- New report claims only 2% of English schools currently have formal AI strategies
- No clear policies mean that the sector is not working together to define use cases securely
- Clear strategies, but also room for experimentation, are the next steps
New data from Accenture has revealed that while schools across England are already using artificial intelligence to support learning, only 2% actually have formal strategies.
Apart from full implementation strategies, only 12% of the 200 secondary schools surveyed have any kind of AI policy, leaving an overwhelming majority investing and implementing blindly.
As a result, most schools end up conducting informal experiments with artificial intelligence, but at a national level, a lack of consistency or shared learning across the education system could put the sector several marks behind businesses and enterprises.
Moving beyond experimentation requires a clear strategy
“Many school leaders are navigating this shift without clear guidance or the confidence to implement technology effectively,” said UK&I Head of Accenture Matt Prebble.
Still, schools lag far behind enterprises, with 27% of C-suite and senior executives noting that they have a comprehensive AI strategy, according to Gartner data (via The Times of India).
As well as surveying around 200 secondary schools, Accenture also conducted 30 in-depth interviews with school leaders, who generally believe AI has significant potential to improve education once the early niggles are worked out.
Currently, managers are concerned about plagiarism, protectionism and bias. Teachers are also being considered when deploying AI, although formal strategies are lacking – nearly two-thirds (63%) cite a lack of trust in staff.
But early adopters are already starting to see results, with common use cases across education including lesson planning, generating quizzes and creating mock exam questions.
Separate government reporting also means AI can help provide tailored feedback and support personalized learning, as well as administrative tasks that would otherwise take away from staff teaching time.
The report also reveals how top-down leadership can affect the role of AI within a given school, with skeptical leaders causing slower and more spotty uptake.
“Building the leadership capacity and providing practical support to adopt AI responsibly will be essential to ensure its benefits are delivered consistently and equitably across the education system,” added Prebble.
Regionally, London leads the way with 29% of managers using AI every day, compared to just 12% in the rest of England.
Support for how to use and implement AI is beginning to be written
“Safety should be the top priority when deciding whether to use generative AI in your educational environment,” the Department for Education stressed. Industry regulator Ofsted also supports the responsible use of artificial intelligence.
But with AI no longer an experimental novelty and pressure from Ofsted monitoring, schools are being urged to consider more detailed strategies when implementing AI.
“The biggest risk is to do nothing and assume you can just carry on as is,” an unnamed headteacher told Ofsted in a separate report.
Teach First chief executive James Toop also highlighted the knock-on effect poor strategies can have on school children: “Ensuring that all young people, regardless of background or where they live, can safely benefit from the opportunities AI provides must be a priority for the education system.
Accenture and Teach First set out five key priorities for schools looking to advance their AI strategies: school principals and leaders should engage with AI more directly and visibly; policies should clearly define objectives and boundaries; early pilots should start where the value is clearest before moving forward; teachers should be allowed to experiment with use cases; and shared learning must complement formal education for a more rounded approach.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews and opinions in your feeds.
