International Day of Education 2025

Preserving human agency in a world of automation

24 January marks International Day of Education; an awareness day created by UNESCO in celebration of the role of education for peace and development. This year the theme is ‘Preserving human agency in a world of automation, highlighting the opportunities and challenges of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education.

As AI systems become more prevalent in day-to-day teaching, we spoke with our Director of ICT, Richard Mayer, on his reflections on the usage of AI in our Trust, and Victoria Evans, Year 3/4 Class Teacher at The Meadow Primary School, following her MEd research into ‘The use of AI in Education (AIEd)’.

Richard Mayer, Director of ICT

Richard said: “Machine learning technologies have been on a journey of exponential growth in the past couple of years, not only in relation to the amount of data feeding these algorithms, but in the number and breadth of applications and the people using them.

“There are many sound purposes to which the technology can be applied and these can be opportunities to reduce workload, increase efficiencies and improve the quality of work in some areas, particularly in those such as cyber security and scientific research.

“However, there are very real dangers too. Ranging from the seemingly innocuous but subliminal threat that unedited prose can unleash on the reputation of an organisation, to the exploitation of young people through nefarious audio and image manipulation and everything in between.

“A whole organisation approach needs to be taken to assess and advise our communities on these challenges and this is a work in progress, but in the meantime, it is worth being cautious what is uploaded to such services and it is always well worth reading, inwardly digesting, scrutinising and inevitably, editing, anything coming out before publishing, however small the audience.

“It is easy to get carried away with the promise of a brighter future, just as our forebears did during the relentless march towards automation during the industrial revolution.  Of course, they had little sense that their actions might have unforeseen consequences on a global scale.  Sometimes, in the midst of excitement, it is worth listening for the still, small voice of calm, pausing and taking one step at a time.”

Victoria Evans, Year 3/4 Class Teacher at The Meadow Primary School

Victoria said: “Last academic year, I completed my MEd in Primary Education. I decided to explore an under-researched area: the use of AI in Education (AIEd). While AIEd use is increasing globally, many researchers – and even the DfE – have stated its potential to ‘transform’ education, despite it being in its infancy in England.

“Consequently, I explored AIEd use, looking specifically into applications of teacher-facing AI, using the platform TeachMateAI. My findings revealed that AIEd is being used by a significant number of educators (over half of those surveyed), although there is considerable variability in how it is used. I found there to be many applications within the primary context, e.g. reports, lesson planning and model text generation.

“Barriers to use emerged, e.g. technological limitations, stakeholder perceptions, and lack of understanding. More training is essential for supporting implementation and mitigating barriers, including stigma around its use and hesitancy for change amongst educators.”