AI use in Singapore schools kept age-appropriate, with focus on learning not shortcuts: Desmond Lee
Educational AI tools by MOE have built-in safety guardrails to protect students’ interests, privacy and well-being, Education Minister Desmond Lee says.
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SINGAPORE: The use of artificial intelligence in schools is kept balanced and age-appropriate to support students’ learning and development, Minister for Education Desmond Lee said on Wednesday (May 6).
Responding to parliamentary questions on AI usage among primary school students and the safeguards in place, Mr Lee said theoretical knowledge alone is not sufficient, and students need well-designed and supervised hands-on experiences by using educational AI tools.
“This spiral approach as students progress through different levels in school prepares them to harness AI to benefit their learning, critically evaluate AI output and guard against risks such as cognitive offloading.”
MOE's approach is informed by research on how children learn and develop, and what is helpful at each stage of their growth, Mr Lee said, outlining a tiered framework.
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From Primary 1 to 3, physical hands-on learning is prioritised as students build foundational knowledge and develop cognitive and social skills. They learn the basics of AI, but schools will not assign work that requires them to use AI directly.
From Primary 4, students may use educational AI tools under teacher supervision. By that age, Mr Lee said, students would have developed foundational literacy, numeracy and basic knowledge of AI, as well as skills such as planning, task initiation and the ability to evaluate their own thinking.
Students in Primary 4 to 6 will only use tools specifically designed for education, including AI-enabled features within the Singapore Student Learning Space (SLS).
NO SHORTCUTS
Schools will also teach students that AI must not be used to take shortcuts in place of actual learning, Mr Lee said.
“We want to provide our students with a school environment where they can develop good learning habits and understand the importance of upholding academic integrity.”
Some secondary schools may design assignments that allow AI use, with students required to disclose and properly cite any AI-assisted work. Mr Lee said this prepares them for post-secondary education and future workplaces where AI use will be more prevalent.
Students who pass off AI-generated content as their own will face consequences for academic dishonesty, he added.
National examinations are invigilated and the use of AI is prohibited. Where AI is permitted, such as in coursework, teacher supervisors will monitor use to ensure it meets assessment objectives.
SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE
Educational AI tools used in schools have built-in safety guardrails to protect students’ interests, privacy and well-being, Mr Lee said.
Data from MOE-built AI tools is anonymised and not used to train external models. Schools using commercial off-the-shelf tools must ensure input data contains no personal or personally identifiable information, in compliance with data management guidelines.
Mr Lee also acknowledged parental concerns about exposing young children to AI, particularly around excessive screen time. Beyond sharing information on how parents can support their children's AI use, MOE provides details on how tools are used in teaching and offers avenues for parents to share their views.
“AI has been developing rapidly and is increasingly embedded into everyday systems around us," he said.
“If we’re not mindful, we may lose the consciousness in detecting the presence of, and influence that AI has in our decision making and ways of thinking, simply because it works so seamlessly. So development of AI literacy is critical and must be timely.”
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