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Are We Really Teaching Critical Thinking?

Tony Wood |

Over coffee, parents keep asking me the same thing: is AI making it impossible for kids to think for themselves? They worry their children won’t know how to question, solve, or decide. But maybe the bigger problem is this — most of us (including schools and workplaces) focus on what to think, not how to think.

Are We Really Teaching Critical Thinking?

I see it everywhere:

  • School lessons packed with knowledge and procedures, but little room for tough questioning.
  • Homework where 'the answer' matters more than any debate or doubt.
  • Even in families, there’s a habit of handing down beliefs, not frameworks for independent judgement.

Sometimes I ask myself: do we actually want a generation that thinks for itself? Look closely — real independent thinking, if taught well, can shake the status quo. Not everyone in charge likes that idea.

When Science Isn’t Always ‘Right’

We trust science, but even science changes:

  • History shows ‘majority opinion’ can be badly wrong — think of scientists who insisted the sun revolved around the Earth.
  • Deep learning happens when children learn how to weigh evidences, spot flaws, and question consensus.

As one leading psychologist warns, "Overreliance on AI can lead to 'cognitive offloading,' weakening critical analysis and reasoning skills."
Psychology Today | Is AI Ruining Your Kid's Critical Thinking?

AI: Shortcut or Ladder?

Here’s where it gets tricky. AI makes things easier — yes. But the easy answer is often the enemy of real understanding:

But it’s not hopeless. The best schools and families use AI as a tool — not a crutch.
Evidence-led guides from policy experts say that AI can actually support better thinking, as long as we deliberately keep ‘the hard stuff’:

So What’s the Real Risk — and the Real Opportunity?

If all we want is kids who can pass tests or regurgitate facts, AI will do a fine job — and that’s the danger.

"For a child or teen still developing their knowledge base and evaluation skills, passively accepting AI-generated content can lead to absorbing and spreading misinformation."
Psychology Today | Is AI Ruining Your Kid's Critical Thinking?

But if we want a generation genuinely prepared to solve tomorrow’s problems, we need to:

  • Redesign classrooms around questions, not just answers
  • Train children (and adults) to challenge consensus — even digital consensus
  • Make AI a test for scrutiny, not a replacement for thinking

Where Should We Start?

• Challenge your own assumptions: the next time you help a child with homework, ask ‘why?’ more than ‘what is the answer?’
• As an education leader, demand policies that value argument and debate over easy automation.
• If you’re a parent, limit AI’s role to a springboard for research — not the final word.

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