Not using AI at all in schools a mistake, says Desmond Lee

Taking the wrong policy approach and not using artificial intelligence (AI) in schools for education would be a mistake, Education Minister Desmond Lee said in Parliament on Wednesday (May 6).

Lee pointed out that AI is a tool to support learning and that if one doesn't draw the distinction between general AI tools versus specifically designed learning tools or educational AI, "then it might cause us to take a wrong policy approach in Singapore and not use AI at all".

"I think that would be a mistake, because of the changes that are happening in the world," he said.

Lee was responding to a Parliamentary question from Aljunied GRC MP Kenneth Tiong, who highlighted how the Swedish government reversed its digitalisation strategy in 2023 and reintroduced physical textbooks while removing digital tools for children after they were informed of scientific evidence of digital tools impairing student learning.

Chiming in, Lee replied to Tiong with more information on the Swedish government's decision then, stating that the affected children were around five years old.

Singapore's approach to education is different and "blended", however, as Lee explained.

"We'll continue to have physical textbooks," he said. "We continue to have didactic teaching. We have classroom phenomenon-based learning, experiential learning, learning journeys - very teacher centric."

Lee stressed the importance of AI in Singapore's curriculum, adding that it is an inevitability that students will be exposed to AI usage in their daily lives.

"We should make use of AI to help our students learn, because they're going to use it anyway - whether you supervise them or not, they will use it," he stated.

He added: "It's far better to start AI literacy young and start getting our kids to use AI for learning in a highly scaffolded, teacher supervised, and, of course, parent supervised way."

These tools will be necessary in higher learning and in the workplace, Lee said, and it is imperative that children are prepared well.

@asiaone The Ministry of Education Singapore has introduced a “4 Learns” approach, ensuring students don’t just use AI, but understand and grow beyond it. From hands-on, tactile learning in lower primary to supervised AI tools like the Student Learning Space in upper primary, the focus remains clear: tech should support — not replace — real learning. #sgnews #Singapore #MOE #AI #Education #Support ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

Students will not be spoon-fed answers

Lee also explained that the AI tools used in education in Singapore differ from the publicly available options, on top of teacher supervision while the tools are being used.

"The tools are structured in a way that they do not allow children to ask for spoon-fed answers," he said, adding that general purpose AI tools are not used by the Ministry of Education (MOE) in their Student Learning Space (SLS).

The SLS is an online learning portal for students providing learning material from primary school through to pre-university level.

Students may however use tools outside the SLS when at home, taking shortcuts, Lee admitted.

To tackle this issue, Lee emphasised the importance of partnerships between parents and schools in guiding children in AI use for their homework.

He added: "That is a struggle that we all have to address as a whole of society approach, not just here in Singapore, but across the world."

@asiaone Education Minister Desmond Lee on Wednesday (May 6) said that it is better to start artificial intelligence (AI) literacy young in Singapore as it is inevitable that students will be exposed to AI usage in their daily lives. #sgnews #Singapore #Parliament #AI #Education #Schools ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

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khooyihang@asiaone.com