Across Britain, schools are spending thousands of pounds on AI software that allows teachers to assign students homework and reward behavior with points, as uncovered by MailOnline.
The government-endorsed software named Team Satchel claims to be ‘returning weekends and evenings to teachers’.
The site features numerous top-rated reviews, including three posted by the same instructor within just four months, and asserts that it is utilized in one-third of all secondary schools across Britain.
Several secondary schools might spend up to £27,000 over three years for the management information system, reveals a pricing document.
In addition to assigning homework, staff members have the authority to award or deduct points from students based on their behavior. These points accumulate on a digital ‘leaderboard,’ which teachers can access to monitor student performance.
“The capability to allocate both positive and negative points to students directly from the front of the classroom ensures that acknowledgment is prompt and aids in fostering positive reinforcement,” according to the website.
However, angry activists worry that this could result in ‘algorithm-driven’ education, signaling the end of ‘motivational’ teaching.
The ‘AI transformation in classrooms’ is underway, propelled by the Labour government. In March, they pledged £45 million from public funds to enhance internet connectivity in schools.
Chris McGovern, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, informed MailOnline that the software would ‘offer job security to unproductive and inept educators.’
‘Reliance on
AI
It might offer certain administrative benefits, but it would signify the conclusion of inspiring teaching methods,” he stated.
Teaching will turn into an algorithm-driven and mechanical process. This means saying farewell to educators like Mr. Chips and welcoming robotic instructors as impersonal as Mr. Deadly-Dull Robot.
The increasing adoption of this software by educational institutions suggests a bleak, disheartening, and impersonal learning journey for students.
‘Alarmingly, this could exacerbate children’s detrimental dependency on digital devices precisely when they are grappling with a mental health emergency. Educational institutions should prioritize “Mind Change” initiatives just as intensely as they concentrate on traditional academic subjects.’
Climate Change
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‘The Children’s Society reports that our children are already the least happy in Europe. Instead of reinforcing their dependence on digital devices, schools ought to foster greater independence from such technologies.’
The parenting group UsForThem has recently made its debut.
Pause the Advancement of EdTech
The initiative urges secondary schools to temporarily halt the usage of student-oriented technological devices.
Molly Kingsley, one of the co-founders, informed MailOnline that “while this technology could potentially save teachers valuable time, it’s misleading to claim that it truly benefits students.”
She stated: “The main aim of education ought to be fostering critical thinking skills among students so they learn to reason independently; however, how can we expect learners to develop such abilities when educators are shying away from practicing these very principles?”
The integration of technology into the student-teacher dynamic continues to weaken the connection between teachers and pupils, coinciding with an unprecedented number of children opting out of the educational system.
Furthermore, experience shows that educational technology as a whole, and particularly artificial intelligence-enhanced educational technology, raises numerous concerns related to data and privacy issues. Schools often find themselves unprepared to handle these challenges.
‘Most parents would rather have homework assigned by a dedicated and attentive teacher who uses just basic tools like pens and paper.’
In 2011, Team Satchel came into being through the efforts of Naimish Gohil, who identifies as a vegetarian. At that time, he was serving as an ex-assistant headteacher from what used to be known as Henry Compton Boys School located in London, along with his career as a software engineer.
Six years back, he shared with the Tech Talks podcast his ambition for his firm to be ‘inextricably linked with education.’
“Our role is to assist school administrators and policymakers so as to support educational institutions. If we can equip these leaders with effective solutions for improving school operations, this will inevitably benefit teachers, students, and parents alike,” he stated.
James Bore, the managing director of cybersecurity firm Bores, has cautioned schools against the use of AI in education.
He told MailOnline: “Although everybody is quite enthusiastic about AI, I can’t emphasize sufficiently the importance of acknowledging that most of the AI currently available doesn’t possess any genuine comprehension.”
In simple terms, it is a highly potent predictive autocorrect – essentially, a language model. This system does not comprehend the language itself; nor does it differentiate between fact and fiction.
‘Artificial Intelligence, Large Language Models, can be a potent tool and may prove helpful; however, they should not be considered foolproof for accuracy. Thus, whenever these technologies are employed for educational purposes, it’s crucial to have appropriate safeguards along with human verification to prevent inaccuracies.’
The Department for Education stated that AI could assist educators in concentrating more on direct student interaction instead of getting bogged down in tedious grading and administrative tasks.
However, Britain’s ‘most stringent headteacher’ Katharine Birbalsingh has frequently expressed her disapproval of it.
The leader of Michaela Community School in Brent, located in northern London, cautioned in February that they would ‘simplify lesson content.’
The individual aged 52 stated: “If you jot it down or read it, your brain retains the information.”
The reason our kids are so well-read and expressive is that they engage extensively in reading and writing activities at school.
‘If you’re in front of a screen, you won’t absorb as much information, and simply being on a screen can make you less intelligent. This is particularly harmful for children from tougher environments.’
We firmly recommend that our families refrain from giving their children smartphones altogether; thus, these devices are strictly prohibited at school. However, we genuinely suggest avoiding providing smartphones to them completely.
A study conducted by the National Literacy Trust revealed that four out of every ten educators utilized generative AI in 2024 for developing instructional materials.
This week, the GMB union alerted government officials about their concerns regarding how AI is making schools feel less personal and more impersonalised.
In a missive to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, the union’s national officer Stacey Booth cautioned that their members had ‘highlighted numerous worries regarding the utilization of generative AI’.
This encompassed issues such as cheating and plagiarism, privacy concerns, data security, online safety, along with the diminishing personal interaction in education.
Ms Booth stated: “Specifically, the worries expressed by committee members regarding the depersonalization of specific educational sectors highlight that the rise of technology in schools could result in undervaluing essential elements of education such as the social and emotional growth fostered by institutions, along with the staff dedicated to these tasks.”
This effort should not be overlooked amidst the push to incorporate new technologies and generative AI into education.
MailOnline has reached out to Team Satchel for their input.
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