Arya News - The Department of Education asked teachers to use AI responsibly, such as grading learners themselves, instead of using AI tools.
MANILA – The Department of Education (DepEd) will allow the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in classrooms but asked teachers to use it responsibly, such as grading learners themselves, instead of using AI tools.
An AI skills training program is being designed to reach at least 1.05 million learners, 300,000 teachers, and 150,000 parents in the country, while the demand for AI literacy keeps rising not just in schools but in workplaces.
In an ambush interview on Wednesday, Feb. 25, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said that AI can be used as a support tool in learning and teaching.
“There’s an ethical use of AI. Tapos hindi naman natin ipagbabawal ang AI (We will not prohibit the use of AI),” he told the Philippine News Agency.
Department Order No. 003, series of 2026, or the Foundational Guidelines on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Basic Education is a 49-page document that, among others, asks parents to help guide learners on the use of AI.
AI in classrooms to assist, not replace teachers
Under the general guidelines issued on Feb. 20, all teaching and non-teaching personnel, as well as learners, will be allowed to explore new tools and methods as long as they align with “ethical, pedagogical, and human-centered standards.”
AI must “strictly function” as an auxiliary tool and not “replace” the essential role of teachers in evaluating learners. Human judgment must remain “paramount” in all educational matters in public schools.
AI tools may also be used to create or enhance educators’ instructional materials, and help them analyze data, check grammar, and verify citations in research.
It can also be used in the development of assessment tools for examinations, quizzes, activities, and other evaluations, subject to the strict supervision and judgment of public school teachers.
Not allowed: AI for grading, admissions, discipline
In terms of classification, AI applications used for grading, admissions, scholarship, and disciplinary actions are considered “high-risk” and must only be permitted under strict safeguards and human oversight.
AI applications with learners and staff interaction, such as chatbots for administrative queries, and AI tools for spam filters, grammar correction and IT automation, are considered “limited to minimal risk AI.”
“We just need the students to disclose how they use AI para ma-integrate siya (so that it can be integrated) into their learning,” Angara said.
Learners must submit their outputs alongside citations of AI tools and how these were used in brainstorming, writing, research, creation of presentations, and homework support.
AI that uses emotion recognition also prohibited
Some of these applications are ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Grammarly, Quillbot, Canva, Tome, and Khanmigo, among others.
“It’s a graduated policy; the more independent learners will be given greater latitude,” Angara said.
The DepEd, however, prohibits the use of AI applications that pose significant risks to the rights, safety, and well-being of learners and other education stakeholders.
Among the prohibited applications are AI systems using biometric or emotion recognition, biometric categorization, manipulative chatbots that target minors, social scoring, and untargeted facial recognition scraping or the indiscriminate collection and use of facial images from public and private sources.
In January, the DepEd launched the Project AGAP AI (Accelerating Governance and Adaptive Pedagogy through Artificial Intelligence) to raise awareness on integrating AI in basic education. Its upcoming AI skills training program will be in partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Foundation and Google.org.