Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Education whether any assessment has been made by his Department of the potential for Artificial Intelligence tools to improve access to educational support for children with special educational needs and disabilities in rural areas.
Minister of Education: Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is not a replacement for specialist professional advice, teacher judgement or statutory support arrangements for children with special educational needs and disabilities, however, it does have the potential to improve educational support for children with special educational needs and disabilities, including those in rural areas.
The Education Authority (EA) has advised the Education Information Solutions (EdIS) service, through the C2k managed schools’ network, is rolling out GenAI to all teachers, starting with principals in June 2026. This £10.7 million investment will provide schools with secure AI tools through C2k, alongside professional learning to ensure they are used safely and effectively.
In supporting Special Educational Needs and inclusion GenAI has potential in areas such as adaptive assessment approaches, personalised tracking templates, differentiated resources, parental engagement, and helping teachers tailor materials to meet specific learner needs.
ENDS
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