Educators Demand Inclusion in Canada's National AI Strategy Development
Mark Pearmain, a prominent voice in Canadian education, is calling for educators to have a formal role in shaping the country's artificial intelligence strategy. He emphasizes that teachers and school administrators offer critical, practical insights necessary for developing effective privacy protocols and modeling responsible AI use in educational settings.
The AI Disruption in Education
Anyone working directly in the education sector recognizes that artificial intelligence represents one of the most significant disruptions they have ever encountered. The conversation extends far beyond simple concerns about whether students are using AI to complete their assignments. There are deeper and more urgent questions emerging about how this technology will impact student and community safety, mental health, attention spans, social-emotional development, interpersonal relationships, and children's future career aspirations.
The historical context provides important lessons. From the introduction of smartphones to the overwhelming dominance of social media platforms, two decades of largely unchecked technological evolution have come at a staggering cost to younger generations. Social media became deeply embedded in young people's lives long before adequate safeguards were established, leaving them to withstand the worst consequences including serious mental health impacts, widespread misinformation, increased polarization, and significantly eroded trust in institutions. These negative effects were accelerated by uncontrolled screen time, the COVID-19 pandemic, and personalized algorithms that often prioritize engagement over wellbeing.
Government Response and Regulatory Concerns
It was therefore reassuring to see Canadian Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon summon OpenAI representatives to Ottawa to question them about the company's safety protocols. Following these discussions, Solomon expressed disappointment with the responses and suggested the federal government might need to introduce its own regulatory framework.
Critics who oppose regulation often argue that fear of the unknown and privacy concerns should not stifle technological exploration or risk making Canada less competitive globally. On a more personal level, they contend that children need access to learn these technologies, explore their capabilities, and develop problem-solving skills using AI tools.
Education Sector's Proactive Approach
Sounding alarms about security, safety, and privacy does not mean the public education sector is avoiding or running from artificial intelligence. Quite the opposite is true. As the largest school district in British Columbia, Surrey Schools benefits from having a progressive board of education that actively calls for innovation, adaptability, and creative approaches to new technologies.
Educational institutions are taking concrete steps:
- Actively exploring new AI tools and technologies
- Conducting comprehensive privacy assessments
- Modeling responsible AI use while protecting student privacy and security
- Helping students understand both the extraordinary possibilities of AI and the importance of protecting their data, ideas, and digital identities
Schools are collaborating with provincial ministries of education and child care, as well as districts across their provinces, because all communities—regardless of size—must "be at the table" during these crucial discussions. They are sharing knowledge, strengthening best practices, and proactively anticipating risks associated with AI implementation.
The Need for Coordinated National Strategy
However, it is impossible to expect individual school districts or even provincial governments to create their own disparate and disconnected approaches to the safe, secure adoption of artificial intelligence. Instead, AI safety in education must become a collective responsibility shared by schools, students, families, research institutions, industry partners, and multiple levels of government working in coordination.
The education sector's frontline experience with previous technological disruptions provides invaluable perspective that must inform Canada's national AI strategy. Without educator input at the policy-making level, the country risks repeating past mistakes where technology implementation outpaced necessary safeguards, potentially causing harm to another generation of students.
