Why Scotland’s AI ambition must reach every classroom

The Scottish government’s guidance on artificial intelligence in schools, published in March, is a welcome step. It sets out clear principles and guardrails for the safe and ethical use of AI, recognising that it should support teaching, strengthen learning, and prepare young people for a future where AI is commonplace.

AI can have a significant positive impact in schools, allowing teachers to spend less time on routine administrative work and more on face-to-face teaching and targeted pupil support.

While the Scottish government rightly recognises these benefits, and points teachers towards practical resources such as the Digital Education and AI Hub, turning its guidance into practice will be no easy task. In fact, there are already clear challenges in place that are holding schools back from using AI to its full potential.

As pupils’ use of AI grows rapidly teachers must match their pace (Picture: stock.adobe.com)

While Scotland’s education system is distinct, recent research by Accenture and Teach First into AI use in English secondary schools offers some transferrable lessons, with findings suggesting that AI adoption is outpacing strategy and training. Despite widespread use, only 2 per cent of surveyed schools had a fully developed AI strategy, while just 20 per cent provided AI-focused training to teachers. Nearly two-thirds of school leaders identified staff confidence and skills as a major barrier to the effective adoption of AI.

Interestingly, the research also surfaced that the schools making the most progress were not those investing most in AI, but those where leaders themselves were using the technology, setting clear boundaries for its use, and giving staff space to test practical applications. This helped schools move beyond isolated experimentation and build confidence across the workforce.

Building confidence to use AI in their role is one thing, but as pupils use of AI grows rapidly, teachers must also match their pace and ensure they can support students to use it responsibly, understand its limitations, think critically about its outputs and know when it is appropriate to rely on it.

Looking beyond these immediate challenges, however, there are also questions raised around the societal implications of adoption, and specifically whether AI narrows educational inequalities or widens them.

Helen Lindsay, Managing Director, Talent & Organisation, Accenture Scotland (Picture: John Need)

We already see a gap emerging in England, with 64 per cent of leaders in non-disadvantaged schools using AI at least once a week, compared to just 55 per cent in disadvantaged schools. Yet schools facing the greatest workload and pupil-support pressures may have the most to gain. AI can help teachers quickly adapt learning materials for different abilities and create additional practice resources, freeing up more time for feedback, face-to-face teaching and targeted support.

While new technology will not alone resolve underlying problems that impact educational inequality, it’s imperative that we use it to mitigate those inequalities where possible, rather than risk widening divides. Knowledge and accessibility are key to ensuring this.

While challenges remain, Scotland has established a strong starting point. The government is supportive, but there needs to be direction set from school leaders, to build staff confidence and ultimately use AI to their advantage to support pupils. Only then will its benefits reach every classroom, and will Scottish young people be truly prepared for an AI-enabled future.

Helen Lindsay, Managing Director, Talent & Organisation, Accenture Scotland