AI enters Montenegrin schools, but students must think for themselves

Artificial intelligence (AI) can contribute to the quality of teaching, but it must be introduced into schools gradually and systematically, with clear pedagogical, ethical and professional criteria, the Education Bureau says. German language teacher Edin Skenderović, meanwhile, believes AI can be helpful only if it is used thoughtfully and as a supplement rather than a substitute for independent work.

The Education Bureau told the MINA news agency that AI has the potential to significantly change the way people learn, but that it is still too early to assess whether its impact will be greater than that of the internet in its time.

As they noted, the internet enabled broad access to information, while artificial intelligence enables its faster processing, adaptation, connection and creation of new content.

- In education, this can mean that a student receives an additional explanation tailored to their level of knowledge, support in research, feedback or assistance in developing an idea, while teachers can use it to prepare different teaching materials and design activities - the Education Bureau said.

They stressed that technology itself is not a guarantee of better education.

- Quality depends on how it is used, the learning outcomes that are set, and professional guidance from teachers. Therefore, artificial intelligence cannot be introduced into education in an ad hoc manner, but systematically, in an age-appropriate way and with clear pedagogical, ethical and professional criteria - the Education Bureau said.

The application of artificial intelligence in Montenegrin schools is currently in a phase of gradual integration but, according to the Education Bureau, it is not equally developed across all educational institutions.

- It is most commonly used as an auxiliary tool for preparing teaching materials, creating assignments, finding ideas, simplifying explanations and supporting learning. However, its development is no longer based solely on individual initiatives by teachers - the institution said.

They added that a systematic approach to introducing AI has already been recognised in the Education Reform Strategy 2025–2035 and the National Curriculum Framework of Montenegro - documents that define digital literacy and information and media literacy as cross-curricular topics to be developed across different levels of education, subjects and activities.

- The next step will be to translate these commitments into new and revised subject curricula, specific learning outcomes, teaching materials, guidelines and working models - the Education Bureau said.

The Education Bureau, as the institution noted, is directing its activities towards developing subject curricula, professional development of teachers, preparing accompanying materials and providing support to schools during the implementation of new content.

The Education Bureau believes AI can already have broad applications in the classroom, provided that its use is pedagogically justified and directed towards clearly defined learning outcomes.

- Teachers can use it to create worksheets, questions, tests and quizzes, adapt texts to different levels of knowledge, design problem-solving situations and project assignments, while students can use it to obtain additional explanations, compare different solutions or develop an idea - the Education Bureau said.

However, they stressed that AI must not become a substitute for a student’s thinking process.

- It is important that students do not take an answer as a finished product, but instead verify, supplement and explain it and connect it with their own reasoning - the Education Bureau said.

Alongside its benefits, AI also brings a number of risks, with the Education Bureau identifying the most significant as the uncritical acceptance of answers, reliance on inaccurate or fabricated information, excessive dependence on tools, plagiarism, privacy violations, infringement of copyright and bias in generated content.

- Misuse occurs when a student presents a ready-made answer as their own knowledge or original work, without understanding, verification or personal contribution - the Education Bureau said.

Therefore, they said, alongside the development of subject curricula, additional materials and guidelines will be developed to help teachers clearly distinguish between educationally justified use of artificial intelligence and practices that undermine independence and responsibility in learning and producing schoolwork.

When it comes to the increasingly frequent use of AI tools in completing homework, the Education Bureau believes that schools’ response cannot simply be to ban the use of technology. Instead, clear rules, the development of AI literacy, and gradual adaptation of teaching and assessment methods are needed.

Assignments should, they added, require students’ personal contribution, the application of content in a specific context, justification of choices and presentation of the work process.

The development of AI further underscores the need for more diverse ways of monitoring and assessing students.

The Education Bureau stressed that a traditional homework assignment or completed text can no longer always be sufficient evidence of what a student actually knows and can do independently.

- Greater importance should be given to classroom work, oral explanations, practical, problem-solving and project-based assignments, presentations, debates, portfolios, drafts and monitoring the stages through which a piece of work is produced - the Education Bureau said.

Assessment, they noted, should increasingly focus on the way students think, their use and verification of sources, argumentation, creativity, application of knowledge and ability to explain their own process.

- Artificial intelligence can be a support tool, but the final professional assessment remains the responsibility of the teacher - the Education Bureau said, adding that new subject curricula and accompanying guidelines will provide teachers with clearer support for assessing the learning process and authentic student contribution.

The Education Bureau said schools should have clear rules on the use of AI tools such as ChatGPT, so that students, teachers and parents know when the use of artificial intelligence is permitted and educationally justified, when its use must be disclosed, and what constitutes a violation of academic integrity.

According to the Education Bureau, the rules should cover permitted and prohibited uses, transparent disclosure of the tools used, verification of the accuracy of information, protection of personal data, respect for copyright, age appropriateness and responsibility for submitted content.

These issues, however, will not be regulated in isolation at the level of individual schools. Rather, according to the Education Bureau, their further development should form part of a systemic process involving the creation of subject curricula, recommendations, accompanying materials and guidelines for teachers.

The Education Bureau believes AI literacy should become part of modern digital and information and media literacy.

As they explained, this means not only being able to use the tools, but also understanding how they work, their capabilities and limitations, verifying the accuracy of content, protecting privacy, recognising bias and using them responsibly.

- Basic concepts can be introduced as early as the lower primary school years, through play, simple examples and practical activities. Students can learn that a computer system recognises patterns based on data, that an answer is not always correct, and that information needs to be verified - the Education Bureau said.

According to the Bureau’s recommendations, students should be encouraged through assignments that require them to compare answers, find errors, verify claims, ask better questions, develop multiple solutions and explain their choices, rather than simply take a ready-made answer.

One of the key conditions for wider application of AI is teacher training, and the Education Bureau noted that the level of teachers’ preparedness is not uniform.

- There are teachers who already use artificial intelligence creatively and responsibly, but many need additional professional support - the Education Bureau said, stressing that, given the pace of change, training cannot be a one-off activity but must be continuous and linked to the development of subject curricula and concrete teaching practice.

The Education Bureau has already implemented professional development programmes entitled „AI Tools as Support for Teachers - Creating Teaching Materials and Assessment Materials“ and „Smart Classroom through the Integration of Artificial Intelligence into the Teaching Process“.

As part of the programme „Digital Technology and Artificial Intelligence for Play and Learning“, a three-day training session was also organised for 68 fourth-grade primary school teachers, covering the basics of AI literacy, work with micro devices, design thinking and meaningful application of digital technology in teaching.

The Education Bureau said that the number and scope of training programmes are planned to be expanded in the coming period, including practical application of tools, critical verification of results, data protection, copyright, recognising bias and methods of assessing students’ work.

- In addition to training, an important segment will be the development of accompanying materials, examples of good practice and professional guidelines, as well as continuous support for teachers during the implementation of new programmes - the Education Bureau added.

German language teacher Edin Skenderović already uses AI as an additional tool in certain aspects of lesson preparation, particularly for finding sources and materials.

However, Skenderović said that he currently sees more challenges than benefits when it comes to the way students use AI and how this affects their attitude towards learning and independent work.

- It is noticeable that they are making less and less effort to master certain material independently, while content obtained through the use of artificial intelligence is often taken over without verification or a critical approach to it - Skenderović said.

As he explained, the problem arises when students do not use AI as an aid to learning, but as their primary mechanism for thinking and arriving at answers.

According to Skenderović, such an approach carries the risk that a student will obtain an almost complete solution while skipping the process of thinking, connecting facts and reaching independent conclusions, which is essential to learning.

- AI can be helpful only if it is used thoughtfully and as a supplement, rather than a substitute for independent work - Skenderović stressed.

He believes AI could significantly improve teachers’ work by taking over some technical and administrative tasks.

- Automating certain routine and bureaucratic duties would give teachers more time and space for what lies at the heart of their work: quality, productive and direct engagement with students - Skenderović said.

He stressed that successful application of AI in schools requires adequate teacher training, quality manuals and clear guidelines, as well as educating students.

- They need to be taught how to use AI properly and responsibly, but also why it is important to master the material independently and ensure that technology does not become a substitute for learning and developing their own abilities - Skenderović said.

He expects wider use of AI in Montenegrin schools, particularly in administrative, technical and bureaucratic tasks, but does not believe the technology will replace teachers in their direct work with students.

- Teachers’ competencies, experience, emotions and skills are crucial, and AI cannot replace a teacher - Skenderović said.

He stressed that in an era of accelerated digitalisation, it is important for children to be taught by trained teachers, but also for parents to be involved in the process.

- The shared task of schools and families is to prepare children for an environment that, judging by current trends, will increasingly rely on artificial intelligence, but also to teach them how to think independently, learn, assess information and develop their own abilities in such an environment - Skenderović said.

The Education Bureau sees AI simultaneously as a major opportunity and a major challenge for education over the coming decade.

As they said, AI can help personalise teaching, make content more accessible, support teachers and encourage students to engage in research, creativity and problem-solving.

- However, without developed critical thinking, clear rules, trained teachers, data protection and consistent respect for academic rights, it can lead to the uncritical adoption of content, a weakening of independence and the deepening of existing inequalities - the Education Bureau warned.

The Education Bureau views artificial intelligence as an opportunity that must be managed responsibly and systematically.

Therefore, they stressed, it is important for the introduction of AI to be part of a long-term and interconnected process: from strategic documents and curricula, through subject programmes and materials, to continuous training, professional support and monitoring of implementation.

- The goal is not for technology to replace teachers or students’ thinking, but to provide teachers and students with additional support for higher-quality, more active and more responsible learning - the Education Bureau concluded.