Oslo: Norway is introducing strict limits on the use of generative artificial intelligence in schools, including a near-total ban for primary school pupils, as part of efforts to safeguard learning and address declining academic performance.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre announced that the new rules will take effect when the next school year begins in late August. The PM noted that excessive reliance on AI could prevent children from developing essential educational skills by allowing them to skip important stages of learning.
“The most important thing in school is that our children learn to read, write, and do mathematics,” Støre remarked while outlining the government’s approach.
Under the new guidelines
- Students in grades one through seven, typically aged six to 13, should generally not use AI tools in their education.
- Students aged 14 to 16 in lower secondary school may use AI cautiously and only under teacher supervision.
- Meanwhile, upper secondary students aged 17 to 19 will be taught how to use AI responsibly to prepare them for higher education and future employment.
The measures come as Norway seeks to reverse a broad decline in educational test scores. In 2024, the government banned smartphones in schools and restored greater authority to teachers to maintain classroom discipline.
Norway was among the early adopters of digital technology in education, introducing computers into classrooms during the 1990s and increasingly using tablets following the launch of the Apple iPad in 2010. This shift reduced dependence on traditional textbooks and handwriting.
However, in a related announcement, the government stated that it plans to introduce legislation that would fund the use of more printed books in classrooms, marking a move away from the heavy reliance on digital devices.
The government has also proposed a ban on social media use for children under the age of 16, following similar initiatives introduced in countries including Australia and other nations seeking to limit young people’s exposure to digital technologies.
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