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RTÉ News
09-06-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Behind the Story: Estonia's different approach to AI in education
One of the emerging concerns in education in recent times has been AI, particularly when it comes to assignment work and plagiarism. Spotting it is becoming increasingly difficult, according to many academics, while in secondary schools in Ireland, there are anecdotal reports from teachers about its misuse. As this technology develops, it will only get more difficult for those whose job it is to spot it in assignments. Last weekend, the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland voted to reject proposals aimed at reforming the Leaving Cert. The main concern for the majority of ASTI members was a lack of resources and capacity, according to General Secretary Kieran Christie. But another area of concern was project work and practicals that will be worth a minimum of 40% of a student's grade. The fear is that students could use AI for such projects, and it's not clear how that can be addressed. The Department of Education is finalising guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence in schools. It says this guidance will focus on AI in teaching and learning, and will come in addition to the Examinations Commission's advice on the technology when it comes to the Leaving and Junior Certificate. Ultimately, decisions on how it may or may not be used in Irish schools will come down to the Boards of Management at each one. But while Ireland grapples with how to police AI in the classroom, another EU nation is embracing it – and it's one of the continent's top performing places when it comes to learning. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation's (OECD) PISA tests, which examine education outcomes in 79 countries, Estonian students are top in Europe in math and science. They are also second in the EU when it comes to reading, only behind Ireland. From September, the country will roll out licences for artificial intelligence platforms to students aged 16 and 17, as well as teachers. The technology will be integrated into the learning process for all subjects, including physical education. Speaking to RTÉ's Behind the Story podcast, the country's education minister Krisinta Kallas said that AI is here to stay and that the country wants to harness it rather than discourage it. "We are worried that if we don't do anything, and if we don't do more supervised learning with AI, there will be a lot of unsupervised learning with AI anyway and that would be at the detriment of the skills and competences of the children." Ms Kallas said that it will be up to the teachers to determine how exactly it will be used. "I think the crucial thing with AI is not so much of regulating its use, because I don't think you can 100% regulate it, but it is rather making teachers competent in how AI operates, how AI impacts learning, and how it can be used to enhance the learning. "So the training of the teachers is absolutely key. You should not put all your trust in technology, you should put all your trust on teachers." The children will use tablets in school, but can use their AI accounts on their own private devices at home too. It is hoped that by giving it to all students and schools, there will be equality in its use in education with no socio-economic gaps. There has been no public pushback on the plan according to Ms Kallas. "It might be because our education has been relatively digitalised for a very long time. "We introduced the first digital tools into our education system 25 years ago, so there is a whole parents' generation who has grown up by using digital technology in schools so it hasn't really been an issue. "So the debate is mostly about how to use AI and what kind of learning it should enhance, and what would happen if we don't use it because maybe there is much more fear of missing out on learning skills if we don't do a nationally - organised programme on AI introduction. "If we just allow to go in a natural way as it is today, then students are using it for replacing their own learning rather than learning with an AI and that's a much bigger risk than trying to introduce AI in a more supervised and controlled way with teachers." "In that reality we need to redesign the whole learning process – what kind of assignments we give to students and what kind of learning we want to happen, and how the AI will be used by the students to enhance this learning." Mobile phones Unlike other countries in Europe, Estonia supports the use of mobile phones in schools. But Ms Kallas said teachers ultimately take autonomy in decisions when it comes to them. "We believe in a bottom-up approach when we allow schools to make those regulations," she said. "Mobile phones are used in class for learning purposes quite a lot in Estonia. "And also mobile phones in Estonia are used for all other things that you do in life. "The child needs to get the bus schedule to get home, needs to contact their parents, needs to figure out how to get to the sports club after school. "We do voting and other activities as citizens through our mobile phones. "It would be confusing for the younger generation that on one side we want them to vote online and use their phones to do their civic duty and on the other side we ban them from the school. "What we need to do is make them learn how to use the mobile phone for the right purposes."
Irish Examiner
06-06-2025
- General
- Irish Examiner
Mixed feelings around Leaving Cert maths but students avoid getting caught in spider web question
Students may have given a question themed around spider webs a wide berth on Friday's higher level maths paper 1 as teachers noted mixed feelings towards this year's exam. The third day of the 2025 Leaving Cert continued on Friday afternoon, with maths. There was 'mixed reaction' amongst some of his students coming out of the exam on Friday, according to Niall Duddy, teacher with Presentation College in Galway and Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) subject spokesperson. Each question had a 'bogey' last-part, he added. 'But that is to be expected. There were a few students who were upset, and a few that were happy. 'Looking at the paper as a whole, Section B was on the strange side, in particular question 7 which was to do with spiders' webs. 'It was about spiders building webs out of silk. A few of the students spotted the dangers with it and gave it a wide berth.' Question 7 and 10 had to do with patterns and sequences. 'The tail end of question 10, which was about patterns, caught one or two them unawares.' Ordinary level The ordinary level paper 1 was more straightforward, he added, "if a little on the verbose side". 'We've noticed again the trend in keeping with previous years, where some traditionally paper 2 material appear on paper 1 again, with a question on volume.' His advice to students ahead of the weekend is to reset. 'It's half-time, and they'll have a good idea there how they got on. 'My advice to everybody, I know one or two students here came out of the hall quite upset, I say to them 'look, it's over and done with, and there's no need to panic about it'.'
RTÉ News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
ASTI: 'Exponential growth' in misogynistic comments from students
The General Secretary of the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland has warned that female teachers are facing misogynistic comments and harassment from students in schools to an extent that is becoming increasingly "unmanageable." In an interview ahead of a special Prime Time programme tonight, Kieran Christie said "there is quite a growth in the extent to which online content is having a negative influence on young males' perception of women and of girls. And it's very pervasive, unfortunately, in the end, very regrettable." "Certainly in the last five years, it has grown exponentially as a problem," he said, "and it's becoming more and more unmanageable in schools." He said ASTI members have raised concerns involving gestures, use of online accounts by students to harass teachers, and "in the more extreme cases, it involves things like videos and sexual comments and all the rest of it." Mr Christie's comments were echoed by the Director of the National Association of Principals and Deputies (NAPD) Paul Crone. He told Prime Time that "there are huge issues in relation to the online content that students, and particularly young males, are experiencing and the consequent attitude that they have towards girls and even female teachers. "The worrying part for us of all of that is that these behaviors are seen as normal by a cohort of young males. They don't see anything wrong with it because it's what they're experiencing online. It's what they're being told." In recent weeks the ASTI and NAPD circulated to their members a Prime Time survey on perceptions about the impact of related social media content in schools. Results from that survey show more than 85% of respondents said they believe online content about gender roles and masculinity is negatively influencing teenagers' perceptions of women and girls. The anonymous survey was sent to members at the request of Prime Time by the four main teaching unions, the aforementioned ASTI and NAPD, as well as the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) and Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO). 1,200 responses were received in the week after it was published, in which more than 1,100 respondents described themselves as either secondary school teachers or principals. The others said they worked in primary schools. Through the survey and interviews with teachers, union officials, and experts, Prime Time sought to ascertain whether there has been a real-world impact on the views of young people from the emergence of social media trends and influencers who promote negative forms of masculinity. Despite many positive forms of masculinity, certain online influencers who have come to prominence in recent years argue that men's role within modern society has been unfairly suppressed, and that women should be submissive and men dominant in both personal relationships and wider society. Respondents were provided with a short description of the views held by such influencers and asked a series of multiple-choice questions about whether they believe such views are shaping young people's perceptions of gender roles, masculinity, or misogyny. Respondents had the option to agree or disagree, or say anything from 'not concerned' to 'very concerned' on all questions. As with all online anonymous surveys, there are limitations in how the results can be interpreted, and they should be considered more indicative than definitive. Asked 'how concerned are you about the influence of individuals and content covered by this survey upon students or pupils?- 56% said 'very concerned' and a further 31% said 'somewhat concerned'. Some 5% said 'not very concerned', while 2% responded 'not concerned at all'. The survey also attempted to understand if respondents perceived that views about gender roles and masculinity held by such influencers were becoming more prevalent. When asked 'Over the last five years, have you begun to see or hear more concerning discussions or comments linked to the topics covered in this survey within your school environment?' some 78% of respondents said 'yes, much more', or 'yes, somewhat more'. Almost half – 48% - of respondents said they frequently or occasionally witness comments or behaviour directed specifically towards young women or female students which they perceive to be linked to such online content. A further 21% said 'yes but rarely'. Many respondents - some 47% - said they have personally been subjected to concerning behaviour or related comments from students in the classroom or the school environment. The most common behaviours identified by respondents in the survey were disrespectful language, gender stereotyping, and bullying and harassment. When asked about the prevalence of the views in the school environment, a third (34%) said the issue was limited to a small number of students, 31% said it spanned several year groups, and nearly one in five (19%) said it affected the entire school. The results of the survey echo similar conclusions in academic and other research conducted in the Ireland, the UK, and elsewhere. A survey published last month by UK teaching union NASUWT found that female teachers were more likely to regularly receive verbal abuse than their male counterparts. The union noted that dozens of teachers had referenced the influencer Andrew Tate as directly influencing male pupils' behaviour. A 2024 study by University College London (UCL) and Kent University also found through interviews with young people and school leaders that "misogynist ideologies" that young people are exposed to online have become embedded in youth culture, "creating new challenges for schools". Researchers at Dublin City University (DCU) last year also focused on the role of social media companies in pushing related content to male teenagers, and noted through the use of test accounts that algorithms consistently recommended what the study defined as "male supremacist influencers" to young men on TikTok and YouTube. In the Prime Time survey, respondents were provided with space to add comments if they wished. Several respondents highlighted the role of algorithms and the time spent on devices by students as concerns, saying these were key drivers of the issue and that social media companies and regulators should act on them. "Students have said how hard it is to navigate or get away from this messaging," one respondent said, "even if they report it, it comes back in their algorithm." "As access to pornographic material is so easy for young males, it is having a major influence in how they perceive women and how they speak about women and treat them," wrote another respondent, "social media are exposing young men to vile pornographic/violent/misogynistic content on a daily basis." "Male misogyny amongst students isn't new. It has been brewing for years. But is now more mainstream due to the Tates... etc," said another. "They believe everything they see online… boys increasingly view women as objects or individuals who should 'obey' them," another added. Others provided examples of incidents in which male students made concerning remarks to other female students. One said a male student asked a female student if she would "carry a knife to protect herself on 'World Rape Day'", referencing a TikTok hoax claiming that rape would be legal for a day on 24 April. "I often hear male students making sexualised comments to female students," another said "we had to remove a female student from the school after targeted harassment by boys." Kieran Christie of the ASTI says social media companies, government and regulators should work to address the problem. "It is the experience of our members that the vast majority of young people are great people," he said, "and we can be very thankful that we have a whole new generation coming forward of wonderful young people. "They're growing up in an online world and they need to be protected to some extent, but guided also in relation to navigating that whole world. "Certainly government have a major role to play, in particular working with the various social media companies in bringing forward measures that safeguard young people. "We are aware that the bulk of the major social media companies are here in Ireland. So we have a natural platform there to work with these companies, to ask them to regulate, and perhaps enforce their regulation, in relation to what they provide - and allow to be accessible - to young people," Mr Christie told Prime Time. Paul Crone of the NAPD said it "takes a whole system response to be able to tackle this" but that "the focus does need to be on regulation." He added that the "new SPHE curriculum, which some people have objected to, is a really important part of the school's response to this." The Teachers' Union of Ireland also echoed calls for stronger social media regulation saying there is now an "urgent need for significantly stronger legislation and proper Government regulation in the area of social media." "The Department of Education must also ensure that the required policies and safeguards are in place in school communities to protect students and teachers from such attitudes and behaviours."
Irish Times
23-04-2025
- Irish Times
‘It has great benefits, but it's difficult for us to assess pupils' understanding': what teachers think of AI
The annual conference of the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) in Killarney, Co Kerry, heard concerns that the potential use of generative artificial intelligence – which could write detailed essays on behalf of pupils, for example – could diminish the standard of education. But what do teachers think? Natalie Doyle Bradley, a special-education teacher at Chanel College, Coolock, north Dublin, said: 'I use AI for lots of things. I use it for planning. I use it for teaching and my students use it for learning. 'We don't really have any textbooks in special education. READ MORE 'So I've developed an app called History Quest, and what I can do is use it if they're doing the Renaissance, for example, in their history class. 'I can write down Renaissance and the student's age. And we're actually brought on an interactive adventure in the Renaissance, where the students can choose their own adventure as well. So they can choose to be a painter, an apprentice, and the app actually will talk them through that. 'And also we can lower the age. So if they find it challenging, we can say, make that a reading age of 10 or make it a reading age of eight. We can also have the app read out the information so it's a story. 'The student is in charge. They are discovering the same key facts that they would through a textbook. Natalie Doyle Bradley: 'For teachers, for planning, AI is absolutely brilliant.' Photograph: Don MacMonagle 'Sometimes students find it hard to visualise what is happening. But we can ask the app to show pictures of what we are talking about. And they will say, 'Now I get it'. 'We're still in the very early stages [of this technology]. And for teachers, for planning, it is absolutely brilliant. 'For bespoke apps like I'm making and I'm teaching other people to make, it's perfect, because it's a tool for learning. It can be an impetus, it can help. 'But for assessment, absolutely not. We have to be really careful on using it for assessment.' Maria Markey Greene, of Rosmini Community School in Drumcondra, north Dublin, is a member of Asti standing committee 'I have concerns about the use of AI in education and especially in the area of assessment. Generative AI is working at a pace that is faster than the people who check these things can keep up to date with,' she said. 'I was asked in September to look at a piece of homework of a 12-year-old and to check whether the student had used AI or not. I could, at that stage in September 2024, check and find that verbatim she had used ChatGPT. 'I kept the piece of homework just for myself as a reference point and in March I went to look it up again. I could not find it because the technology, the algorithms had decided that the words I was putting in meant something else and it generated something else. This meant that I could not trace her [work] back to the original source. Maria Markey Greene: 'AI can do an entire essay or assessment. And we can't check it.' Photograph: Don MacMonagle 'A month later and I have AI embedded in my Google, in my Microsoft Edge, in my email and in my school email. AI is now directing me without me asking it to, to write down certain words and phrases and to give me counter arguments. 'So a student who was looking to put down a piece of work where they are critically analysing anything, and they need to find facts and put together their knowledge, the information and critically analyse that, AI has done that for it – for the entire essay or assessment. And we can't check it. ' Riain O'Cianaigh teaches history, CSP and law and politics at Magh Éne College in Bundoran, Co Donegal. 'AI has great benefits, but at the same time there are drawbacks. But at the end of the day AI will not replace the teacher in the classroom,' the teacher said. 'The benefits include personalised learning and teacher supports in terms of creating differentiated resources. You have engagement and accessibility so it is great for students with educational needs. 'You can create multimodal content, audio, video, et cetera, and real-time feedback that can help students before high-stakes examinations.' 'But then in terms of challenges, you have equity and access [issues]. Not all students have equal access to devices or internet. 'You have another challenge in terms of plagiarism and integrity. AI tools can write essays and solve problems, but it is more difficult for teachers to assess genuine student understanding. 'And then you have teacher training and confidence. Many teachers have not been trained in using AI, so you have a risk of relying on it too heavily or avoiding it altogether.' 'It is a tool, not a teacher.'
Irish Examiner
23-04-2025
- Irish Examiner
ASTI to partner with social media platform TikTok to combat cyberbullying of teachers
A teachers' union has set up an escalation process with a social media company to report the cyberbullying of teachers. Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) general secretary Kieran Christie announced the new process at the teachers' conference in Killarney as he spoke about the danger of cyberbullying. Mr Christie told delegates a sub-committee was working on combating the cyberbullying of teachers, including engagement with the social media short-form video site TikTok. He said a "community partner channel" had been established with the social media site, allowing the ASTI to escalate any issues. "The ASTI is now able to highlight/report content that could be considered harmful or in violation of TikTok's community guidelines via TikTok's community partner channel. "This community partner channel gives the ASTI access to an escalation process in the event that the normal TikTok reporting channel has not resolved an issue for an ASTI member, and once ASTI head office deems that the issue is of a threshold that requires urgent and immediate attention. "Once a report is submitted by ASTI head office, TikTok will process the report. This is just one aspect of the modern world that teachers live in and I can assure you that anything ASTI can do to support members in such circumstances will always be done. Mr Christie said the union was also engaging with various bodies, including Coimisiún na Meán and the gardaí, in relation to cyberbullying. "An initial poster and associated guidance on prevention will be in schools for September, while work continues on the production of detailed information on what members should do in the event of being targeted online." At last year's ASTI convention in Wexford, a motion was carried unanimously by 500 delegates to tackle cyberbullying. According to a RedC survey, almost a fifth of Irish secondary-level teachers have experienced cyberbullying, with the majority of that behaviour coming from their own students. Read More ASTI calls for protective measures as teachers' concerns around AI grow
