"that gap is starting to show up as a loss of perceived value"
A new report has warned that schools are “crying out” for government guidance on how pupils and teachers can use artificial intelligence (AI) safely and effectively.
Sir Anthony Seldon, a former head teacher and author on AI in Education, says the technology is being used increasingly in schools, but its introduction has been “chaotic and anarchic”.
His report calls for the government to introduce a national framework for adopting AI in education across England. It recommends training teachers and asks schools to develop their own “AI strategies” by September 2027.
The government says planned changes to the curriculum in England will give children digital skills and help them identify disinformation.
Sir Anthony’s report, co-authored with venture capitalist Tim Bunting, says schools have not been adequately prepared for the arrival of AI.
Sir Anthony co-founded AI in Education in 2023 to help educational institutions navigate the technology safely.
The report argues that addressing AI requires the same level of national urgency as wars and epidemics. It calls for a task force modelled on the one used to help roll out the Covid vaccine.
The report recommends a 10-point plan for AI in education in England, including:
- The Prime Minister delivering a landmark speech to set out the importance of aligning education with how AI is used in the real world.
- Schools and colleges developing their own AI strategies, and having Ofsted assess their implementation as part of its inspections.
- A mass information campaign to set out the opportunities and risks of AI.
- Using AI to transform the way schools and colleges collect and use data to track pupil progress
Reforming assessments into a “two-lane” system of both exams and a “continuous evaluation of a student’s understanding” using AI.
The report says its poll of young people found that many respondents thought AI was making education less important in their lives.
Some also said it could eventually replace teachers and make universities “useless”.
The report says: “Put simply, education has not kept pace with how, and how much, young people are already using AI, and that gap is starting to show up as a loss of perceived value in the institution itself.”
A Department for Education spokesperson says ministers take the “significant opportunities and challenges” presented by AI “incredibly seriously”.
Alongside changes to the curriculum in England, the department says it is developing new AI tutoring tools and introducing new vocational routes to help children move into successful careers.
