Norway Imposes Near-Ban on AI Use in Elementary Schools, Strict Limits for Secondary Students — Standards Take Effect August 2026

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere announced June 19 that generative AI will be effectively banned for grades 1–7 students and permitted only under direct teacher supervision for secondary pupils, with standards taking effect at the August 2026 school year start. Officials cited evidence that AI use causes children to 'skip important steps in their education,' linking the policy to declining standardized test scores that prompted a smartphone ban in 2024. The government is simultaneously proposing legislation to fund physical books in classrooms, reversing Norway's decade-long pivot toward tablets.