The government “urgently” needs to provide schools with a framework on how to use AI, the chair of the Commons Education Select Committee has warned.
The comments by Helen Hayes come as the Department for Education stands accused of a “vacuum in leadership” in a critical report about young people and AI.
Ms Hayes, Labour MP for Dulwich and West Norwood, also raised warnings over “problematic” patterns arising from Ofsted’s latest inspection framework.
She spoke to Vlog about her concerns surrounding AI in schools, the inspectorate’s approach to inclusion and her views on the government’s flagship technical education routes.
No ‘adequate’ policy framework for AI use in schools
“There is no adequate policy framework yet for the use of AI in schools, and yet [AI] is already here,” Ms Hayes told Vlog.
The committee is investigating how AI and edtech are reshaping education in England’s schools, including the opportunities and risks that the tools pose.
“What impact is AI having in our education system? What are the opportunities to be grasped through it? But also what are the risks, and how does our education system need to be recalibrated? I don’t think the government has got that framework in place yet,” Ms Hayes said.
”[The committee] think a framework is urgently needed,” Ms Hayes warned, adding that it will be publishing its recommendations soon.
Teachers’ weekly use of AI has doubled in the past year, but this has not led to a reduction in workload for most, according to recent polling.
And a this week has called on the DfE to consider making AI training compulsory in initial teacher training “to avoid the misuse of AI tools”.
‘Problematic’ inspection patterns on SEND
Ms Hayes also raised concerns about Vlog’ investigation findings that secondary schools with high intakes of children with special educational needs and disabilities are disproportionately likely to receive a lower grade on inclusion.
“That’s not what the inspection framework should be delivering, and if that is what it’s delivering, then that is certainly problematic,” Ms Hayes said.
“In order to deliver on the government’s commitment to fully inclusive mainstream schools, every bit of the system has to work towards that end, including the incentives and disincentives that schools have through the inspection framework.”
She told Vlog that the committee is listening “very carefully” to feedback from schools, which remains a “mixture”.
“Some school leaders are saying Ofsted is still a really stressful process. It still places a great deal of pressure on school leaders, and there is feedback that having this kind of balanced scorecard means that there are more areas in which a school could be seen to be failing,” Ms Hayes added.
The NAHT school leaders’ union this week renewed calls for the government to halt graded Ofsted inspections, calling the latest inspection framework “demoralising”.
Vocational routes face ‘big workforce challenges’
Ms Hayes’ views on the government’s planned technical education pathways are more positive, however.
Asked about fears that this could lead the government to re-open the curriculum and assessment review, she said: “I don’t mind at all the government doing further work on curriculum if it delivers what children and young people need.”
Education secretary Lucy Powell has said she wants to go “broader and further” on the original proposals published last November.
But Ms Hayes pointed to “big challenges for the workforce” in expanding vocational education to more 14-year-olds.
“Schools need teachers who can deliver those new subjects. Some of them are in schools at the moment, but not to the extent that the reforms imply will be necessary,” she said.
In an exclusive interview with Vlog earlier this month, Ms Powell was adamant that schools will have enough local facilities to make the routes a success.
Does the education committee chair agree?
“We need to see an implementation plan,” she said. “It is the case that there is growing capacity within the schools estate because of falling rolls, but the delivery of whole new subjects in secondary schools may create a requirement for space and for facilities.”
Reforms risk overloading schools
Ms Hayes’ overriding concern was over how much was being piled onto schools heading into another busy term.
She said: “It would be helpful if the government took a look at the impact of those reforms in the round and really tried to make sure that schools were properly equipped and supported to be able to deliver them.”
And added: “The government needs to be doing this job of looking at the cumulative impact and how the sector can be expected to deliver everything that’s being asked for it all at the same time.”
