The AI gap in Indian classrooms, Part 3 of 4: AI in schools.
Many of your students already use AI. Most learned it from friends, and nobody showed them how to use it well. Here's what a school can do about it this term.
If you only read this
- Most students who use AI were shown it by friends, not by school.
- Using AI to get answers can stop students learning. Using it the right way doesn't.
- CBSE now teaches what AI is in classes 3 to 8. How to study with it is still nobody's lesson.
- Start with one school rule for AI in homework, and one "learn, don't copy" habit in every subject.
See it done live: this Sunday I show teachers how to use AI for marking and feedback, live. See the dates for the teachers' sessions.
In part 1, I wrote for parents about children using AI at home. In part 2, I showed that most teachers use AI, but few get good results. This part is about schools: what students already do, what CBSE has started, and why a chatbot set up as a tutor didn't help students much in one large trial.
Students learn AI from friends, not from school
A large survey of children who use learning apps in India asked how they first came across AI tools. 68% were shown it by their friends. Fewer heard about it from school or a teacher.
That's a problem, because friends teach the quick way: paste the question, copy the answer. Many of these children also think AI is just a search app. It isn't. It writes an answer that sounds right, whether it is or not.
One thing to keep in mind: the survey covers children who use learning apps in lower-income homes across ten states. It isn't every student in India. But it's the clearest picture we have of where students learn AI, and it isn't the classroom.
Getting the answer isn't the same as learning
Here's why "how to use AI" has to be taught.
In a large trial reported by the OECD, students practised maths with an AI chatbot. While they had it, their practice scores went up. Then the chatbot was taken away for the exam, and the students who'd used it the plain way did worse than students who never had it at all.
A version of the chatbot set up as a tutor, giving hints instead of answers, did better. But even that only matched students who studied on their own.
The lesson for a school is simple. AI doesn't make students learn by itself. If they use it to skip the thinking, they lose the thinking.
What CBSE's new AI curriculum covers, and what it leaves out
CBSE has made a real start. From this school year, a new curriculum on computational thinking and AI comes into classes 3 to 8, and all schools are "advised to take necessary steps" to start it.
It teaches what AI is, how it works in simple terms, and some lessons on using it carefully. That's useful, and the younger classes get it first.
What I couldn't find is CBSE guidance on how students should use AI for homework and study. In classes 9 to 12, where students use AI the most, AI is an optional skill subject, not a study habit taught to everyone. So for now, how to learn with AI is up to each school and each teacher.
Teachers haven't been trained for it
This isn't a failing of Indian teachers. It's a gap almost everywhere.
The same survey asked teachers about training. Only about half had ever had training on using technology in teaching, and 79% said they want more. Many teachers who know about AI also think of it as a search engine, the same mistake their students make.
So if you feel unsure about AI, you're not behind. You're where most teachers are. The good news is that a little hands-on practice goes a long way, as I showed in part 2.
Most schools have the computers. The lesson is missing.
The government's latest school figures show that most schools now have computers and internet, more than the year before. Hardware is no longer the main thing holding schools back.
Some schools still have neither, and that's fine for what follows. Every step below works with a teacher's phone, and none of them needs a lab.
AI in schools: five steps for this term
None of these needs a budget, a new app or a circular.
- Write one page on AI in homework. What students may use AI for, what must be their own work, and how to say they used it. Share it with every class.
- Teach one "learn, don't copy" habit in every subject. Ask AI for a hint, not the answer. Then close the screen and explain the answer in your own words. If you can't, you haven't learned it yet.
- Use an AI-on task, then an AI-off task. Let students practise with AI, then check what they learned without it. That's the part the trial got right.
- Give teachers one hands-on hour. Each teacher brings one real task, like a worksheet or a test, and does it with AI in the room. One hour of practice on their own work beats a talk about AI.
- Tell parents the rule. Send the one page home, so the same rule holds at the dinner table as in the classroom. Part 1 has a guide parents can use.
Want to see it done first? This Sunday's teachers' session is Marking and feedback with AI: faster feedback on students' work, without losing your judgement. See the dates and book a seat.
My take
Banning AI won't stop students using it. They have it on their phones. Ignoring it is worse, because then they learn it from each other, the quick way.
The teacher who shows students how to use AI properly is the one they'll listen to. You don't have to wait for a circular to do that. If you teach classes 8 to 12, start this term with step 2 in your own subject. It takes five minutes of class time, and it changes how students think about AI.
I've spent 5 years coaching, including at colleges, and trained 10,000+ professionals. The habit that makes the biggest difference is always the same: use AI to think better, never to skip the thinking. If you want to learn AI properly yourself first, my guide on how to learn AI is a good place to start.
This article is Part 3 of 4 in a series on the AI gap in Indian classrooms. Part 4, on students, comes out next.
See it done live this Sunday
Every Sunday at 11 AM IST I run a live session for teachers on Zoom: one hour, real classroom tasks done with AI while you watch, and your questions answered. This Sunday's topic is Marking and feedback with AI.
Training a group of teachers at your school? See coaching. Questions first? Chat on WhatsApp.
FAQ
Is AI part of the CBSE syllabus?
Yes, for younger classes. From this school year, the CBSE AI curriculum (computational thinking and AI) comes into classes 3 to 8, and schools are advised to start it. In classes 9 to 12, AI is an optional skill subject.
Should schools ban ChatGPT for homework?
A ban is hard to enforce, because students have AI on their phones. A clear one-page rule works better: what AI may be used for, what must be the student's own work, and how to say AI was used. Then teach the "learn, don't copy" habit.
How can teachers tell if students used AI?
Ask students to explain their answer without the screen. If they can't, they didn't learn it, whoever wrote it. Short AI-off checks in class tell you more than any detector.
What should students be taught about AI in schools?
That AI isn't a search engine and can be wrong. How to check its answers. How to ask for hints instead of answers. And what not to share with it, like personal details.
Do teachers need training to use AI?
A little helps a lot. Most teachers want more training on technology. One hands-on hour on a real task, like a worksheet or a test, is a good start.
Sources
- Central Square Foundation, Bharat Survey for EdTech (BaSE) 2025: how children came across AI, and teachers' training.
- OECD, Digital Education Outlook 2026: the maths practice trial with an AI chatbot.
- CBSE, Circular Acad-15/2026: the computational thinking and AI curriculum for classes 3 to 8.
- Ministry of Education via PIB, UDISE+ 2025-26: computers and internet in schools.
