ST JAMES, Jamaica – The Government, through the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, is testing artificial intelligence (AI) tools in schools to assist teachers with marking and administrative tasks.

“We have AI technology that we’re testing in schools now, to have AI mark the papers so that the teachers can spend more time doing what is really important, which is interacting with our students,” said Portfolio Minister, Senator Dana Morris Dixon.

She was addressing day one (April 22) of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) Education Conference 2025, being held at Ocean Coral Spring in Trelawny.

Morris Dixon said there are also plans to launch the Jamaica Learning Assistant, which is an AI-powered tool designed to personalise learning according to students’ individual styles, whether they prefer stories, humour, quizzes or dialogue.

She noted that the technology is not a replacement for teachers but rather a support tool that enhances their ability to deliver lessons more effectively.

“So, after you’ve imparted the lesson, they can go and they can practise, and they can find out things that they never understood in the class. They can explore it some more,” Morris Dixon said.

“That is the future of education we’re working towards; one where AI helps to personalise and enrich learning for every child,” she added.

In the meantime, the minister pointed out that Jamaica will open its first state-of-the-art AI lab later this year. This lab is to provide a space for students and teachers to develop technology solutions for schools.

She called for collaboration with the JTA to integrate educators into the broader AI strategy where the Government intends to further distribute more than 15,000 laptops and tablets to students, along with 600 smart boards for schools.

Additionally, approximately 25,000 vouchers have been issued to teachers to subsidise the purchase of personal laptops, she noted.

“As educators and policymakers, we must meet our students where they are in this digital landscape and guide them to use technology, not just for entertainment but for learning and personal growth,” the minister underscored.

For his part, JTA President, Mark Smith, emphasised the transformative potential of AI in education.

He said AI is the most significant “technological breakthrough in human history” and urged educators to lead the digital transformation.

Furthermore, Smith called for greater collaboration among the JTA, the Ministry of Education, and the private sector to advance digital learning initiatives in schools across Jamaica.

“As educators, we have to have a keen understanding and appreciation for what this new paradigm represents, because it will not only be impacting what we do in the classroom, it will impact businesses, economies, communities, politics and  life as we know it,” Smith said.

The conference is a three-day event being held under the theme ‘Innovations in Education Technology: The Imperative of Change’.