Parents Favor AI Instruction in Schools, but Demand Strong Safeguards
A new National Parents Union survey shows most parents want AI taught in K‑12 classrooms, provided safety measures and teacher training are in place.
Broad Parental Support for Classroom AI
77% of parents surveyed by the National Parents Union (NPU) said they want K‑12 public schools to teach students how to use AI tools effectively, and 85% said they support schools teaching AI safety.
The online survey, conducted September 7‑11 with 1,528 parents of public‑school students, also found that only 46% believe their state is handling technology use in schools “well enough.”
Desired Safeguards and Training
Parents overwhelmingly favor “measured” approaches rather than blanket bans. 81% want schools prohibited from buying technology that is “not proven to be safe and effective for learning,” and 79% support requiring all public‑school teachers to receive training in digital and AI literacy and “responsible technology use.”
National Parents Union co‑founder Keri Rodrigues emphasized that parents want to protect and prepare kids to be globally competitive while ensuring AI is introduced responsibly.
Current Policy Landscape
Across the United States, AI policy in schools is uneven. Most districts leave decisions to individual teachers, according to the AI School Policy Database. New York City and Los Angeles have imposed restrictions: Los Angeles bans student use of AI from kindergarten through grade 12 for at least a year, while New York City limits student‑facing generative AI for preschool through eighth grade and plans twice‑yearly AI literacy modules for high‑schoolers.
Parental Concerns About Over‑Reliance
Pam Craig, a mother of three teenagers in Raynham, Massachusetts, said she is not opposed to AI but worries that “kids using it solely and not actually learning the information” could undermine education without clear guidelines.
Parents also want students to be able to identify AI‑generated news or images, even as 71% support banning AI chatbots throughout the school day.
Teacher Training Gaps
Educators report lagging professional development. A 2026 “Voices from the Classroom” survey by Educators for Excellence (E4E) found less than a quarter of teachers felt they had “adequate training” to help students leverage AI, while 43% reported receiving no training at all.
Despite limited guidance, over three‑quarters of surveyed teachers say they are already using AI in at least one of eight ways, such as creating assessments and differentiating learning.
The Way Forward
Both parents and teachers appear to favor integrating AI with clear boundaries and robust training rather than outright bans. As the Brookings Institution notes, framing the issue as a binary “ban or no ban” misses the complexity of the ongoing technological revolution.
With AI becoming a staple of daily life and future work, the NPU survey underscores a strong parental desire for responsible AI literacy that starts before students sit in front of a screen.
