Cambridge report urges India to give teachers a voice in school AI policy

Indian school teachers and students must be given a direct hand in shaping how artificial intelligence is used in classrooms, according to a new report from Cambridge University Press & Assessment.

The study, titled Shaping AI Policy and Practice in English Language Teaching, warns that educational policymaking has lagged so far behind the rapid pace of technological change that teachers have been left to figure out AI integration on their own. This lack of guidance has created vast disparities in how AI is adopted in Indian classrooms, turning what should be a coordinated strategy into a quiet responsibility for individual educators.

"Policymaking has often struggled to keep pace with the rapid rate of technological change, but teachers have had to adapt," said Dr Evelina Galaczi, director of research for English at Cambridge University Press & Assessment. She noted that teachers are currently experimenting with AI tools in their classrooms using their own professional judgement, prioritising human-centred practices and critical literacy.

To bridge this gap, the report argues that teachers and pupils should actively participate in designing, procuring, and evaluating generative AI (GenAI) tools. This involvement is seen as the only way to ensure that high-level policy aligns with the actual, day-to-day realities of the classroom.

What teachers worry about

The research, which examined the experiences of English language teachers globally, found that many educators are operating in a vacuum without clear direction.

Their primary concern is not the technology itself, but how to prepare students for an AI-driven world. Teachers are struggling to find ways to help pupils critically analyse AI-generated answers, question their accuracy, and treat tools like ChatGPT as aids to deeper learning rather than simple shortcuts for homework.

Without clear official guidelines, teachers are forced to guide AI usage based on their own instincts.

Eight principles for AI in schools

To bring some structure to what is currently a disjointed approach, the Cambridge report outlines eight core principles that policymakers in India and elsewhere should adopt:

• Involve teachers and learners in governance: Ensure those using the technology have a say in how it is regulated.
• Embed critical AI literacy: Make teaching students how to evaluate AI tools a standard expectation in the curriculum.
• Reform assessments: Update curriculum and exam frameworks to reflect the presence of AI.
• Prioritise human outcomes: Keep human-centred development at the core of educational goals.
• Build trust: Establish robust ethical safeguards and data protection.
• Protect teacher agency: Support teachers' professional judgement rather than replacing it.
• Ensure equitable access: Provide high-quality AI tools to all schools, preventing a digital divide.
• Invest in professional learning: Fund training so teachers can confidently use and critique these new tools.

The report highlights that unless governments actively invest in professional development for teachers, even the most advanced AI policies will fail to deliver meaningful results in schools.