Flemish universities to develop AI framework for education
Flanders's five universities have been tasked with developing a framework for the use of AI across the education sector, at the request of Flemish Education minister Zuhal Demir. The regional government is allocating 10 million euros to the project as part of its broader AI strategy.
According to Demir, AI is already gaining a foothold in classrooms. Research shows that around a quarter of primary school teachers in Flanders use AI tools, rising to nearly half of teachers in the second and third stages of secondary education. The minister says a clear framework is needed to prevent schools from adopting such technologies without sufficient safeguards.
The universities will draw up the plan with universities of applied sciences, research institutions and private-sector partners. It will focus on helping young people use AI critically, safely and consciously, while ensuring education keeps pace with changes in the labour market.
The framework will also examine how AI can support teachers by reducing administrative workloads, assisting with lesson preparation, providing faster feedback and helping identify learning gaps.
A key condition is that AI applications operate within a secure digital environment and can be integrated with existing school systems while protecting users' data.
“Our children must learn to work with AI without their data, attention and thinking being controlled by systems over which we have no control,” said Demir, of N-VA.
'Full autonomy'
Schools will retain “full autonomy” over how they use AI, she added. “They make pedagogical choices based on their own project, their students and their team. Flanders ensures safe pathways and clear safety rules, so that schools can make stronger choices without having to assess legal, technical and ethical risks individually.”
The initiative forms part of the Flemish government's broader vision document, which aims to promote the use of AI in education, business and government. The plan also includes the creation of a High AI Council to advise the region on AI adoption in the public sector and its impact on the labour market.
“For us, education is the place where we determine how Flanders will deal with artificial intelligence,” said minister president Matthias Diependaele. “If we want everyone to be able to participate, we must start there: by giving young people and teachers the knowledge and skills to use AI consciously, safely and with confidence.”
#FlandersNewsService | © PHOTO MARTIN RODIER / SIPA
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