AI policy for CBSE schools
Using AI safely in a CBSE school in Dubai.
The short answer
A CBSE school in Dubai can use AI with students, but it has to sort by age and by task. A UAE federal law in force since 1 January 2026 bars digital platforms from collecting the personal data of children under 13 without verifiable parental consent and other safeguards, and gives platforms a year to comply (Decree-Law 26 of 2025). The Ministry of Education (MoE) has an AI curriculum framework, plus a classroom guide to generative AI that covers public schools and private schools on the MoE curriculum. CBSE now asks every affiliated school to teach computational thinking and AI in Classes III to VIII. We found no published KHDA policy on students’ use of AI as of 21 October 2026. This is guidance, not legal advice.
A guide from Edudojo, an AI that won’t think for students: its coach asks questions instead. The advice works with or without it.
On this page
Disclosure: I founded Edudojo, which makes an AI coach for students. Edudojo has no presence in the UAE and is not used by any school there. This page reports public rules and other people’s research.
One week, two students
Ms Nair, Kabir and Ananya are an illustrative example, not real people.
Ms Nair is vice principal of a CBSE school in Dubai. On Monday a proud parent writes in: Kabir, 11, in Class VI, has finished his science project on saving water. It is fluent, tidy and nothing like Kabir’s writing. He made it with ChatGPT on his mother’s phone.
On Wednesday, the Class XII AI teacher asks which chatbot her students should use for the generative AI unit. Ananya, 17, already has three personal accounts.
The school’s only rule is “no phones in class”. It says nothing about Kabir, who is below ChatGPT’s minimum age, or about Ananya, whose syllabus expects her to use these tools.
So Ms Nair drafts something better. Kabir’s class sees AI only in teacher-led demos. Ananya’s class uses one school-managed tool, and each task says whether AI is allowed. Kabir redoes his project in class and explains it to his teacher.
Kabir redoes his project in class and explains it to his teacher.
| Aspect | Ban all AI | Let students use any chatbot | Approved tools, by age and task |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under-13s | Protected at school, not at home | May be below the tool’s minimum age | Teacher-led use only |
| Student data | None shared by the school | Personal accounts, storage unknown | Known tool, storage and access |
| What teachers see | Final work | Final work | Final work, plus drafts if the task asks |
| Main risk | Use goes underground | Students lean on answers during practice | More set-up work |
The rules, and what they mean for your school
About one in four private school students in Dubai follows an Indian curriculum: 26% of 387,441 students across 227 private schools in 2024-25 (Dubai Media Office, 9 January 2025). This is guidance, not legal advice.
| Source | What kind | Date | What it says | What it means for a Dubai CBSE school |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Decree-Law 45 of 2021 (PDPL) | Federal law | In force 2 January 2022 | Processing personal data needs consent, with listed exceptions (Article 4). Consent must be clear, provable and easy to withdraw (Article 6). Data may leave the UAE only in listed cases (Articles 22 and 23). No special rules for children. Excludes, among others, government entities and free-zone companies with their own data law (Article 2) | Ask every AI vendor where student data is stored |
| Federal Decree-Law 26 of 2025 on Child Digital Safety | Federal law | Issued 1 October 2025; in force 1 January 2026; one year to comply, which the Cabinet can extend (Article 18) | Platforms may not collect, process, publish or share the personal data of children under 13 unless set conditions are met. These include a parent’s or other caregiver’s explicit, documented and verifiable consent, easy withdrawal, and no commercial use or targeted advertising (Article 7(1)). Platforms used for educational or health purposes can be exempted by Cabinet Resolution, with safeguards (Article 7(3)) | Before any under-13 uses an AI tool, ask the vendor how it meets Article 7 |
| UAE National AI Literacy Curriculum Framework (K-12) | MoE curriculum framework | 2026 | Kindergarten to Grade 12, in seven strands from AI basics to ethics and using AI tools. Using generative AI to create content starts in Cycle 2 (Grades 5 to 8). Materials “must not require students to input personal or sensitive data into external AI systems” | A useful benchmark, though your school follows CBSE |
| MoE Safe and Responsible Use Guide of Generative AI in Classrooms (2026), as described in the framework above (section 5.1) | MoE guide | 2026 | Governs generative AI use across Grades 7 to 12 in public schools and private schools following the MoE curriculum. Sets age restrictions and approved tools | We could not find the guide itself online. Gulf News (updated 14 February 2026) reports that it prohibits generative AI tools for students under 13 or below Year 7 |
| CBSE Circular 14/2019 | CBSE circular | 9 March 2019 | AI became an optional sixth subject in Class IX from 2019-20 (code 417) | AI is not new to CBSE |
| CBSE Circular Acad-15/2026 | CBSE circular | 1 April 2026 | Computational thinking and AI curriculum for Classes III to VIII from 2026-27, sent to all affiliated schools: “All schools are advised to take necessary steps for effective implementation” | Learning about AI is not the same as using chatbots |
| CBSE Circular Acad-18/2026 | CBSE circular | 9 April 2026 | Resource books for that course. Also: “All other courses on AI being run till the session 2025-26 are being discontinued for class IX, session 2026-27” | Check which AI course your Class IX students now take |
| CBSE AI syllabus, Class XII (code 843) | CBSE syllabus | 2026-27 | Includes a generative AI unit, with activities using tools such as Gemini and ChatGPT | Senior students need an approved tool and account |
| OpenAI Terms of Use | Company terms | Effective 1 January 2026 | Users must be at least 13, or older if their country requires it, and under-18s need a parent’s or guardian’s permission | A Class VI student is below ChatGPT’s minimum age |
The design of the tool matters too.
| Study | Who | Design | What it found | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bastani et al., 2025 (PNAS) | Nearly 1,000 high school maths students in Turkey | Field experiment | With plain GPT-4, practice grades rose 48% but later exam grades without AI fell 17% against students with no AI. A tutor version with safeguards largely removed that drop | One subject, short term |
| Kestin et al., 2025 (Scientific Reports) | 194 students in a Harvard physics course | Randomised crossover trial | Median learning gains with a carefully designed AI tutor were more than double those of an active-learning class, in a median 49 minutes | University students. Tested after each lesson |
Neither study is from the UAE or a CBSE school. On tools that coach instead of answering, see keep the thinking with the student.
What is not settled
Whether the MoE generative AI guide binds CBSE schools. The framework describes its scope as public schools and private schools on the MoE curriculum, which a CBSE school is not. Ask KHDA before you assume either way.
What KHDA will say. As of 21 October 2026 we found no published KHDA policy on student use of AI. On 1 October 2026, KHDA said it would “strengthen AI literacy” in 2026-27 (WAM, via Zawya).
The education exemption. The child digital safety law lets educational platforms be exempted, but only by Cabinet Resolution. We did not find one published, so we would not assume a tool is exempt.
Children under the PDPL. The PDPL text does not say who consents for a child. This is guidance, not legal advice: ask your legal adviser about both laws.
A one-page AI policy checklist for a UAE school
- Date it and name an owner. Note which MoE, KHDA and CBSE documents you checked, and review every term.
- Sort by age. Under 13: no student accounts on general chatbots, and AI only in teacher-led demos. 13 to 17: school-approved tools only, with parental permission where the tool’s terms require it.
- Keep an approved-tools list, with school-managed accounts. Record who runs each tool, where data is stored, whether student work trains its models, and who can read it.
- Keep personal data out of prompts. No names, photos, ID numbers or health details. The MoE framework says materials must not require students to enter personal data into external AI systems.
- Check consent and data transfers. Check each tool against the PDPL rules on consent and on data leaving the UAE. For under-13s, ask how the tool meets Article 7 of the child digital safety law. This is guidance, not legal advice.
- Set AI rules per task. Not allowed, allowed if declared, or part of the task. Use the AI-use policy template.
- Assess the process in projects. Ask for drafts and a short explanation, as Kabir gave. See process-based assessment.
- Never treat a detector score as proof. See what to do instead of an AI detector and how accurate AI detectors are.
- Allow home languages for thinking. See assess the reasoning, not the language.
- Tell parents. Share the policy. The child digital safety law also gives parents duties, such as not opening accounts on platforms unsuitable for their child’s age (Article 13).
Questions school leaders ask
Can students under 13 use ChatGPT in UAE schools? Not on their own ChatGPT accounts. ChatGPT’s terms require users to be at least 13. A UAE law in force since 1 January 2026 bars platforms from collecting the data of children under 13 without verifiable parental consent and other safeguards, unless an exemption applies. Platforms have a year to comply. Gulf News also reports that the Ministry of Education’s 2026 classroom guide prohibits generative AI tools for students under 13 or below Year 7; we could not find the guide itself. This is guidance, not legal advice.
Does the UAE have an AI policy for schools? Yes. The Ministry of Education has an AI literacy curriculum framework for kindergarten to Grade 12. The framework says the MoE also has a classroom guide to generative AI for Grades 7 to 12 in public schools and private schools on the MoE curriculum. Federal data and child safety laws reach more widely. This is guidance, not legal advice.
Does KHDA have AI guidelines for Dubai private schools? As of 21 October 2026 we found no published KHDA policy on student use of AI. KHDA has said it will strengthen AI literacy in 2026-27.
What are CBSE’s rules on AI? We found no CBSE circular on students’ use of chatbots; its circulars are about teaching AI. From 2026-27, CBSE asks all affiliated schools to teach computational thinking and AI in Classes III to VIII, and is discontinuing other AI courses for Class IX. The Class XII AI syllabus includes a generative AI unit.
What should a CBSE school in Dubai look for in an AI tutor? One that gives hints, not answers. Ask where student data is stored, who can read it, whether it trains models, and how it handles under-13s. Teachers should see how the work was made.
Where Edudojo fits
Edudojo is an AI coach that asks questions instead of writing for students. Today it is built for colleges and training providers, and it is not yet offered to schools in the UAE. It is in beta, with demo accounts. Our first pilot, with Parishkar College in Jaipur, is planned and not yet running (pilot plan).
How Edudojo answers the checklist today. This is guidance, not legal advice.
| Question from the checklist | Edudojo today |
|---|---|
| Where is student data stored? | In Mumbai, India. AI model providers process text where they run (FAQ). Check the PDPL rules on data leaving the UAE |
| Does student work train AI models? | No, and it is not used for research |
| Who can read student work? | The assigned teacher. Admins see records without text. Staff reads are logged (privacy) |
| How long is data kept? | Not decided yet, and not enforced in the product |
| Is it certified as compliant with UAE law? | No. Our privacy page says it “does not establish compliance or certification” |
| Does it grade or detect AI? | No. The teacher judges the work, and the record does not prove who wrote it |
Its effect on learning has not been tested. See our methodology.
Sources (retrieved 2026-10-21)
- United Arab Emirates, Federal Decree by Law No. 45 of 2021 regarding the Protection of Personal Data, in force 2 January 2022 (Article 31). Official text on the UAE Legislation portal. Law.
- United Arab Emirates, Federal Decree by Law No. 26 of 2025 Regarding Child Digital Safety, issued 1 October 2025, in force 1 January 2026 (Article 20). Official text on the UAE Legislation portal. Law.
- UAE Ministry of Education, UAE National AI Literacy Curriculum Framework (K-12) (2026). Section 5.1 describes the Ministry’s Safe and Responsible Use Guide of Generative AI in Classrooms (2026). Curriculum framework.
- Gulf News, UAE sets strict new rules on generative AI in schools, banning use for under-13s (updated 14 February 2026). News report.
- Government of Dubai Media Office, Dubai’s private school sector records 6% enrolment growth in 2024-25 academic year (9 January 2025). Official statistics release.
- WAM (Emirates News Agency), “KHDA shares latest educational developments and priorities for 2026-27 academic year” (original, text on Zawya) (1 October 2026). State news agency report.
- CBSE, Circular 14/2019: Introduction of Artificial Intelligence, Early Childhood Care & Education and Yoga as new subjects (9 March 2019). Circular.
- CBSE, Circular Acad-15/2026: Launch of CBSE Curriculum Framework for Computational Thinking and Artificial Intelligence for Classes III to VIII (Session 2026-27) (1 April 2026). Circular.
- CBSE, Circular Acad-18/2026: Students’ and Teachers’ Resource books for the course on Computational Thinking and Artificial Intelligence (CT&AI) for classes 3 to 8 (9 April 2026). Circular.
- CBSE, Artificial Intelligence (code 843), Class XII curriculum, 2026-27. Syllabus.
- OpenAI, Terms of Use (effective 1 January 2026). Company terms.
- Bastani, Bastani, Sungu, Ge, Kabakcı and Mariman, Generative AI without guardrails can harm learning: Evidence from high school mathematics, PNAS 122(26), e2422633122 (2025). Abstract: RePEc. Setting: Knowledge at Wharton. Study.
- Kestin, Miller, Klales, Milbourne and Ponti, AI tutoring outperforms in-class active learning: an RCT introducing a novel research-based design in an authentic educational setting, Scientific Reports 15, 17458 (3 June 2025). Full text: PubMed Central. Study.
What we do not claim.
- Not legal advice
- This page reports public rules and other people’s research. It is guidance, not legal advice.
Try it this week
Pick one AI tool your students use and write down who runs it, where its data is stored, whether student work trains its models, and who can read it.
Trying this with a college? See the pilot plan