Removing AI from schools is still best for students

June 1, 2026

Vancouver School Board hit the big red "On" switch for Microsoft's chatbot Copilot this week.

What we know

There is still a lot that is left unexplained but here's what we know so far.

The main sources for information are VSB's Copilot website, the FAQ sub-section and the most recent episode of the VSB podcast After the Bell.

The website confirms that students 13 years and older will be able to use Copilot through their school account.

Although it seems that 13 is not a hard age-limit, because in subsequent years students Grade 8 students will get access "in second semester, after most Grade 8 students will have turned 13."

The FAQ states:

Copilot 13+ was added to the the District’s license of Microsoft suite at no additional cost.

This is unsurprising. Similar to how Google gave free Chromebooks to schools to get students into the Google ecosystem, Microsoft hopes to get students used to Copilot so they will become paying customers in the future.

Opting Out

According to Christina Walker in Episode 47 of After the Bell, guardians are able to opt-out of their child using Copilot.

We have contacted VSB for confirmation of this.

If you would like to opt-out, feel free to copy-paste the following or use it as inspiration for writing your own email.

Dear {Teacher Name},

I am writing to inform you that I would like for {Student Name} to opt out of using generative AI tools in the classroom.

This includes: – Using AI chatbots like Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT. – Using AI products to come up with ideas. – Using AI products to get feedback. – Using AI products to generate text. – Using AI products to generate images.

I really want to encourage {Student Name} to go through the hard work of learning to express their own ideas, and research shows that using generative AI tools deny them that experience. Studies also show that using generative AI has a negative effect on how much students remember, and it can have negative effects on their mental health.

Thank you for your understanding,

{Parent/Guardian name}

What are you seeing in your school?

We are expecting that the way that each school and each teacher uses Copilot will vary. To know what students are experiencing, we would love to hear from you!

As parents, guardians, educators and students, what are you seeing in your school? We would love to hear from you!

How have you seen Copilot being used in classrooms?
Has using Copilot been part of any homework assignments?
Did your school ask for guardian permission before the student started using Copilot?
Did the school make it clear to you that you are able to opt-out? If you chose to opt-out, how was it received, what did the school do?