Will AI Replace Teachers? And Why The Answer Matters More Than You Think

It is a universal truth that every conference, email chain or conversation between school leaders, teachers, parents, and anyone involved in education, will eventually end up asking the question: “Will AI replace teachers?” or the closely related “Will our teachers be replaced by robots?”

It’s an understandable fear. With 67% of UK school teachers reporting they’ve experimented with AI tools in the last year, and education technology promising to solve everything from workload to pupil outcomes, it’s easy to wonder if we’re heading towards classrooms run by algorithms rather than traditional teaching.

And the truth is that AI will replace lots of what we currently think of as a teacher’s role. But, here’s what any teacher who’s actually stepped into a classroom knows: the idea of AI replacing teachers isn’t just unrealistic – it fundamentally misunderstands what teaching is.

Why teaching will always need human teachers

The truth about teaching becomes crystal clear at the end of each school year, when parents suddenly have very strong opinions about which teacher their child gets in September. And those reasons are never about subject knowledge or curriculum delivery.

Some want the strict teacher who’ll help their child focus. Others want the warm, nurturing one who’ll build confidence. The reasons are always human-centred – personality, relationships, and the intangible qualities that make each teacher unique.

This tells us something crucial: parents instinctively understand that teaching is fundamentally about human connection.

The human connection factor

Teaching starts long before any curriculum content gets delivered. It begins with making children actually want to learn in the first place. And that requires understanding not just what a child knows, but who they are.

When a usually cheerful Year 6 pupil storms into morning registration after a row with their sibling, it’s the teacher who reads that mood and adapts accordingly. Maybe today isn’t the day for challenging that pupil in front of the class. Maybe it’s a day for quiet encouragement and a chance to rebuild confidence.

When a Year 9 student who struggles with confidence finally attempts a challenging algebraic equation, it’s the teacher who knows exactly how to encourage without overwhelming. They know this student’s learning journey, their previous struggles with similar concepts, and precisely the right moment to step in with support or step back to let independence flourish.

Or the GCSE student who’s always been strong at maths but freezes during mock exams, suddenly convinced they’ll fail. It’s the teacher who recognises this isn’t about mathematical ability but exam anxiety, who knows to focus on confidence-building rather than more content drilling.

Whole-school or targeted approaches that strengthen teacher-pupil interactions and behaviour management yield +3 months of extra progress on average. But more importantly, every experienced educator knows this instinctively. They’ve seen the transformation that happens when a child feels truly seen and understood.

The irreplaceable classroom dynamic

During the 2020-21 lockdowns, many of us became acutely aware of what was missing from home learning. I could deliver content to my own children just fine, but we lost the crucial role of classroom talk and discussion.

There’s something irreplaceable about the moment when one child’s idea sparks another’s thinking, when a reluctant learner gets pulled into a debate about whether zero is a number, when the “aha” moment happens not from the teacher’s explanation but from a peer’s perfectly-timed comment: “Oh, it’s like when we’re sharing sweets!”

These interactions that support students’ learning can’t be programmed or predicted. They emerge from the complex social dynamics that happen when you put 30 students in a room together with a skilled adult facilitating their learning.

Beyond academics: the human development

Perhaps most importantly, schools do far more than deliver curriculum content. They are where children learn to navigate relationships, handle disappointment, celebrate others’ successes, and develop resilience.

When a Year 7 student is struggling with friendship dynamics, when a Year 11 student is paralysed by the pressure of university applications riding on their GCSE grades, when a Year 6 pupil is experiencing anxiety about upcoming SATs, or even when a child in key stage 1 just can’t get their drink open – these are the moments that require human empathy, not algorithmic responses.

Skilled supporting teachers navigate these moments with emotional intelligence that has been developed through years of experience and ongoing professional development. They know when a behaviour issue is actually a safeguarding concern, when academic struggle masks emotional difficulty, and how to balance individual needs with whole-class management.

64% of teachers report they now spend more time on pastoral care than a year ago. And, almost 90% of teachers feel more involved than ever in pupils’ mental-health; no parent would want these crucial interactions handed over to a machine.

The training parallel: why expertise matters

Here’s where an interesting parallel emerges between human teachers and AI systems – both require extensive, ongoing training to be effective and make a significant impact.

Think about the journey of a newly qualified teacher. They arrive with subject knowledge and theoretical understanding, but it takes years of classroom experience, mentoring, and continuous professional development to become truly skilled. They learn to read a room, adapt their explanations in real-time, and develop instinctive responses with that careful human touch that makes teaching look effortless.

The same principle applies to AI systems in education

The most effective educational AI tools aren’t general-purpose chatbots thrown into classrooms. They’re systems that have been extensively trained by former teachers and educational experts, informed by thousands of hours of real teaching interactions, and continuously refined based on how children actually learn.

Take Third Space Learning’s experience developing Skye, their AI maths tutor. This isn’t a system that was trained on general internet content and then expected to teach. Its lesson delivery is built on a foundation of over 2 million one-to-one tutoring sessions. Experienced maths teachers analyse every interaction to understand what works and what doesn’t.

Just as a human teacher learns that certain explanations work better for different types of learners, Skye has been trained to recognise when a child is struggling with place value versus when they’re confused about the operation itself. This level of nuanced understanding doesn’t happen accidentally. It requires the same kind of deliberate, expert-led training that we expect for human teachers.

Where AI genuinely helps education

But acknowledging that AI can’t replace teachers doesn’t mean dismissing its potential. Used thoughtfully, AI can support teachers and enhance what teachers do best by handling the tasks that drain their time and energy.

Giving teachers their weekends back

The biggest wins are happening in administrative tasks. The Alex Ferry Foundation has found that teachers spend approximately 20 hours per week on admin, planning, marking, and management tasks, almost as much time as teaching, time that could be spent on lesson planning, professional development, or simply having a life outside school.

AI tools are already helping with:

Report writing: Many teachers are amazed at how well AI tools can capture their voice and tone when trained properly. But the key word here is “trained” – the most effective implementations involve teachers working with the AI over time, refining its understanding of their communication style and the specific needs of their pupils.

Data analysis: Data tracking and spotting trends in pupil progress without hours of spreadsheet work. AI tools can quickly track progress, identify patterns across year groups, flag pupils who might need additional support, and generate insights that would take human analysis hours to uncover.

Resource creation and differentiation: Generating multiple versions of worksheets for different ability levels, creating reading-age appropriate texts on specific topics, and producing mark schemes that align with school policies.

I’ve become particularly fond of asking AI for reading-age appropriate texts on specific topics, complete with comprehension questions. What used to take an hour of my PPA time now takes one minute – but only because I’ve learned how to prompt the system effectively and I know what to look for in the output.

Secondary schools report ongoing maths teacher vacancies (DfE School Workforce Census 2024), which makes these time-saving tools all the more valuable.

Comprehensive intervention strategies

Perhaps the most promising area for AI in schools is as part of a comprehensive intervention strategy – not replacing human support, but filling gaps in provision that education systems simply can’t resource through traditional means.

Every teacher knows which pupils have gaps in their learning, but finding the capacity to address these individually while maintaining quality whole-class teaching is the eternal challenge. The reality is that most schools need multiple intervention tools in their toolkit, and human tutors, while excellent, simply aren’t available at the scale required.

EEF research shows that one to one tutoring can accelerate learning by 5+ months, but with the average cost of quality human tutoring at £40+ per hour, most schools can only afford to support a fraction of the pupils who would benefit. Finding, hiring, training and scheduling several one to one tutors who can come into your school to support all the pupils who need it takes time and resources.

This is where AI tutoring systems become part of the solution rather than a compromise.

How AI tutoring fits in

The key to understanding AI tutoring is to recognise it as a valuable component in a comprehensive intervention strategy. Schools have always needed multiple tools to support different types of learners and different types of gaps.

Some students need the intensive, relationship-based support that only a traditional tutor can provide. Others need quick, targeted practice to consolidate specific skills. Some benefit from peer tutoring, others from small group tutoring. AI tutoring, done well, fills a particular niche in this ecosystem – and it can also be provided at a much lower cost than using traditional tutors.

Unlike chatbots waiting to answer random questions, well-designed intelligent tutoring systems provide structured, curriculum-aligned lessons that walk pupils through maths concepts at their own pace. Skye, for example, has been built on Third Space Learning’s decade of experience delivering traditional tutoring – they know what works and have translated those principles into AI.

The training advantage in action

This training shows up in practical ways. When a pupil says “I don’t know” to a question about equivalent fractions, Skye doesn’t just repeat the explanation. It’s been trained to recognise this as potentially meaning several different things:

• The pupil might not understand what “equivalent” means
• They might not remember how to simplify fractions
• They might be overwhelmed by the numbers involved
• They might lack confidence rather than understanding

The system then provides scaffolded hints based on patterns learned from thousands of human tutoring interactions.

Maintaining teacher oversight

The system maintains teacher oversight throughout. You select which gaps each pupil needs to work on based on your assessment and knowledge of their needs. You track their progress and integrate findings back into classroom teaching. You remain in control of the learning journey.

The AI handles the labour-intensive delivery – providing immediate feedback, offering multiple explanation approaches, and maintaining engagement through interactive elements that would be impossible to resource through human tutors alone. But the educational decisions remain firmly in professional hands.

Any AI teaching programme or tool requires teacher oversight throughout. Whether that is in selecting the students to work on the programme, checking that their learning plan is suitable for them, connecting their intervention work with their classroom teaching, teachers need to remain in control.

While an AI tool can handle the labour-intensive delivery, and in Skye’s case, provide instant feedback and offer multiple explanation approaches, it should never replace teachers’ educational decisions; they must remain firmly in professional hands.

Read my full review of AI tutor Skye and Deputy Headteacher Neil Almond’s AI tutoring review.

Making AI work for your school

If you’re hesitant about using AI tools in the classroom, the key is starting with clear policies and safeguards before diving into specific platforms.

Invest in the foundations

• Develop robust AI policies that protect pupil data and ensure appropriate use
• Train staff on effective prompting and safe usage – this isn’t optional
• Choose tools built by education specialists who understand schools and child development
• Start small with low-risk applications like lesson planning and resource creation before moving to pupil-facing systems

Keep teachers central

• AI should enhance not replace teachers, especially the human connection element
• Maintain teacher oversight of all AI-powered tools and learning
• Use time savings to focus on relationship-building, creativity, and professional development
• Regularly evaluate impact on both workload and student outcomes

Invest in training

Just as we wouldn’t expect a newly qualified teacher to be immediately effective without support, AI tools require proper training and setup to deliver results. Budget time and resources, supporting educators in learning how to use these systems effectively.

The DfE’s Generative AI in Education guidance provides a helpful starting framework, but remember that policies need to be living documents that evolve as your understanding and usage develop.

Next steps and practical tips for school leaders:

• Audit your current administrative burden and identify AI opportunities
• Develop clear policies before implementing any AI tools
• Start with low-risk applications like resource creation
• Consider AI tutoring for students who need intensive intervention support
• Focus time savings on what teachers do best: teaching

The future is human-led, AI-enhanced

We’re definitely past the point where AI in education will “go away.” The question isn’t will AI replace teachers, it’s how do we engage with these tools thoughtfully?

The teachers who thrive will be those who embrace AI powered tools as an assistant while remaining firmly in control of the human elements that make teaching impactful. AI can handle the repetitive tasks, generate resources, help with fresh ideas for lesson planning, and provide personalised drills and practice.

But it’s teachers who will continue to inspire curiosity, build relationships, navigate complex emotional situations, and create the classroom cultures where deep learning flourishes.

The future of education isn’t about choosing between human teachers and AI – it’s about combining the irreplaceable humanity of teaching with the efficiency and personalisation that technology and machine learning can provide.

Because ultimately, no parent will ever say: “I hope my child gets the AI with the warmest personality this year.”

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