Paul Whiteman
General secretary, NAHT
The digisphere offers benefits and opportunities, alongside risks, for teaching and learning. AI has added another dimension — but how can schools ensure its safe and effective use?
Some schools are already using artificial intelligence (AI) to assist with tasks like lesson planning, designing resources and assessments, low-stakes marking and admin tasks. But teachers and leaders need support in using AI and helping pupils deploy the technology appropriately and productively inside and outside school.
AI use in schools
Teachers have a vital role in highlighting the benefits of AI for pupils, but also its limitations and pitfalls. AI reinforces the importance of children developing skills like problem solving and critical thinking — to be questioning and able to identify good and bad information, biased perspectives and harmful content, which may not be filtered out. It’s vital students’ use of the technology is closely supervised. They must understand the importance of data privacy and the risks of plagiarism.
The Department for Education is producing guidance for teachers on the safe use of AI and for leaders on integrating AI within digital strategies. But the landscape is fast-moving, and the government must ensure schools receive ongoing support and funded training. While AI has significant potential to reduce workload, substantial human moderation is initially needed, and teachers need space to develop their AI skills.
It’s not simply about technology doing work for us, but how it supports and enhances learning.
Limitations of AI
No AI tool is infallible, and the technology cannot replace the judgment and deep subject knowledge of teachers. It’s not simply about technology doing work for us, but how it supports and enhances learning. AI tools could eventually be integrated with student data to tailor lesson plans and resources. But this would still be no substitute for the nuanced understanding teachers develop of students, and it raises important data privacy considerations.
We should embrace AI, but with caution, balancing the benefits against considerations of ethics, privacy and safety. While schools have a responsibility to engage with children on the use of AI, they cannot do this alone. The government, industry and communities must match this commitment to ensure everyone can reap the rewards without taking unnecessary risks.
