P4 pupils have ‘executive functioning skills’ to start using AI under supervision: Desmond Lee

SINGAPORE – Primary 4 pupils possess the necessary “executive functioning skills” to begin using educational AI tools under supervision, Education Minister Desmond Lee said in Parliament on May 6.

Explaining the rationale behind the age-specific roll-out, Mr Lee noted that by that age, according to research, pupils would have developed the planning abilities and self-evaluation skills required to navigate artificial intelligence responsibly.

“Schools will also teach students when they should not use AI, so that they do not take shortcuts to get answers without actual learning,” he said, adding that pupils will also be taught how the technology works, how to be discerning about AI output, and the importance of being responsible for the content they create.

Mr Lee was speaking in Parliament in response to questions from several MPs, including Mr David Hoe (Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC) and Mr Kenneth Tiong (Aljunied GRC), who asked for the rationale for introducing AI in Primary 4 and the safeguards in place.

Other questions focused on issues of data privacy, teacher and parental guidance, and monitoring long-term developmental impacts.

Earlier in 2026, Mr Lee said AI would be introduced gradually from Primary 4, with “low exposure” and supervision, prioritising learning of the fundamentals.

However, the roll-out has been met with caution from some parents. While many are open to tools hosted on the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) Singapore Student Learning Space (SLS), which features built-in guard rails, there are lingering fears regarding open-source models, specifically over screen time, potential over-reliance and the erosion of critical thinking skills.

“From Primary 4, our students would have developed foundational literacy, numeracy and basic knowledge of AI in their daily lives,” Mr Lee noted, whereas from Primary 1 to 3, physical hands-on learning is prioritised as pupils build foundational knowledge and develop cognitive and social skills.

In the lower primary years, pupils learn about the basics of AI so they are aware of its presence, but schools will not assign any work that requires them to use AI directly, he said.

Mr Lee said the ministry’s approach to introducing AI is informed by research on how children learn and develop, and what is helpful at each stage of growth.

“Technology, including AI, is used only when it supports educational objectives and students’ development.”

The ministry looks at international reports as well as how other education systems are approaching the use of AI, he said. It also funds projects such as the Singapore Longitudinal Early Development Study by A*STAR, which will start to collect data in 2027 to understand how AI usage affects children’s well-being and learning outcomes.

Mr Lee noted that the ministry is also working with schools to conduct short-term research to inform classroom practices.

Education systems like those in China and the United Kingdom have introduced AI from Primary 1, while others like those in India or the United States start at similar ages as in Singapore or later, he said.

“MOE has chosen to take a calibrated approach informed by learning sciences, emerging research and studies conducted by practitioners and academics, and ongoing exchanges with various countries,” he said, adding that the ministry’s strategy is dynamic and will be adjusted as AI technology evolves.

Pupils in Primary 4 to 6 will use AI-enabled tools with built-in guard rails found on SLS, said Mr Lee. These include a writing feedback assistant that redirects pupils if they go off-topic or ask irrelevant questions.

These guard rails help to protect learners’ interest, privacy and well-being, Mr Lee added, and data from pupils’ use of MOE-built tools is anonymised and not used to train external AI models.

In secondary schools, students may use AI for certain tasks but are required to state where they have used AI and cite sources of information, he said.

MOE will also ensure these AI usage principles and guidelines are applied “more effectively and consistently”, he said, responding to Mr Hoe’s question on an article in The Straits Times which reported that a Primary 5 pupil was asked by a teacher to use ChatGPT for his homework.

“If the tool has an age restriction, then we will not use it for children below that age, simple as that,” Mr Lee said, adding that the ministry will look into a meaningful and scalable way to let parents trial MOE’s AI tools.

Parents should also start having early conversations with their children about what AI is, on top of guidelines by ministries on digital usage at home, said Mr Lee, responding to Ms Cassandra Lee (West Coast-Jurong West GRC), who asked if MOE would consider “AI nutrition labels” and if stand-alone AI tools should have default age-based protections.

“As parents, I know it’s a lot on our plate, but we want to be able to do our best for our children and guide them as they interact with all these things at home and in their toys,” he said. “So I think that’s a conversation that’s best started as young as possible.”

Non-Constituency MP Eileen Chong and Dr Charlene Chen (Tampines GRC) raised concerns about equity, how disadvantaged students might use AI as a crutch without proper parental guidance, and whether those with special educational needs (SEN) were accounted for in the AI curriculum and use of AI tools.

Mr Lee said SEN officers, teachers and counsellors will be able to support students with special educational needs, and the same goes for those from vulnerable families.

He said AI tools are not used to check on the well-being of students. “That is the sole domain of our educators, MOE staff, but we use it on the cognitive front to help our children, and when it comes to children from more vulnerable families, if there are specific issues that may impact their use of AI in learning, then our schools will specifically support them and scaffold for them.”

In response to Ms Chong, Mr Lee noted that the issue of equity is “evergreen” and extends beyond AI to a broader range of challenges faced by less privileged children.

“It’s about children in less privileged backgrounds not having the same amount of scaffolding and support at home and outside school on a whole range of issues, and we have different approaches to handling that,” he said, citing initiatives like ComLink+ and the Opportunity Fund.

He added that MOE is building AI literacy among its students in the hope that it will be the “best defence” for them to use technology mindfully, regardless of their background.

Mr Lee said the ministry will work closely with community partners that provide essential homework support and guidance outside of school hours to ensure that “appropriate AI use” is reinforced for these students.

“We have self-help groups that come in to provide support for children over and beyond what’s available in school,” said Mr Lee. “That is a partnership we must tap and continue to build, particularly when it comes to supporting them on appropriate AI use.”