Chennai: When Akansha (name changed) fumbled over a poorly worded maths question in her unit test, it wasn’t her teacher but an AI tool that came to her defence — flagging the flaw in the question and praising her for critical thinking instead of marking her wrong.

“The software we are testing pointed out that though the student did not answer the question in a conventional sense, she possessed a critical-thinking ability that surpassed other students. It also pointed out that teachers should have framed the question better,” said Lakshmi Priya, principal, Prasan Vidya Mandir.

Increasingly, private schools are purchasing tech and enterprise resource platforms to help teachers understand students’ mindsets better. Primarily set for elementary grades, up to Class V, these tools reduce the workload of teachers and help avoid bias creeping in during evaluation, Uma Kannan, owner, Sri Venkateshwara Institutions, said.

“We experimented with a tool called AI Samrat in four of our schools. The improvements were very evident. Manually, it is difficult for teachers to understand where a student lacks if the class strength is high,” she added.

Some schools started with a holistic progress card before transitioning into AI tools, which aligns with the vision outlined in the NEP. In this case, the answer sheets are manually corrected and uploaded onto the software. “The software then tells us ways to improve. Parents are also encouraged to provide their inputs for the holistic progress of a child,” said Radha Srikanth, principal, SV High, Arumbakkam.

Chitra Ravi, founder of Chrysalis AI, a platform that provides such tools to schools, said there was a need for teachers to update themselves on the tech front to cater to students better. “AI constantly upgrades, and with time, we can even provide tech that can bring in a deeper assessment,” she added.

Some schools, such as The Indian Public Schools, have also designed their own AI curriculum instead of purchasing software. Experts are appointed to train teachers in AI models that simplify lessons and draft assessments for students.

“While the vision is to be appreciated, over-reliance on technology by teachers can eventually lead to them slacking off. There always has to be a human touch,” said Arumainathan, president, TN Students Parents Welfare Association.