AFRICA’s transformation through Artificial Intelligence (AI) must start with teachers, according to African Union Principal Officer for Basic and Secondary Education Dr Caseley Olabode Stephens.
Dr Stephens said teachers should not fear AI or view it as a threat to their jobs but should, instead, be empowered to use the technology to improve teaching and reach more learners.
He said AI should support African teachers in responding to the changing education environment and preparing learners for the future.
“AI should not replace the African teacher but should empower them to teach better, reach further and shape the African vision,” he said.
Stephens stressed that technology should be introduced in ways that respond to Africa’s own needs and realities.
He noted that African countries had different languages, cultures and levels of infrastructure, saying these differences should be considered when introducing new technologies into education. Africa, he said, should not simply copy technology solutions from other parts of the world without considering local conditions.
Stephens said teachers would remain central to education even as technology continued to develop and would play an important role in guiding learners to use AI responsibly and effectively.
He said the continent must ensure teachers had the necessary skills to understand and use new technologies.
Investing in teachers, Stephens said, would help ensure that AI became a tool for improving education rather than a threat to the teaching profession.
He said the future of education would require teachers who were ready to adapt to technological changes while remaining focused on developing African learners. Stephens urged education stakeholders to work together to ensure that AI strengthened teaching and contributed to shaping an African vision for education.
