Mitigating the learning crisis: how AI can help rebalance and transform school education

Illustration by Sadhana Saxena via AI

Synopsis
AI tools such as ChatGPT offer solutions to the multifaceted problems confronting school education. AI virtual assistants, integrated with large language models, can provide teachers with valuable support. Learners can embrace personalised learning systems, thereby reducing reliance on off-class consultations with teachers. Though the potential of AI in education is vast, it must be approached cautiously.

In November 2021, as the world braced for the third wave of Covid-19, Unesco's 'Futures of Education Report' exposed a grim reality: nearly three-fifth of the children worldwide couldn't read and comprehend a simple text by age 10. This alarming revelation highlighted the dire state of global school education — a crisis exacerbated by the pandemic. The findings of the report prompted more than 130 countries to commit to addressing this "learning