The UK’s first “teacherless” GCSE class, using artificial intelligence instead of human teachers, is about to start lessons.
David Game College, a private school in London, opens its new teacherless course for 20 GCSE students in September.
The students will learn using a mixture of artificial intelligence platforms on their computers and virtual reality headsets.
The platforms learn what the student excels in and what they need more help with, and then adapt their lesson plans for the term.
Strong topics are moved to the end of term so they can be revised, while weak topics will be tackled more immediately, and each student’s lesson plan is bespoke to them.
“There are many excellent teachers out there but we’re all fallible,” said John Dalton, the school’s co-principal.
“I think it’s very difficult to achieve [AI’s] level of precision and accuracy, and also that continuous evaluation.
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“Ultimately, if you really want to know exactly why a child is not learning, I think the AI systems can pinpoint that more effectively.”
The 20 students will pay around £27,000 a year.
“A teacher doesn’t really know your flaws because he has so many students,” said Joseph, a GCSE student at David Game College who has been testing the system.
“So he doesn’t know your flaws while the AI will figure out what your flaws are and help you improve.”
The students are not just left to fend for themselves in the classroom; three “learning coaches” will be present to monitor behaviour and give support.
They will also teach the subjects AI currently struggles with, like art and sex education.
Alexander Vansittart, a former Latin teacher who taught SEN students, has joined the college to become a learning coach.
“I got really excited about what this could do for young people, how it could help them change their lives. That’s why I applied for the job; because I believe this will change lives,” he said.
However, the idea of handing over children’s education to artificial intelligence is controversial.
Chris McGovern is a retired head teacher and a former advisor to the policy unit at 10 Downing Street. He now runs the Campaign for Real Education and says although AI has a role to play in the classroom, this takes it too far.
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“I understand why [schools] may push AI. For one thing, it’s cheaper,” he said, although David Game College denies this is a cheaper approach than its traditional teaching, saying it has actually hired more personnel to run the course.
“The problem with AI and the computer screen is that it is a machine and it’s inert, so you’re straight away dehumanising the process of learning, taking away those interpersonal skills and the interaction between pupils and teacher,” he added.
“It’s a soulless, bleak future if it’s going to be along the AI path only.”
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Artificial intelligence is already used in classrooms around the country, helping to bring subjects to life, assisting with lesson plans for example.
In fact, on Wednesday, the government announced a new project to help teachers use AI more precisely. A bank of anonymised lesson plans and curriculums will now be used to train different educational AI models which will then help teachers mark homework and plan out their classes.
“Artificial Intelligence, when made safe and reliable, represents an exciting opportunity to give our schools’ leaders and teachers a helping hand with classroom life,” said Stephen Morgan, minister for early education.
But at this college, AI is not just giving a helping hand, it’s taking the reins.
