The UK government has announced a new project that will integrate AI into education, with £4 million in public sector investments
The project aims to use government documents to train AI tools for creating tailored lesson plans and marking students’ work.
The objectives of this plan?
This aims to reduce teachers’ management burdens, allowing more time for face-to-face teaching. By providing AI-generated, high-quality teaching materials, teachers can time-manage better to enhance educational outcomes.
The primary objective is to significantly reduce the administrative burden on teachers. By collaborating with tech companies, AI tools can provide high-quality, government-backed educational material such as curriculum guidance.
One of the main features of the project is to develop a “content store,” which will hold educational documents like lesson plans and pupil assessments. This data will be made accessible to AI developers to train models capable of producing accurate, contextually aware teaching materials. The primary aims of the content store include:
- Marking and feedback: AI tools will be developed to automate and enhance the grading process, freeing teachers from hours spent marking student work.
- Lesson creation: AI-generated lesson plans and activities will be tailored to the specific needs of teachers, allowing for more creative and individualised instruction.
- Administrative support: Teachers will benefit from tools designed to ease the burden of routine administrative tasks, allowing them to focus on student engagement.
AI and Education
A recent survey by TeacherTapp already revealed that almost half of UK teachers already use AI tools in their work, despite the being no specific tool designed for the English education system.
It has also been noted that parents are supportive of AI in the classroom, a survey revealed, as it will help time spent on direct interactions with students rather than focusing on out-of-hours workload.
Although these initiatives have been given the green light, the Department of Education is developing a safety framework. This will set out plans for the ethical and responsible development of AI in education to ensure that all AI products comply with legal and safety standards.
Further AI plans in public services
The education initiative is part of a larger government strategy to integrate AI into public services. Peter Kyle, the UK’s Science Secretary, has made AI a priority, commissioning an Action Plan to explore how AI can drive economic growth and improve public service efficiency.
The UK government has awarded £32 million in funding to 98 AI projects as part of this AI-driven plan to improve public services.
