OSLO— Norway will effectively prohibit primary school pupils from using generative artificial intelligence tools and impose strict controls on their use in older grades to protect core learning, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said on June 19. The measures, to take effect at the start of the new school year in late August, come as the government seeks to reverse falling education test scores.
Under the new guidance, children in first through seventh grade (about ages 6–13) should generally not use AI in school. Lower secondary pupils (ages 14–16) may use AI only cautiously and under teacher supervision, while upper secondary students (ages 17–19) will be taught to use AI appropriately to prepare for higher education and the workforce.
Støre said AI risks encouraging young learners to skip essential learning stages, stressing that mastering reading, writing and mathematics remains the priority. The policy follows earlier moves by the government, including a 2024 ban on smartphones in schools and measures to strengthen classroom discipline.
The government also announced plans to propose legislation to increase funding for physical textbooks, reversing a long-term shift toward tablets and digital materials that began in the 1990s and accelerated after the introduction of iPads. In April, Norway similarly moved to raise the minimum age for social media use to 16, joining a small but growing group of countries adopting stricter limits on children’s access to digital platforms.