Makini Schools General Manager Godfrey Odhiambo.
Schools should teach learners how to use artificial intelligence (AI) responsibly instead of trying to keep the technology out of classrooms, Makini Schools General Manager Godfrey Odhiambo has said.
Odhiambo said AI was already changing how students do schoolwork and schools needed to prepare learners for a workplace where the technology would be widely used.
“AI is making schoolwork faster and easier. It has been an essential tool in schools, helping with routine tasks, research, brainstorming, and refining work,” Odhiambo said. “Schools should therefore teach learners to use AI effectively and responsibly while first building strong foundational skills and independent thinking.”
His comments come as schools around the world grapple with how to use generative AI tools such as ChatGPT without weakening learning or encouraging students to submit work they did not produce themselves.
UNESCO has called for a human-centred approach to AI in education, warning about risks including over-reliance, inaccurate information, privacy concerns and the possible weakening of critical thinking. The UN agency has also developed a framework to help schools teach students to understand, apply and create with AI responsibly.
Recent data also show that AI is already part of schoolwork in Kenya. The OECD's 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment data shows that 46 per cent of Kenyan students reported using AI chatbots to help them learn at least once a week. About 35 per cent said they used AI to draft writing assignments, while 36 per cent used it to summarise texts. (OECD)
Odhiambo said the challenge for schools was therefore to ensure technology supported learning rather than replaced it.
“This is because overreliance, or uncontrolled use among learners, risks reducing students’ critical thinking and independent learning,” he said. “Schools must continuously adapt to new technologies while ensuring learners can use them effectively and safely.”
He said Kenya's Competency-Based Education (CBE) system could help prepare learners for the changing workplace because it places greater emphasis on skills that can be applied outside the classroom.
“CBE is a positive step in preparing learners for the changing workplace by aligning education with career pathways and emphasising transferable skills such as communication, ICT, numeracy, critical thinking and problem-solving,” Odhiambo said. “Community Service Learning also helps learners apply knowledge to real-world challenges.”
He said schools should use group work, projects, presentations and problem-solving activities to make learners active participants rather than passive recipients of information.
“Teachers should act as facilitators, allowing students to do the thinking and apply knowledge independently,” he said. “Technology can support learning through digital platforms and creative tools, but the focus should be on building adaptability and confidence to learn new technologies, rather than mastering specific software.”
Odhiambo said the growing demand for international curricula such as Cambridge was also linked to increased movement of families and opportunities for young people to study and work in different countries.
He said schools using international curricula should still ensure learners remained connected to Kenya through the teaching of the country's history, geography and languages.
“Being globally competitive should not mean becoming disconnected from where you come from,” Odhiambo said.
He said Kenya's education system should focus on continuous curriculum reform, technology literacy, character development and skills that would remain useful even as particular jobs changed.
“Rather than trying to predict future careers, education should equip learners to think critically, solve problems, communicate, work with others, adapt to technology, and keep learning throughout their lives,” he said. “Curriculum and assessments should evolve regularly to match changes in technology and the workplace.”
