'AI will never replace a great teacher,' says minister offering reassurances
The Australian and Western Australian governments are joining hands to co-fund a $4.7-million AI pilot programme to reduce teacher workloads in the state.
The WA government said the pilot will help reduce admin workloads for teachers by drafting lesson plans and suggesting learning activities aligned to the national curriculum.
WA Education Minister Tony Buti said this stems from their commitment to create the right conditions for school staff so they can provide great education.
"To do this, unnecessary administrative burdens must be reduced, and we hope this new pilot programme can support our teachers and ease their workload," Buti said in a statement.
According to the WA government, Commonwealth funding under the Workload Reduction Fund will be matched with equal co-investment from the state government to implement the pilot. The WA non-government sector will also contribute an additional $300,000 to the pilot.
Participating schools in the pilot programme include:
- Harrisdale Primary School
- Joseph Banks Secondary College
- Lesmurdie Primary School
- School of Isolated and Distance Education
- Emmanuel Catholic College
- Ursula Frayne Catholic College
- Carey Baptist College
- St James Anglican School
It will be delivered by the Department of Education in partnership with the Catholic Education WA, the Association of Independent Schools of WA, and the School Curriculum and Standards Authority.
It will also be informed by the Australian Framework for Generative Artificial Intelligence in Schools, which offers assistance on the safe and effective use of generative AI among school communities.
Will AI programme replace teachers?
The new AI pilot programme comes amid heated debate on the potential of AI to replace humans at work.
Federal Education Minister Jason Clare, however, shot down concerns that the pilot programme is expected to replace teachers.
"AI will never replace a great teacher, but it can help cut down the time they spend doing admin so they can spend more time in the classroom," Clare said in a statement.
"That's why the Albanese Government is investing $30 million in the Workload Reduction Fund so they can maximise their time with students."
The pilot programme also draws from consultation with teachers, principals and deputies, school support staff, peak bodies, and unions, according to the WA government.
