In March 2026 the Scottish Government published its first national guidance on the use of artificial intelligence in schools — the “Guidelines and Guardrails for the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Schools” — supporting teachers, pupils and support staff to use AI in a fair, safe and ethical way. The guidance is explicitly non-statutory for schools and local authorities, reflecting the rapidly evolving nature of AI in education and the need for flexibility for local authorities to develop their own AI policies. It aligns with Scotland’s AI Strategy 2026-2031, a five-year cross-sector strategy that frames AI for “responsible and inclusive growth” and commits to equipping young people, teachers and public-service workers with AI skills. Scotland also plans a strategic digital-education approach covering devices, connectivity, digital services and educator skills across the education system.
Who it affects: Local authorities, schools, teachers and pupils across Scotland; ADES and other council bodies; Education Scotland as implementing agency; the Scottish AI Alliance as strategic partner.
What is notably missing: The guidance is explicitly non-statutory — there is no binding duty on local authorities or schools to adopt AI literacy standards, no funded national curriculum mandate, and no defined teacher-training minimum. Unlike the EU AI Act Article 4 or England’s nascent bills, no enforcement mechanism, compliance timeline, or consequence framework is attached. Monitoring of local implementation is not specified, and the document defers detailed policy to each council’s local discretion.