UK eyes AI in classrooms as schools face staffing strain
Advances in AI are moving higher up the UK education agenda, as ministers look for ways to manage teacher shortages without major increases in spending.
While the government has so far erred on the side of caution compared to its global peers, the direction of travel is toward a wider use of AI tools in the classroom, especially in areas like marking and personalised learning.
Pressure on the UK system is mounting, as schools continue to face recruitment challenges and rising workloads – all of which have prompted interest in whether technology can ease the strain.
Efekta education group is already working with governments abroad on large-scale deployments.
“There are a lot of school systems and governments asking themselves how they are going to tackle the teacher shortage”, said its chief executive, Stephen Hodges.
His firm’s platform combines AI-led instructions with teacher oversight, for students to work at their own pace while teachers monitor progress.
“The system has always been designed with the human teacher at heart”, “and the teacher remains in control”, Hodges added.
The technology is already being deployed at scale in countries like Brazil, where shortages are far more acute.
Hodges used Sao Paulo as an example, where “95 per cent of English teachers don’t actually speak English”.
In those cases, teachers have to take a different role. “If the teacher doesn’t speak any English, they become a motivator and a coach”, he said.
Efekta says its platform is now used by around 4.5 million students around the world, and has been associated with improvements in test scores of around 25 to 30 per cent in some deployments.
AI in schools: Risks and bottlenecks
In the UK, adoption is likely to be slower and more incremental due to stronger regulation and concerns around data use or classroom impact.
Nick Clegg, who sits on Efekta’s advisory board, warned against a blanket rejection of classroom technology, even as debates around screen time and digital learning continue.
As well as emphasising – “you are not replacing the teacher” – Clegg said: “I think if it becomes a sort of reaction against all forms of technology in the education system, that would be a terrible disservice”.
The question will likely shift into whether such tools can prove to deliver measurable improvements without introducing new risks, particularly given their reliance on large volumes of student data.
“The more data you’ve got the more you can optimise your education”, said Hodges.
There are also practical challenges to be wary of, including making sure students use the technology as intened.
Efekta, for example. has already had to create an “anti-cheating” team of sorts, after pupils used AI tools to bypass assignments.