Most Canadian teachers say nobody has trained them to spot AI-generated work. If you tutor Grades 6 to 12 one-on-one, you are running into that same gap, without a school board's IT department to back you up.
A national survey released in June 2026 found that 64.7 percent of Grades 6 to 12 teachers across Canada have not been given training on identifying student AI use, and 63.6 percent have not been trained on how to teach students to use AI appropriately (Fraser Institute, 2026). If certified classroom teachers are working this out on their own, private tutors, who rarely have a board policy to point to, need an even clearer plan for their own sessions.
What the Survey Actually Found
The survey, a Leger poll commissioned by the Fraser Institute and published in June 2026, also found that only 34.8 percent of teachers said their school has a policy on AI use for staff, and just 42.3 percent said their school has a policy on student AI use. Training on using AI for classroom lessons and materials was more common, at 46.8 percent, but that still leaves more than half of teachers navigating it without formal guidance. The gaps were not even across the country: teachers in Atlantic Canada reported the most classroom AI training at 61.1 percent, followed by Alberta at 56.0 percent and Ontario at 55.4 percent, while Manitoba and Saskatchewan trailed at 24.3 percent.
Should Tutoring Students Be Allowed to Use AI?
Most certified teachers land on allowing AI as a study aid, not as a replacement for a student's own effort. That means it is fine for checking a finished answer or hearing a concept explained a second way, and not fine for producing the work a student then hands in as their own. The distinction matters more in tutoring than in a classroom, because you are often the only adult who sees the process behind the final answer, which is part of why one-on-one tutoring works in ways a chatbot cannot replace.
A Simple AI Policy for Your Tutoring Sessions
You do not need a formal document, but stating your approach out loud in the first session saves an awkward conversation later. A short policy covers:
- When AI is fine. Checking a finished answer, brainstorming essay topics, or getting a concept explained a different way.
- When it is not. Generating the actual assignment, essay, or solution the student submits as their own work.
- How you will check understanding. Ask the student to redo a similar problem out loud, without notes, so you can hear their own reasoning rather than a memorized or copied answer.
- What happens if the line gets blurry. A quick, non-accusatory conversation with the student first, then the parent if it becomes a pattern.
The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario advises members to apply professional judgment when deciding whether an AI tool fits a lesson, rather than adopting one because it is available (ETFO, member advice). The same judgment applies one-on-one: the tool should serve the session's goal, not replace the thinking you are there to build. Stating the policy once, the same way you set expectations in a steady weekly schedule, means you are not improvising it mid-session.
How to Talk to Parents About AI Use
Raise it in the first session, before it becomes an issue. A short, direct version works best: tell the parent you use AI as a study tool the same way you would a calculator or a dictionary, that you will flag it if you suspect the student is submitting AI-generated work as their own, and that you are glad to answer questions about specific tools they have seen their child use. Parents are usually relieved a certified teacher has already thought this through, since most are navigating the same uncertainty at home.
Tutoring with Connect Education
A clear AI policy is one more way certified teachers stand apart from an unregulated tutoring market. Connect Education works exclusively with certified teachers in good standing with their provincial college of teachers, so families already trust you to handle judgment calls like this one. You set your own schedule and rate, matched with families across Canada looking for your subject, online, in person, or at a public library. Learn more about how to become a tutor or start tutoring on your own terms, or check the FAQ for common questions.
Questions Educators Ask
Should tutoring students be allowed to use ChatGPT or other AI tools?
It depends on the goal of the session. AI can be useful for checking a finished answer or explaining a concept a second way, but if it is generating the work the student then submits as their own, it stops being tutoring. Most certified teachers land on allowing AI as a study aid, not a replacement for the student's own effort.
How do I know if my tutoring student used AI instead of doing the work themselves?
Watch for a gap between written answers and verbal explanation. A student who cannot walk you through their own reasoning on a problem they supposedly solved, or whose vocabulary suddenly jumps well above their usual level, is a common signal. Ask them to redo a similar problem out loud without notes.
Can AI replace a certified tutor?
AI can explain a concept, but it cannot read a student's confusion in real time, adjust a lesson mid-session, or build the relationship that keeps a struggling student showing up. Most certified teachers use AI as one more tool, not as a substitute for one-on-one instruction.
Do Canadian teachers get AI training?
Not consistently. A 2026 national survey found 64.7 percent of Grades 6 to 12 teachers across Canada had not been trained by their school or board to identify student AI use, and only 46.8 percent had received any training on using AI for classroom lessons (Fraser Institute, 2026).
What should a tutoring AI policy include?
A short, clear policy should cover when AI is allowed, such as for checking a finished answer, when it is not, such as generating an assignment, how you will verify a student's own understanding, and an agreement to talk to the parent if the line gets blurry.
Sources
- Fraser Institute, Survey of Canadian Grades 6 to 12 Teachers on AI Training and School Policies for Its Use (Leger poll, published June 2026), republished at Education News Canada, https://educationnewscanada.com/article/education/level/k12/3/1208405/64-7-per-cent-of-canadian-teachers-surveyed-indicated-they-ve-not-been-provided-training-on-identifying-student-ai-use.html
- Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario, Artificial Intelligence in Education: Advice for Members, https://www.etfo.ca/about-us/member-advice/prs-matters-bulletins/artificial-intelligence-in-education-advice-for-members
