PRIMARY school kids are being taught using Big Tech apps that were not designed with UK child safety in mind, a Government report warns.
The study names Microsoft and ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, saying their AI tools “were not always built with UK-specific educational standards or safeguarding architectures as their primary focus”.
Primary school kids are being taught using Big Tech apps that were not designed with UK child safety in mind, a Government report warns Credit: Alamy
Actress and education campaigner Sophie Winkleman warned Big Tech was ‘quietly taking over’ how children learn and called for greater scrutiny of education apps Credit: Getty
It found digital learning apps are used every day in primary schools, with some kids spending up to an hour at a time learning through them.
The report, which was published last month, also warns there is too little reliable evidence to show how much many classroom tech tools improve children’s learning.
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It says the evidence is “scattered, outdated, or produced by vendors” – meaning much of the research comes from the companies selling the products.
Officials also warned schools risk becoming locked into long-term contracts, making the technology increasingly difficult to ditch.
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Actress and education campaigner Sophie Winkleman said: “This is big business, not education.
“The longer these tools stay embedded, the harder they are to remove.”
She added: “A handful of global tech giants are quietly taking over how our children learn, with no one checking whether it works or is safe.
“It doesn’t work and it isn’t safe. We should all be resisting it, before it becomes irreversible.”
Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott also said: “We know what works – great teachers, textbooks, and pen and paper.
“Any use of technology in the classroom should be driven by evidence and proven to improve educational outcomes.”
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Technology plays an important role in children’s education and has real potential to level the playing field for disadvantaged pupils – but only if it is safe and it works.
“That is exactly why we commissioned this research, and why we are acting on its findings.”
