Nova Scotia Schools Face Patchwork of AI Rules as Calls for Provincewide Policy Grow
Without a provincewide policy on artificial intelligence in classrooms, Nova Scotia's regional education centres have adopted inconsistent approaches to AI use. Parents, educators, and advocacy groups are urging the government to establish standardized rules, citing challenges such as students submitting chatbot-generated work and teachers reverting to paper assessments.
Nova Scotia currently has no provincewide policy explicitly stating how artificial intelligence should be used in classrooms. Instead, the provincial government delegates rule-making to regional centres for education, resulting in a patchwork of guidelines across the province.
The Halifax and Chignecto-Central regional centres for education have established written guidelines for AI use. In contrast, the Cape Breton-Victoria district allows AI use to vary by grade level based on teacher judgment. The Annapolis Valley Regional Centre for Education follows provincial curriculum guidance and supports staff through an educational technology team. Meanwhile, the South Shore and Tri-County regional centres are focused on student fundamentals and are actively monitoring AI in education for potential opportunities.
Other regions are still developing their approaches. The Strait Regional Centre for Education is finalizing a plan to provide AI guidelines and resources, while the Conseil Scolaire Acadien Provincial has appointed a committee to develop a policy but currently lacks one.
Chris Boulter, senior executive director for the Department of Education, stated that developing provincewide guidelines for AI is an "ongoing conversation" and that officials are monitoring other jurisdictions. The department maintains that ensuring foundational literacy and critical thinking skills remains the priority.
In the absence of unified rules, educators are adapting independently. Peter Day, president of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union, reported that many teachers have reverted to in-class paper assessments because students frequently submit work generated by chatbots. Educators also face challenges integrating AI responsibly without adequate professional development.
Calls for standardized guardrails are growing among academics and advocacy groups. Johan Woodworth, an assistant professor at Mount Saint Vincent University, argued that a provincewide policy is needed and cited New York City's one-year moratorium on generative AI up to Grade 8 as a potential model for Nova Scotia. Skills Before Screens, a national advocacy group, launched a petition calling on Nova Scotia to follow New York's lead regarding AI restrictions in schools.