VMPL
New Delhi [India], November 5: When AI arrived in classrooms, most schools were left choosing between a blanket ban and no guidance at all. Pathways World School, Gurgaon, chose a third path: building a structured framework for responsible AI use, together with the people who will live with it every day.
On 25-26 September, the school convened a two-day workshop involving students, faculty, school leaders, its AI Advisory Group, IT teams and parents. It was led by Rita Bateson, co-founder and Director of Education at Eblana Learning, an experienced IB educator and former IB curriculum leader. The aim was to use AI to support teaching and learning without compromising independent thinking, creativity or academic integrity.
Rita Bateson at Pathways World School in AI Conference
The initiative continues the school’s longstanding belief in educational innovation, said Pranay Jain, Director of Pathways World School.
“At Pathways, we have always believed in pioneering the use of emerging technologies to open up new possibilities for learning. In 2003, Pathways Gurgaon became the first school in India to introduce campus-wide wireless connectivity, enabling students to explore, research and think beyond the classroom. Today, as AI reshapes our world, we bring that same pioneering spirit to its adoption and explore how it can transform teaching and learning. At the same time, we remain committed to ensuring that independent thinking, critical inquiry and academic integrity remain at the heart of education,” he said.
Pranay Jain, Director of Pathways World School
The workshop turned principles into practical measures. The first day focused on governance, risk management and guidelines covering academic integrity, data privacy and student wellbeing. The second moved to implementation, including AI literacy for administrators, resource creation, safe data handling and planning for initial classroom pilots.
Under the proposed framework, students will be expected to question AI-generated responses, recognise potential bias and inaccuracies, protect personal information and be transparent about how AI has contributed to their work. Teachers will retain full professional judgement over teaching and assessment, and will model the responsible use of technology they expect from students.
Malcolm Nicolson, School Director of Pathways Gurgaon and author of the forthcoming International School Leaders’ Guide to AI, said that schools have a responsibility to help students navigate a technology that is already becoming part of their everyday lives.
“At Pathways Gurgaon, we are setting clear principles and building the practices, guardrails and literacy to match, so that our students use AI to think more deeply, never to think less,” he said.
The school is now finalising its AI policy and developing age-appropriate guidance for students at different stages of learning. Initial classroom pilots will come first, allowing the school to assess the impact on learning before any wider rollout. Students, teachers and parents will also receive orientation to build a shared understanding of the technology’s potential, limitations and responsible use.
For Pathways, the ambition goes beyond preparing students for a changing technological landscape. It is to help them use AI’s possibilities with curiosity, discernment and confidence, while developing the intellectual independence to question, reason and reach their own conclusions. The school’s approach reflects a simple conviction: technology should expand what students can learn and achieve, without diminishing the thinking that makes learning meaningful.
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Pathways World School Gurgaon Sets New Direction for Responsible AI in Education
