Schools need urgent guidance on AI, Seldon warns

Schools in England are increasingly using AI without enough government direction, leaving teachers and pupils to navigate the technology in what Sir Anthony Seldon describes as a chaotic rollout. The former head teacher and education technology advocate is calling for a national framework to guide adoption, including teacher training and school-level AI strategies by September next year.

The proposals include a 10-point plan for education, with a prime ministerial speech on aligning learning with real-world AI use, Ofsted scrutiny of schools’ implementation, a public information campaign on risks and opportunities, better data use to track pupil progress, and assessment reform combining exams with continuous evaluation of students’ understanding using AI.

Polling cited by Seldon and co-author Tim Bunting suggests some young people see AI as making education less important, with concerns that it could replace teachers or make universities less useful. The Department for Education says ministers take the opportunities and risks seriously, while schools such as King’s Leadership Academy Wavertree are already teaching pupils to use AI responsibly alongside critical thinking skills.