Google says schools can turn on Search separately from additional Gemini products following a change to default access for K–12 student accounts. NBC News reports that the clarification came after the initial announcement prompted criticism from education and child-advocacy groups.
The default-access announcement
Google described Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom and Search as off for those student accounts until administrators explicitly enable them. The initial framing raised concern that schools would have to accept broader AI access to retain a familiar search service.
The later clarification is therefore central to the current account. A headline suggesting that enabling other Gemini products is necessarily required to restore Search would omit an important update.
Separate service controls do not remove every AI feature
According to the report, schools can enable Search alone, but that service still includes AI features such as generated summaries. Turning on Search and turning on additional Gemini products are separate choices; turning Search into a wholly AI-free product is a different question.
Google says the education-oriented AI Mode and AI Overviews will use guided learning to work through concepts rather than simply supplying an answer. That is a description of the intended experience, not proof of a learning benefit for every student.
Why the distinction matters
Administrators need to understand both which service is enabled and what that service currently includes. A setting labelled Search may not communicate the full behavior of the product to teachers, students or parents on its own.
What to verify locally
For a school assessing the change, useful questions include the actual account defaults, the available controls and the experience shown to a student in the relevant age group. The report describes a policy and subsequent clarification. It does not settle broader questions about educational outcomes, privacy preferences or whether a particular classroom should adopt AI assistance.