According to the latest findings from GoStudent, 80% of teachers believe students are now using AI to complete their essays, thereby leaving educators questioning whether written assessments can be trusted at all.

This is somewhat corroborated by students themselves, with 45% saying they use AI to find information they need for schoolwork, 35% use it to check their answers, and 32% leverage it to improve their essays or coursework. Other uses include help with passing exams (18%), essay writing (14%), and even stepping in when parents can’t assist due to time (8%) of knowledge gaps (18%).

With 36% of teachers flagging AI-enabled cheating as a growing concern, should educational institutions reconfigure how students are assessed in light of the availability and accessibility of AI? Interestingly, 84% of teachers are in fact backing simulation-based assessments—where students might run a virtual company or navigate crisis scenarios to test critical thinking and adaptability.

The report also reveals a growing disconnect between current classroom assessments and the demands of tomorrow’s workplace: More than half (57%) of parents believe current testing methods aren’t preparing their children for future careers. Instead, 81% say tech literacy will be key to accessing good jobs—and 74% believe the ability to learn and adapt to new technologies is more important than mastering a single one.

Teachers share this concern. 22% say computer science is actually no longer being taught in a way that’s fit for purpose, making it the second most frequently cited subject in need of an overhaul.

Young people feel it too. Over half (58%) of children believe their future jobs will be directly related to technology, yet only 53% agree that school is teaching them the skills they need to do their dream job. And while 73% say they feel confident about living in a world surrounded by new technologies, only 30% strongly agree with that sentiment, suggesting room for greater support and reassurance.

What’s more, 64% of children say they need more guidance in choosing the right direction for their future, pointing to a potential gap in career education that aligns with the fast-evolving tech and AI landscape.

Recommended reading

• 84% of UK Students Use AI—But Are They Being Sufficiently Supported?
• Scots Computing Science at Crisis Point as Teacher Numbers Crash
• GCSE Exam Results to be Delivered via Digital App in New Pilot

Speaking on the reconfigurement of assessments, Felix Ohswald, CEO and co-founder of GoStudent, said: “Policymakers must stop clinging to broken models, and start designing for the world our students are actually growing into – not the one we grew up in.”

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