A clear majority of secondary school teachers in England believe their pupils’ capacity for critical thinking is being eroded by artificial intelligence, a major survey has found, casting doubt on government plans to deploy AI tutors as a tool for social mobility.
Core skills being lost, teachers warn
According to a poll of 9,000 state school teachers by the National Education Union (NEU), 66% have observed a decline in critical thinking among students using AI. The concern is significantly more pronounced in secondary schools, with only 28% of primary school teachers reporting a similar observation.
Educators provided stark anonymous testimony to the union, which published the findings at its annual conference in Brighton. “Students are losing core skills – thinking, creativity, writing, even how to have a conversation,” one said. Another warned: “AI is destroying what ‘learning’ – problem-solving, critical thinking and collaborative effort – is.” A third cited the impact of voice-to-text technology, stating: “Children no longer feel the need to spell as voice-to-text replaces knowledge.”
Daniel Kebede, the NEU’s general secretary, said the findings pointed to a fundamental challenge. “Students must be able to think for themselves. This is at the heart of learning, but our survey shows a reliance on AI is having an effect on students’ ability to think critically.”
Government presses ahead with AI tutor plan
This scepticism from the classroom front line stands in sharp contrast to the government’s ambitious digital strategy. In January, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson announced plans to develop AI tutoring tools to provide one-to-one learning support for up to 450,000 disadvantaged pupils, with a mission to “break the link between background and success”.
The Department for Education (DfE) initiative aims to make this tailored support available to schools by the end of 2027, with co-creation and testing involving teachers and tech companies set to begin in summer 2026. Ms Phillipson argued the tools could transform tutoring “from a privilege of the lucky few, to every child who needs it”.
The government has also released policy papers and training materials on the safe and ethical use of AI in education, emphasizing AI literacy. By the first quarter of 2026, all schools must complete Data Protection Impact Assessments for AI tools using personal data, and forthcoming “Safe AI in Education Framework” legislation in 2027 will mandate stricter auditing and compliance certificates for educational AI.
Profession unconvinced by ‘magic bullet’ for disadvantage
However, the teaching profession remains deeply wary of the AI tutor proposal. The NEU survey found just 14% of teachers in agreement with the government’s plan, while 49% opposed it. This scepticism forms the core of the professional backlash.
Teachers argue that disadvantaged pupils often need far more than academic instruction. “Students who need tutors often need more than academic support. AI will not give them that,” one survey respondent said. Others highlighted the irreplaceable role of human connection, with one noting: “Disadvantaged students need human interaction for tutoring rather than AI so that social skills can be enhanced and social isolation reduced.” Another bluntly predicted: “Students will not be motivated by an AI tutor.”
There are also widespread fears that the technology will ultimately be used to cut costs, undermining teaching staff. Mr Kebede summarised the mood, stating: “The profession is far from convinced that AI tutors are a magic bullet for closing opportunity gaps for disadvantaged students. The government is taking a risk in rolling out AI tutoring before its impacts are properly understood.”
Teachers adopt AI, but policies and training lag
In a significant paradox, while teachers voice concerns about student use, their own adoption of AI for professional tasks is accelerating rapidly. Some 76% now use AI for day-to-day work, a leap from 53% the previous year. Its main uses are creating resources (61%), lesson planning (41%), and administrative tasks (38%), with leadership staff more likely to use it for admin. Only 7% use it for marking.
This rapid uptake is occurring in a policy vacuum. The NEU survey found 49% of schools lack any policy governing AI use by staff or students, and 66% have no student-specific policy. This lack of framework leads to problems, with one teacher commenting: “Staff are not trained to use it properly, but are using it and it’s producing sub-standard slop.”
Barriers to effective adoption cited by teachers include a lack of permission due to unclear policies, insufficient time for learning, and a lack of confidence in AI’s accuracy. Free training resources are becoming available, including DfE-funded modules and courses from STEM Learning, focusing on practical skills and strategic literacy for leaders.
A government spokesperson reiterated its balanced approach: “No technology should replace the foundations of core knowledge and disciplinary thinking that prepares pupils for later life. But we also have to prepare children for a digitally enabled world.” They added that the government’s schools white paper sets out a plan to ensure AI is used “safely, critically and responsibly”.
