AI tutoring to be introduced across UK schools
The government has announced that artificial intelligence (AI) lesson tools will be introduced in schools across the UK by the end of 2027.
The Department for Education (DfE) has confirmed that teachers, AI labs and tech companies will begin to jointly create and test these lesson tools from this summer, with trials in secondary schools planned for later in the year.
The DfE predicts these tools could provide one-to-one education for up to 450,000 disadvantaged children aged 9 to 11, with the aim of narrowing the educational disadvantage gap.
Sarah Hannafin, head of policy at school leaders’ union NAHT, praised teachers’ involvement in the development of AI tools and stressed the importance that they “will never replace face-to-face interaction”.
“AI alone is unlikely to be an easy shortcut when it comes to tackling the worrying disadvantage gap we see in schools; more funding and investment will be needed for staff and resources to enable them to deliver the tailored personal support we know can make such a difference,” he added.
The government is running a tender for teachers as well as industry to create AI teaching tools.
Education Minister Bridget Phillipson said: “AI education tools have the potential to transform access to customized support for young people, taking private lessons from the privilege of the lucky few to every child who needs them, so all children can achieve and thrive.
“But AI tools are only useful in education if they are safe and support learning, and this is non-negotiable.
“We will ensure that teaching tools are designed together with teachers and rigorously tested to improve student learning and keep our children safe online, never replacing the human connection that only great teachers can provide.”
This comes after the Government announced a consultation on children’s online health earlier this week; It comes after MPs called for an Australian-style social media ban for under-16s.
Ms Phillipson also wrote to school principals on Monday, stressing that schools should be phone-free all day and not used for calculators or research.
“And we all know mobile phones have no place in our schools, but AI learning tools are different,” Bett told the UK conference last week.
The government is also investing £23 million in expanding school testing of ‘Edutech’ tools, with the program starting in September.
