Quebec schools to identify student dropout risks using AI

Quebec schools will use artificial intelligence to identify students with the highest dropout risks.

Canadian news outlet The Rover says the program would roll out by September 2025. Also, Le Journal de Québec cited an information document sharing more details. 

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“By identifying students who present risk factors for dropping out earlier than before, it becomes possible to intervene early,” it said.

How will this AI spot dropout risks?

Le Journal de Québec says AI will enable schools to create an indicator of students who are likely to drop out.

They could base the indicator on data such as gender, student grades, and special needs. Then, it will notify the school management dashboard. 

However, Normand Roy, professor at the University of Montreal and member of the Center of Expertise in Artificial Intelligence in Education, points out flaws in the system. 

“The dashboard gives us indicators of potential risk of dropping out,” Roy said.

“But it does not give us solutions. It does not say what to do and how to intervene,” he added. 

The Rover also reports that parents felt blindsided that schools would provide their children’s private information to artificial intelligence. 

The news outlet shared statements from parents with children in the Centre de services scolaire des Mille-Îles (CSSMI).

“This allows tech companies to take over the means of communication and the means of governance,” concerned parent Nathan said.

“[Google] has access to all of my child’s education, and they’re using that information to train [Gemini], their own AI,” he added. 

Mila is the Canadian AI institute that created the AI for dropout risks. On November 2, 2022, it partnered with Google.

The Rover says Mila helped develop the technology, but it is no longer involved in the project. 

The news outlet also shared a statement from an anonymous source close to policymakers:

“The people in charge of this are civil servants. They don’t understand [how AI works, practically speaking].” 

“They don’t know how this data could be used [maliciously]. But if parents can opt-out, it will compromise the data.”

The Ministry of Education allegedly emailed The Rover, reiterating that this AI is ethical and parents cannot opt out.