Teachers can use AI to save time on markings, according to new guidance

British teachers can use artificial intelligence (AI) to speed up markings and write letters to their parents, says the new government leadership.

The training materials distributed to schools, which were first seen by the BBC, say teachers can use technology to “automate daily tasks” and instead focus on “quality in-person time.”

Teachers should be transparent about AI use and always look at the results, the Ministry of Education (DFE) said.

The Association of Schools and University Leaders (ASCL) said it could “free up time for face-to-face education,” but there are still “big problems” to be resolved.

The chartered lab BCS said it was a “significant step forward,” but the teacher said it was “a place where parents used AI.”

Teachers and students have already experimented with AI, and DFE has previously supported its use among teachers.

However, this is the first time I have created training materials and guidance for a school.

DFE states that AI should only be used for “low bets” markings such as quizzes and homework, and teachers should check the results.

Teachers also grant permission to parents to write “routines” letters using AI.

One section shows how to use it to generate letters about lice outbreaks, for example.

Emma Darcy, a middle school leader who works as a consultant to support other schools with AI and digital strategies, said teachers had “almost moral responsibility” to learn how to use it because students are already “deeply” doing so.

“If we don't use these tools as educators, we won't be able to use young people to support them with confidence,” she said.

However, she warned that opportunities come with risks such as “potential data breach” and mark errors.

“AI can come up with constructed quotes, facts [and] Information,” she said.

The DFE Guidance states that schools need to have a clear AI policy. This may be available and unavailable by teachers and students, and manual checking of that is the best way to find out if a student is using it to use cheats.

He also states that only approved tools should be used, and that students should be taught to recognize deepfakes and other misinformation.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the guidance was intended to “reduce workloads.”

“We put cutting-edge AI tools in our incredible teachers’ hands to enhance how our children learn and develop, allowing teachers to be freed from paperwork and focused on what parents and students need most.

ASCL General Secretary Pepe Di'iasio said many schools and universities are already using AI safely and effectively, mitigating workloads for heavy staff, and thus supporting recruitment and retention challenges.

“But there are some big issues,” he added. “The budget is very tight because there is a huge financial pressure on the education sector and investment is necessary to recognize the potential benefits of AI.”

A study from BCS, a research institute chartered late last year, suggested that most teachers were not using AI and were worried about talking to the school.

But Julia Adamson, managing director of education, said the guidance “feels like an important step.”

She added: “Teachers will want to clarify how to tell parents where they used AI to write, for example, to avoid additional pressure or reporting.”

The Scottish and Welsh governments say that AI can support them with tasks like marking, as long as they are used professionally and responsibly.

And in Northern Ireland, last week, Education Minister Paul Givan announced that a study by Oxford Brooks University would evaluate how AI can improve educational outcomes for some students.