to mess around on their Chromebooks.I didn't love the idea of them getting access to a generative AI image-making tool unsupervised — something I wouldn't allow at home. (Even if it's technically against school rules, it wasn't blocked or restricted.)I'm not the only parent worried about AI making its way into the elementary school classroom. In the last few weeks, a handful of articles about AI and Chromebooks in schools have sparked a lot of discussion among parents — and, from what I've observed, the tone of these conversations ranges from frustrated to horrified.A recent New York Magazine story, "Help! My kindergarten is all in on AI," detailed how AI programs are being used in some New York public schools. Proponents say they give a new ability to customize lessons to each kid's needs. Some New York parents are organizing and rallying against them. At an open meeting for parents to weigh in on AI policy with the city's Department of Education, one parent accused the chancellor of "experimenting on our children."While there's been some grumbling about devices in the classroom for a few years, the introduction of AI — which many adults are wary of — has pushed the concerns further.In The New Yorker, Jessica Winter examines how AI is being incorporated into K-12 education — especially through school-mandated programs on Chromebooks and iPads. She points out that no one...
AI adoption surge collides with growing school policy backlash
This rapid uptake contrasts with education policy debates, as New York City's decision to cancel an AI-themed high school reflects growing caution in the face of such acceleration.
AI in Education | State Policy Trends, Guidance and Developments
Against this backdrop, states have moved quickly to pass their own legislation, addressing everything from basic governance requirements to specific permitted and prohibited uses of AI in school settings. This resource covers: Which states have required school districts and postsecondary institutions to adopt formal AI use policies.
