Ahead of International Education Day 2025, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) has announced the day will be dedicated to the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence (AI).
The specialised agency is calling on member states to invest in training teachers and students on the responsible use of this technology within the field of education.
In a statement, director-general Audrey Azoulay says by dedicating this year’s International Day of Education, on 24 January, to AI, Unesco aims for a global discussion on the technology’s place in education.
“AI offers major opportunities for education, provided its deployment in schools is guided by clear ethical principles,” says Azoulay.
“To reach its full potential, this technology must complement the human and social dimensions of learning, rather than replace them. It must become a tool at the service of teachers and pupils, with the main objective being their autonomy and well-being.”
Unesco is a specialised agency of the United Nations that promotes international cooperation through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information.
The organisation is made up of 193 member states, including South Africa.
Given the proliferation of AI, the agency adopted the firststandard-setting framework on the ethics of AI in November 2021, giving the world and its member states a framework for the use of AI.
Unesco notes that AI is increasingly present in education. In high-income countries, two out of three secondary school pupils are already using generative AI tools to produce schoolwork.
Additionally, teachers are increasingly using AI to prepare their lessons and assess students' work. School guidance and admissions, traditionally guided by teachers and experts, are also increasingly determined by AI.
However, education professionals still lack clear guidelines on these practices. A 2023 Unesco survey uncovered that only 10% of schools and universities currently have an official framework for the use of AI.
“By 2022, only seven countries had developed AI frameworks or programmes for their teachers, and only 15 included objectives on AI training in their national curricula. At the same time, more and more countries are placing restrictions on the use of new technologies in the classroom.”
Azoulay points out that the resources allocated by governments towards AI must be in addition to, and not divert from, the financial resources already committed to education, at a time when one-in-four primary schools still has no access to electricity and 60% are not connected to the internet.
“Essential needs must remain the priority: well-managed and well-equipped schools, with well-trained and well-paid teachers who are motivated by their mission.”
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