#SchoolPolicy

A recent review of North Carolina school districts found that a substantial number lack written policies on classroom use of artificial intelligence, raising fresh questions about preparedness, equity and academic integrity that resonate far beyond the United States. The review examined 26 districts and found 17 had formal policies guiding AI use in classrooms while eight districts reported no policy and one district did not respond, highlighting inconsistent district-level responses to a technology which educators say is already reshaping teaching and learning. At the same time, controlled trials from U.S. universities show measurable academic benefits when chatbots and AI tools are integrated thoughtfully, suggesting that absence of policy does not mean absence of potential. For Thai educators, policymakers and parents, the North Carolina snapshot offers a cautionary example: without coordinated guidance and teacher training, schools risk both missed opportunities and harms related to cheating, bias, and widened digital divides.

Social media erupted when a prominent American parenting influencer candidly admitted she regularly provides homework answers to her children and completes significant portions of school projects herself. Her confession sparked intense debate about the boundary between supportive assistance and counterproductive interference, illuminating research findings that challenge conventional wisdom about parental homework involvement.

The influencer’s frank admission resonated because it exposed a universal parenting struggle. Exhausted after demanding workdays, parents naturally want to minimize their children’s academic stress and family conflict. “Sometimes I just give them the freaking answers,” she explained, describing her strategy for avoiding prolonged homework battles and emotional meltdowns.

A popular U.S. parenting influencer recently admitted on social media that she sometimes gives her children the answers to homework and takes a large share of school projects — a candid confession that has reignited debate about where support ends and over‑helping begins. The episode has drawn fresh attention to a growing body of research showing that the way parents help with homework matters for children’s motivation, emotional health and learning independence. Evidence suggests well‑intentioned assistance can improve grades in the short term, but persistent, controlling help may raise anxiety, reduce autonomy and blunt problem‑solving skills unless it is framed by warm communication and scaffolding from adults. (People’s reporting of the influencer’s admission is available here (Mom Influencer Defends Why She’s Been Doing Her Kids’ Homework for Years)).

America’s decision to revive its Presidential Fitness Test signals a dramatic shift back to standardized school fitness assessments, reigniting heated debates about childhood health measurement that Thailand cannot ignore. After disappearing for over a decade, this high-stakes policy returns through an executive order that reconstitutes the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition while tasking Health and Human Services with nationwide rollout.

The move represents far more than nostalgic policy-making. It emerges from the controversial “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, which frames childhood chronic disease and inactivity as urgent threats to national productivity and military readiness. This sweeping approach to youth health measurement raises critical questions about whether standardized fitness testing genuinely improves population health or simply creates new forms of educational stigma for vulnerable children already struggling with obesity and related conditions.

A community advocacy group in the United States has ignited national debate by launching a petition to bar an exonerated teacher from returning to the classroom, arguing that children’s safety must be the highest priority despite the educator’s cleared record. The campaign underscores ongoing tensions between legal exoneration and community trust in the American education system — a discussion that resonates in Thailand as society becomes increasingly attuned to child protection and teacher accountability.

A new wave of cellphone restrictions is sweeping schools in North Carolina, USA, as policymakers, educators, and families grapple with the disruptive presence of mobile devices in classrooms. Recent changes include policies ranging from outright confiscation to the use of locking storage pouches, stirring debate about how best to balance student focus, safety, and access to digital tools for learning. These developments offer valuable insights for Thai educators and policymakers facing similar concerns amid the rapidly growing use of smartphones among Thai youth.

A growing body of research suggests that children who bully others share more similarities with their victims than commonly thought, with both groups facing heightened risks of anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and even future difficulties in adulthood. This pattern also holds true in Thailand, where bullying—whether in the classroom, online gaming communities, or even at home—remains a persistent challenge, deeply intertwined with the nation’s education and mental health systems.

The latest findings highlighted by a Clemson University psychology professor reveal that traditional bullying (physical or verbal aggression in person) and cyberbullying (harassment via digital platforms) often overlap, amplifying the negative outcomes for all children involved. Both bullies and victims are more likely to suffer poor academic performance, increased absenteeism, and, alarmingly, higher rates of suicidal thoughts. “It’s bidirectional,” reports the Clemson researcher, who explains that a child’s mental health troubles both set the stage for bullying behavior and are worsened by involvement in bullying, no matter the role (Deseret News).

Millions of children in the United States are diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and the vast majority are prescribed stimulant medications such as Ritalin and Adderall. However, a new wave of research reported by NPR and detailed in The New York Times Magazine raises pressing questions about the effectiveness and long-term consequences of these treatments, as well as the very nature of ADHD itself (NPR, 2025).

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed last year that more than 11% of American children had received an ADHD diagnosis—a record high, and a dramatic increase from the early 1990s figure of just 2 million. In 14-year-old boys, the rate soars to 21%. These statistics portray a nation deeply invested in identifying—and medicating—children with ADHD. But why are diagnoses rising, and are treatments truly serving those diagnosed?