Teachers and pupils are set to benefit from evidence-based
technology to reduce teacher workload, improve outcomes for
pupils, and drive SEND inclusion – as the government seizes
the revolution in education technology as it delivers on the Plan
for Change.
The Education Secretary, , will today set out how
the effective implementation of AI is “the most important
challenge for global education in a generation” as she positions
the UK Government at the forefront of a worldwide technological
revolution in classrooms.
Delivering the keynote address at the Education World Forum, she
will set out pioneering measures to safely and effectively
harness the power of tech to drive up standards for all,
including funding the development of global guidelines for the
use of generative AI in education. Their implementation will
be supported through a government-led AI for education summit in
2026, first of its kind in the UK
These guidelines, developed with international partners through
the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD),
will build international consensus on how the technology can be
deployed safely and effectively in classrooms around the world.
She is expected to say:
“Setting AI on the right track now is the most important
challenge for global education in a generation.
“We need to come together to grow a global, collective consensus
– a suite of effective tools, built on top-class evidence.
“That's how, together, we can make sure EdTech and AI deliver the
very best learning for all children. And on this the UK will lead
the way.”
The delegation will hear how the department is backing teachers
in England by investing in uncovering the best tools to tackle
entrenched problems facing the sector. A new £1.1m pilot will
look at what tech works when it comes to improving staff
workload, pupil outcomes and inclusivity – taking the guess work
out of buying tech.
The Education Secretary will emphasise that these evidence-led
initiatives will help "squeeze every last drop of value out of
every last pound of funding" while ensuring that "no child has to
miss out" on quality education – helping deliver the government's
Plan for Change promise to make public services more efficient.
It comes just days after the Department for Education announced
how game-changing AI-powered attendance reports will help tackle
the absence epidemic, backing teachers to help understand and
tackle the causes of missing school.
The tool is one of several investments the government has made in
time-saving, world-leading AI tools to reduce teacher workload
and help unlock the recruitment and retention crisis. She is
expected to tell the conference:
“Here in this country, we're using technology to free up teachers
to spend more time teaching. For children that means more
attention, higher standards, better life chances.
“For teachers – less paperwork, lower stress, fewer drains on
their valuable time. As part of the government's wider
strategy to raise educational standards and improve opportunities
for all children, regardless of background.”
