Getting enough teachers for a potential new qualification in AI may be a challenge, experts have warned, after the Government unveiled its planned reforms to the school curriculum.
As part of its response to the final report of the curriculum and assessment review, the Government has said it will explore developing a new qualification in data science and AI at level 3.
Experts have welcomed the potential new qualification, but warned there may be issues around having enough expert teachers to deliver it.
Myles McGinley, managing director of Cambridge OCR, said: “A new qualification focusing on AI and data science could provide real opportunities for young people, and also reflects demand from employers for better skills in these areas.
“One of the main challenges here will be capacity, particularly around the supply of expert teachers and examiners.
“We know that a shortage of appropriately qualified teachers already affects access to Computer Science.”
Alongside the potential new qualification, the Government said the refreshed curriculum will teach AI literacy, and it will replace the current computer science GCSE with a broader computing one.
Jon Andrews, head of analysis and director for school system and performance at the Education Policy Institute, also warned that if the Government wants to introduce an AI qualification “it will need to ensure it has a teaching workforce that is skilled and confident enough to teach that content”.
He added: “This is part of a wider challenge in the use of AI in education. While schools themselves are working hard to get a grip on the tools they use, both in administration and in teaching and learning, the evidence of effectiveness is currently limited.”
In the latest published figures for trainee teacher recruitment in 2024/25, just 37% of the Government’s target for computer science teachers were recruited.
However, the National Foundation for Educational Research forecast the DfE would hit 79% of its target for 2025/26.
A DfE spokesperson said teacher recruitment is already up, with 2,300 more teachers in secondary and special schools. The spokesperson added there has been a 25% increase in the number of people accepting teacher training places starting this autumn in Stem subjects.
AQA chief executive Colin Hughes told the PA news agency there is a lot to explore on the potential data science and AI qualification, and that it is important any new qualification is “durable”.
He added AQA would like to see the Government be “a little more excited about the potential for digital assessment”.
“I would envisage any new A level or indeed a V level qualification in AI and data science would absolutely require a high digital component,” he said, and pointed out some components of computer science are already assessed digitally.
The Government will also strengthen financial education, including by making citizenship compulsory for primary age pupils in key stages 1 and 2 to start this at an early age.
MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis welcomed the focus on financial education, but added it will need to come with resources for schools and teacher training.
Concepts like calculating interest will first be introduced in maths, the Government said in its response to the review.
Interim chief executive of academy trust GLF Schools, James Nicholson, welcomed the proposals for more opportunities to study AI and finance to help students thrive in future careers.
The final report of the review, commissioned by Labour last year, has also recommended the Government cut exam volume at key stage 4 by 10% on average.
The DfE said it would work with the regulator Ofqual and exam boards to reduce GCSE exam time by 2.5 to three hours for the average student, while making sure qualifications remained valid.
Mr Hughes told PA that in some subjects, more than 10% of the exam volume could be cut without affecting the validity of the GCSE, while in others it will be more difficult.
For example, in maths and physics, “you can retain exactly the same amount of taught content over the course, but actually only assess a relatively much smaller subset of that,” he said.
The review also recommended new maths and English tests to be taken during year 8 to help teachers identify learning gaps early, mandatory citizenship in primary schools, and overhauling the key stage 2 test of grammar, punctuation and spelling.
In its response, the DfE confirmed it would accept the review’s recommendation to scrap the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) performance measure introduced by Michael Gove, and would introduce a statutory entitlement for all GCSE pupils to study triple science.
Curriculum review leader Professor Becky Francis told reporters “we are an international outlier in the number of exams and the volume of exams we have aged 16 – only Singapore is anywhere near us”.
“So we do want to try and bring that down,” she said.
“It’s a very intense and elongated time, as anyone who’s been a parent of GCSE-age pupils knows, but we don’t want to trade standards and reliability.”
“The amount of time that young people spend in exams at key stage 4 has become excessive,” the report said.
The Government aims to publish the revised national curriculum by spring 2027, to be implemented for first teaching from September 2028.
Citizenship would become compulsory in primary schools to ensure all pupils learn financial and media literacy, about democracy and government, and access climate education.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “It has been over a decade since the national curriculum was updated, and it’s more crucial than ever that young people are equipped to face the challenges of today, so they can seize the exciting opportunities that life has to offer.”
The Government launched a review of curriculum and assessment in schools and colleges just weeks after winning the general election in July 2024.
A panel of experts considered a range of evidence, including more than 7,000 responses from the public.
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