AI in Schools: Homework Helper or Homework Doer?

Mrs Wambui has been teaching English for fifteen years, so she knows a twelve-year-old's writing when she sees it. When an essay arrived using the words "moreover", "furthermore" and "in conclusion, it is evident that" in a single paragraph, from a pupil who usually writes like an excited WhatsApp voice note, she had questions. The pupil eventually admitted that a chatbot had "helped a little". By "a little", he meant "entirely". AI in Kenyan schools has arrived, and teachers, parents and school leaders are trying to work out whether it is a helpful tutor or a very polite cheating machine.

Why AI in Kenyan schools cannot be ignored

Pupils have phones, or access to a sibling's phone, or a cousin's laptop. AI tools are free, easy to use, and often better at writing a neat essay than a tired adult at 10pm. Pretending learners are not using them is like pretending nobody in the staffroom checks their phone during the morning briefing.

At the same time, education in Kenya has been moving towards competency-based learning, which focuses on skills like critical thinking, creativity and communication. Used badly, AI can skip exactly those skills. Used well, it can strengthen them.

The helpful side

AI can be a patient tutor that never gets tired of the same question. Good uses include:

• Explaining a difficult concept in simpler words, or in a different way

• Giving extra practice questions for revision

• Helping a learner brainstorm ideas before they write

• Checking grammar after the learner has written their own work

• Supporting learners who need more time or a different approach

• Helping teachers draft lesson plans, quizzes and examples, which they then adapt

For teachers, especially those handling large classes, this can save real time. A teacher who spends less time making worksheets can spend more time actually teaching.

The worrying side

The risks are just as real. When AI does the thinking, learners miss the practice that builds understanding. AI can also give wrong answers with complete confidence, so a learner who copies blindly may learn incorrect facts. And content generated by AI may not match the Kenyan syllabus, local examples or the level expected.

There is also a fairness question. Learners with better phones and data have easier access, which can widen gaps between pupils.

Practical steps for schools

Rather than a blanket ban that nobody can enforce, schools can set clear expectations:

• Write a simple AI guideline for learners, teachers and parents, and explain it in assembly and at parents meetings

• Design assignments that need personal experience, local examples or class discussion

• Ask learners to explain their work out loud; understanding shows quickly

• Do more writing in class, where the process can be seen

• Teach learners how to use AI responsibly, including checking facts

• Protect learner data: do not enter pupils' personal details into public AI tools

What parents can do

Parents do not need to be tech experts. Simple habits help:

• Ask your child to explain what they learned, not just show the finished homework

• Sit with younger children when they use AI tools

• Encourage them to use AI to understand, not to copy

• Talk to teachers about the school's approach

Keeping everyone on the same page

Good communication between school and home matters more than ever. When parents know what the school expects, and teachers can quickly share updates, guidance and progress, everyone works together instead of against each other. A school management system like SchoolPoint, which handles academics and parent communication in one place, makes it easier to share an AI guideline with every family and keep the conversation going.

As for Mrs Wambui's pupil, he rewrote the essay in class, by hand. It was shorter, had three spelling mistakes and used the word "moreover" zero times. She gave it a better mark than the original, because this time it was actually his.

Your next step: if you lead a school, put AI on the agenda for your next staff meeting and agree on three simple rules before the next term begins.