The Future of Education in Debate: Balancing Innovation and Tradition

This morning, I came across an article about Alpha School, a network with several campuses in the United States that proposes an innovative educational model. Some of its schools serve children from Kindergarten to later grades.

At Alpha, students have two hours of daily study with artificial intelligence tutors, without the presence of teachers. Learning takes place at the individual pace of each student, breaking away from the traditional grade-based system. The adults in the classroom act as guides, encouraging independence in study and fostering a growth mindset. Additionally, students participate in workshops focused on skill development, including public speaking and entrepreneurship. According to the school, this model allows students to learn twice as fast and achieve results above the national average.

A frequent criticism is that this format might distance students from social interaction. However, the school emphasizes in its FAQs that, beyond the two hours of individual study, students actually have more time for socialization with peers than in traditional schools.

Access, however, is not for everyone: tuition at Alpha School starts at US$40,000 per year.

It is undeniable that the boundaries of knowledge have been expanded with AI, bringing new forms of learning and productivity when used appropriately. Personally, I use AI tools daily — both in professional and personal activities.

In the educational field, I rely on them for research, summaries, text reviews, and the creation of practical exercises. I have even used AI to design complementary study activities for my 5th-grade daughter in elementary school. I am always careful to define prompts clearly and validate the answers. After all, the results are not always immediate or 100% accurate, which is why I consider it essential to have prior knowledge of the subject and apply critical thinking when using these tools. As a mother, I also strive to facilitate the internalization and understanding of content, rather than its passive consumption.

In modern society, there is a broad discussion about the impacts of technology on socialization, especially for children and adolescents. The new generations were born digital and interact widely through communication tools, but it is clear that parental and adult supervision is needed regarding both usage and access. Adults have the responsibility to filter content, moderate screen time, and encourage other experiences that are equally important for emotional and cognitive development, such as artistic practices, physical activities, and face-to-face socialization.

In this context, we observe a dual movement: integrating technology from an early age while also regulating its use to prevent adverse effects. Examples include laws banning cell phones in schools across various countries, as well as the return to analog resources in systems that had once widely adopted technology. A striking case is Denmark, which in 2024 launched a national program to reintroduce physical books in public schools, after identifying reading proficiency losses linked to excessive screen use. Pediatric societies, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), also provide recommendations for screen use by age group. For children over 6, the AAP suggests creating a Family Media Use Plan, which includes keeping screens out of bedrooms at night, avoiding use during schoolwork, ensuring adequate sleep and physical activity, and fostering conversations about the content consumed.

In summary, the traditional educational model, based on passive reception of content, is clearly outdated and no longer meets the demands of the new generation or the challenges of our time. The development of social-emotional and personal skills is today as necessary — if not more so — than content mastery, especially since technology is already able to perform with excellence not only repetitive tasks but also many that require intensive knowledge.

However, it is necessary to consider the maturity stage and background of each student: technology must be an ally in the learning process, not a substitute for essential human functions — particularly emotional support and guidance during development. The focus should not be on tools as ends in themselves, but as means to enhance learning, always guided by responsible and knowledgeable people, capable of considering each individual’s needs and particularities.

Thus, the future of education will not be defined by technology itself, but by how society chooses to integrate it into the human development process. Books, screens, and AI are merely tools: the true differentiator will remain the ability to form critical, adaptive, creative, and empathetic citizens — prepared to learn, collaborate, and reinvent themselves throughout life.

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