This is technically correct, but the inferral is Google forcing some kind of Faustian pact on the vulnerable.
Simply put, Google's Search and AI tools are now inextricably combined. If you opt-out of AI tooling, then by proxy you are opting out of what Google choses to provide as a 'Search' offering.
It's not a punitive measure, just the reality of a paradigm shift.
They could choose to offer search without the AI answer but have chosen not to. To be clear I might have made the same choice as them. But let's be clear
Best that can happen to the schools. There are other search engines too
..that don't have AI integrated?
Kagi can turn off AI if setup to do so.
DDG tried to get me to use AI once. I sain "no" and never saw it again
Discussion (51 points, 27 comments) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50353192
That was originally this link. The mods changed it.
Making a whole separate search engine that isn't deeply integrated with AI is probably a big ask. Even for a company like Google.
Why would schools even want search engines? Hell, they only need one book as well. I know, I know that freedom of religion thing in the U.S. constitution. I think they need to ban books altogether then. Go back to Socratic verbal learning. Crayons and pencils might dull the kids minds too. Definitely don't let them speak to machine demons that claim to know everything -- they might learn how to escape the techno-feudalism that is coming for them!
Now if only they would turn off their malicious ad network for these schools too...