The human touch in tomorrow's classrooms

As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes education systems worldwide, schools in China are beginning to pivot from exam-focused instruction to cultivating the uniquely human traits machines can't replicate — empathy, initiative, teamwork, and ethical judgment.

This shift was highlighted by Anthony Francis Seldon, a leading UK educator and founding director of Wellington College Education, during a recent visit to Shanghai. With Wellington College China now operating six schools across the country, the group is positioning itself at the forefront of integrating AI in education, while keeping human values at the heart.

"AI is going to change the whole nature of education, and it will change schools and the world of work fundamentally. We're going to see such changes within the next five years," said Anthony Francis Seldon, one of the most influential contemporary historians and educators in the UK, during an exclusive interview in Shanghai on June 17.

More children in China are no longer receiving a narrow, purely academic education — a shift Seldon described as the right path to prepare them for a future in which human identity and intelligence will matter more than ever, as we reach the quarter mark of the 21st century.

Upon learning that 70 "digital intelligence employees" have joined the civil service in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, in February to process documents and perform other tasks, Seldon said it sends a clear message: AI is better suited to jobs that involve repetitive, formulaic skills and fixed answers, and it will replace those kinds of occupations.

"Humans' strength lies in providing a human answer, and being able to empathize with, understand nuance, and understand somebody else. These are the set of skills that employers in the upcoming future — and even today — are looking for from people that they are interested in," he said.

He noted that China is a global powerhouse in AI, particularly in affordable generative AI, which is also shaping the school system.

"Where I think the Wellington College Education group is ahead at the moment is in knowing how to emphasize such human characteristics and qualities that need to be at the very heart of education in this new world of AI," he said.

Meanwhile, Wellington College China is actively supporting students and teachers in using AI tools. The aim is to help children treat AI as a copilot in a world where it will be ever-present.

"By launching its own GPT tool in 2023, Wellington College China has allowed students and teachers to use it in a wide range of scenarios — from pre-class preparation and post-class personalized exercises to homework correction and more," said Lu Zhenqi, director of IT at Wellington College China.

Reflecting on his decision to choose China as the first destination for Wellington's expansion outside the UK, opening its first school in Tianjin in 2011, Seldon said it couldn't have been a better choice.

"My thoughts back then were that China was gaining momentum in development, and we couldn't afford to wait to build ties with it until it had already become a superpower. We couldn't wait until our offspring will have to work with Chinese people and do business together," Seldon said, adding that many in the West are interested and curious about Chinese history, culture, and traditions.

"Looking back, it has been a great privilege for us to be here in China, which has been having a golden age over the past two decades," he said.

The experience of Wellington College China also made him realize the power of education in building international bridges.

"Those children in the UK who have been learning Mandarin at the Mandarin Center of the Wellington College have a very different attitude toward China in the same way that China has toward us," said Seldon.

"We value such a mutual relationship. People who grow up together and understand each other will become friends for life," he added. "Education is bonding. I believe that we're building future relationships, which will blossom in many years and even 100 years' time."

zhouwenting@chinadaily.com.cn