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The government says AI should only be used for “low-stakes” marking
Teachers in England can use artificial intelligence (AI) to speed up marking and write letters home to parents, new government guidance says.
Training materials being distributed to schools, first seen exclusively by the BBC, say teachers can use the technology to “help automate routine tasks” and focus instead on “quality face-to-face time”.
Teachers should be transparent about their use of AI and always check its results, the Department for Education (DfE) said.
The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) said it could “free up time for face-to-face teaching” but there were still “big issues” to be resolved.
BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, said it was an “important step forward” but teachers would “want clarity on exactly how they should be telling… parents where they’ve used AI”.
Teachers and pupils have already been experimenting with AI, and the DfE has previously supported its use among teachers.
However, this is the first time it has produced training materials and guidance for schools outlining how they should and should not use it.
The DfE says AI should only be used for “low-stakes” marking such as quizzes or homework, and teachers must check its results.
They also give teachers permission to use AI to write “routine” letters to parents.
One section demonstrates how it could be used to generate a letter about a head lice outbreak, for example.
Department for Education
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