UAE: How parents can support their children through new AI school curriculum
As the UAE strives to be a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI) development, a new educational mandate will revolutionise learning, impacting both students and parents. Starting in the 2025-2026 academic year, AI will be integrated into the school curriculum from kindergarten to 12th grade, covering foundational concepts, ethical considerations, and real-world applications. This move aligns the UAE with other forward-thinking nations like China, which are also introducing AI education early on.
For UAE parents, this presents both an exciting opportunity and a unique challenge. While AI will, undeniably, shape their children's future, many adults may feel they are playing catch-up with technology. With a compulsory AI curriculum, a crucial question arises: How can parents effectively support their children and navigate this new frontier of AI education and EdTech tools? This is the essence of 'smart parenting' in the AI age.
Dubai-based parent of two and AI brand and content strategist Abha Malpani Naismith observes, 'As a mum and AI advocate, introducing AI from age four is timely and essential. Our children are growing up in a world reshaped by AI. Teaching AI literacy ensures they are not just passive users but informed, responsible creators and problem-solvers, equipped to thrive in an AI-integrated future.'
Understanding the curriculum
The UAE's new curriculum will be comprehensive, aiming to provide a deep understanding of AI. It encompasses ethical awareness and practical applications, not just coding or robotics. Parents should familiarise themselves with the basics of AI concepts like machine learning and ethical implications to engage in meaningful conversations with their children and support their learning.
Dr Naomi Tyrrell, AI trainer and consultant, and mother of two adds, 'Children often learn new technology faster than parents. This offers an opportunity for intergenerational learning. Safety and ethical use are paramount, so discussing AI use and ethics alongside online safety is crucial. Parents must not solely rely on schools to inform children about all risks and dangers.'
Engaging with children about AI
Parental engagement is key. Via open discussion of what children are learning in AI classes, we can ask about projects, tools, and what they find interesting or challenging. Because AI is evolving, this dialogue must be ongoing. Parents can encourage questions, explore online resources together, and make it a shared learning experience. This reinforces school learning and strengthens the parent-child bond.
Malpani Naismith notes, 'Introducing AI in schools doesn't necessarily mean more screen time. It's about age-appropriate exposure that builds curiosity, critical thinking, and responsible use. Parents must manage screen time outside school, ensuring children unplug, play, explore, and build offline experiences.' She further suggests focusing on 'valuable' screen time that involves using AI for problem-solving, building, or expressing creativity.
Age-appropriateness and developmental stages
Dr. Tyrrell explains, 'Parental support must be appropriate to children's ages and abilities. Developing awareness of different AI types and models will help support children's learning. Generative AI allows instant access to knowledge.' What a kindergartener needs to learn differs vastly from a 12th grader. Parents should understand the scope of each stage and advocate for a balanced curriculum. Concerns about complexity or different approaches can be discussed with the school.
Real-world applications and home learning
One of the strengths of the UAE's curriculum is its focus on 'real-world applications' of AI. Children might be learning how AI is used in healthcare, transportation, or environmental conservation. Parents can reinforce these concepts at home. For example, to discuss how smart devices use AI, explore AI-powered apps together, or even conduct simple AI-related experiments. Encouraging children to think critically about how AI impacts their daily lives can deepen their understanding. 'To optimise children's AI learning, parents should familiarise themselves with mainstream AI tools – learn what they can do well and what they are not so good at! Learning how AI tools work – even at its simplest level – can be helpful to support children's learning as they are likely to ask questions,' says Dr Naomi Tyrrell.
'The responsibility isn't just on schools; it's on us as parents to grow with our children. We need to stay informed, understand the tools they're learning, and create a healthy balance at home. That means reflecting on our own screen habits, asking schools the right questions about how they are bringing in AI into the curriculum. And it's not enough for us to just be using AI, we need to also work on our AI literacy — our ability to understand, use, and critically engage with artificial intelligence in a meaningful and responsible way,' says Abha Malpani Naismith.
Balancing technology and traditional methods
While AI and EdTech offer great opportunities, maintaining balance is crucial. Over-reliance on technology can hinder other developmental aspects. We must ensure children still engage in traditional learning methods like reading physical books, handwriting, and face-to-face interactions.
Dr. Tyrrell suggests preparing children for change by discussing how technology has evolved. 'Explore AI's possibilities and what it means for your family, community, and the world. Discuss critical questions together, like access, environmental implications, and ethical concerns.'
She also advises using parental controls, limiting screen time, and encouraging other off screen activities. She also warns against over-reliance on AI, which can essentially deskill us, and our real-life social interactions.
Digital literacy and ethical awareness
Digital literacy is a non-negotiable skill. Parents must prioritise teaching their children how to navigate the online world safely and responsibly. This includes understanding online safety, protecting personal information, and identifying misinformation. With the inclusion of 'ethical awareness' in the AI curriculum, parents should engage their children in conversations about responsible AI use, data privacy, and the potential biases within AI systems. These are critical discussions that will shape how the next generation interacts with technology, and, importantly, encourage critical thinking and understanding of how our data is used and problem-solve privacy concerns amongst others.
Choosing reliable EdTech
The abundance of educational apps and online tools can be overwhelming. Parents must be discerning when selecting EdTech resources. Consulting with teachers and other parents can also provide valuable insights. British schools in Cambridgeshire and Middlesex involved in a new AI pilot programme have highlighted significant gains in student confidence and engagement as part of a group of 20 across Britain using specially-developed AI writing programme Writer's Toolbox. Whilst reservations from teachers included the need for children to learn how to hand write properly, the programme and the software relates to where the children are individually, not just their age, but also their progress and provides instant feedback. This is encouraging self-confidence and motivation, especially in boys, participating schools found. Dr Ian Hunter, founder of Writer's Toolbox and former university professor, says: 'We're encouraged by the early results of the British pilot. Schools and educators have been immensely supportive. I think one of the things the teachers are telling us is that, in the midst of the genuine concerns around AI, if we carefully construct purpose-built AI for the education sector, it can help amplify the work of the classroom teacher and provide customised learning at scale.'
AI and EdTech can be powerful tools for supporting diverse learning styles — particularly where platforms offer personalised learning experiences, adapting to a child's pace and learning preferences. 'It could be argued that AI and EdTech tools 'level the playing field' in education,' says Dr Naomi Tyrrell. 'Features like real-time translation, speech recognition, and closed captioning improve accessibility for students with additional language or literacy needs.'
Concerns and misconceptions
Malpani Naismith highlights the need to guide children in using AI wisely and nurture soft skills, like empathy and critical thinking. The UAE's AI agenda will significantly impact future opportunities. By embracing AI education, the country is preparing its youth for future careers. Parents can support this by fostering a mindset of continuous learning and adaptability.
Dr Naomi Tyrell concludes: 'Common concerns parents may have about AI in education are that AI will replace teachers, reduce critical thinking, compromise data privacy, or expose children to biased or inappropriate content. Some may worry that reliance on AI will make learning impersonal or that children will become too dependent on technology and screens. To address these concerns, it's important to emphasise that AI tools used in the right way can enhance and not replace – they can provide more tailored support and free up time for more meaningful interaction with teachers and peers. The ethics and risks are not being ignored — educators and developers are increasingly embedding ethical safeguards, data privacy protections, and bias-awareness into AI tools – because they know they have to! Parents can play a key role by staying informed, guiding their children's use of AI responsibly, and maintaining open dialogue with schools and children about how these tools are being used to enhance, rather than replace, human-led learning.'
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