Canadian Teachers’ Federation Calls for Stronger K-12 Protections in National AI Strategy

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The Federation urges enforceable safeguards and educator consultation in addition to privacy and online safety commitments

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OTTAWA, Ontario, June 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF/FCE) – representing over 370,000 educators through 18 Member and Associate Organizations – welcomed several commitments in the federal government’s national AI strategy. Until now, policy has not kept up with the rapid pace of AI adoption in K-12 public schools. The strategy begins to address governance gaps that will help protect the rights and well-being of students and teachers.

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While K-12 education across Canada falls mostly under provincial and territorial jurisdiction, Ottawa has an essential role in ensuring AI is used responsibly in schools. The CTF/FCE appreciated the strategy’s commitment to modernize online safety and consumer privacy laws, with explicit mention of protecting children. Specific legal tools to mitigate harms arising from AI chatbots, including those used in schools, are essential to address serious threats to young people’s learning and well-being. These are priorities that the Federation had previously urged the Ministry of AI and Digital Innovation to adopt.

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“The government names trust as the north star of its strategy, but trust won’t be achieved while risky AI tools are flowing freely into public schools,” said Clint Johnston, President of the CTF/FCE. “For families and young people to trust AI, the government must hold technology companies accountable for ensuring systems are safe by the time they reach classrooms.”

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The Federation appreciated the strategy’s commitment to AI literacy, including learning kits for K-12 educators, but warned that the scale falls short. The strategy promises to reach one million post-secondary students, but only 3,000 of Canada’s 420,000-strong public educator workforce. A commitment to train a few thousand teachers is not enough to improve Canada’s position from 44^th of 47 countries on AI literacy. Renewed investment in CanCode may help fill this gap, yet a fragmented approach carries risks. Critical AI literacy must be accessible to schools across the country, including rural, remote, and Indigenous communities which are often left behind. The government must also recognize that AI literacy cannot simply be a pathway to deeper AI adoption in schools. To ensure AI is beneficial in public education, students, educators, and unions must be at the core of defining and developing K-12 digital literacy programs – something that the CTF/FCE is well positioned to facilitate.

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High-level commitments within the strategy must now translate into enforceable protections reflected in the classroom. With the strategy strongly encouraging AI adoption, the Federation warned against rapid deployment in schools and called for safety-by-design obligations; independent impact assessments; and procurement standards that match the bar the government has set for its own AI integration in terms of transparency, privacy, and accountability.

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The AI Missions Program, while promising, does not make mention of education within its priority sectors. This is a missed opportunity for Canada to be a leader in developing education technologies in partnership with teachers and students, tools which serve the public good while reducing reliance on foreign-owned platforms with a history of data security issues. The CTF/FCE urged that a future AI Mission be dedicated to public-good education technology, co-developed with educators and students, and driven by school needs over profit motives.

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“Over 90% of children in Canada attend public schools. Educators are on the frontlines as AI reshapes learning,” said Johnston. “They understand the risks to young people better than most of us, and should be meaningfully consulted on a better, safer path forward.”