Norway is keeping AI out of the classrooms in primary schools

The Norwegian government wants to restrict the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in primary schools due to major drops in students’ basic skills.

According to Kari Nessa Nordtun, Minister of Education and Science, one in four Norwegian students reads below the OECD minimum threshold for qualification for further education and work. At the same time, the use of AI has increased significantly in primary schools.

Minister Nordtun argues that pupils at primary school don’t possess the knowledge, critical reflection, and self-regulation needed to use AI effectively. Therefore, to focus on teaching basic skills, the use of AI tools should be restricted in primary schools across the country.

Once students have enrolled in secondary school, AI tools should be introduced gradually. Teachers will have to acquire the necessary competencies to master these tools by completing an AI training. In upper classes, students should learn to use AI appropriately so that they are prepared for further education and work.

“We must not make the same mistake as when digital devices were casually introduced among the youngest students,” Minister Nordtun adds to stress the importance of well-thought-out AI implementation.

The Minister has asked the Directorate of Education to come up with age-appropriate national recommendations on AI usage in primary schools. She’s aiming to introduce these instructions this autumn, when the new school year starts.

“The most important thing in school is that our children learn to read, write, and count. The government has high ambitions for the possibilities within artificial intelligence. At the same time, research shows that uncritical use of generative AI in school increases the risk of skipping important stages of learning,” Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said in response.

In a related statement, the Norwegian government announced it wants to reverse the use of tablets in education by introducing more physical textbooks.

“Our children must learn how to find answers on their own, not have them delivered by AI. They must learn to read for themselves, write for themselves, do math for themselves, and think for themselves. And: collaborate with other students,” Minister Nordtun concludes.

Norway is one of the first countries to introduce national rules regarding the use of AI in schools. In other European Member States, it’s up to the schools themselves to decide how to cope with AI tools.