Scottish School Appoints First AI Literacy Teacher to Teach Pupils to Question Technology

A secondary school in East Renfrewshire has become what is believed to be the first in the UK to create a dedicated teaching post focused entirely on artificial intelligence literacy, as educators grapple with how to prepare young people for a world increasingly shaped by powerful new technology.

Mearns Castle High School has appointed Jamie Laycock, formerly a principal teacher of biology, to the newly created role of principal teacher of AI literacy. The position represents a significant departure from the common approach in British schools, where teachers typically take on responsibility for AI guidance alongside their existing subject duties.

The school's decision reflects a growing recognition that ignoring AI is no longer a viable strategy. Staff at Mearns Castle concluded that pretending the technology does not exist would leave pupils ill-equipped to navigate its risks and opportunities. The central philosophy behind the new role is that schools cannot simply hope AI will disappear.

Rather than encouraging pupils to embrace AI uncritically, Laycock's mission centres on equipping them to question, challenge and use the technology responsibly. He emphasises that young people must understand both the potential benefits and the serious dangers posed by AI systems.

In one of his first lessons, pupils were presented with a mixture of genuine and AI-generated images and asked to identify the fakes. The exercise proved far more difficult than many students anticipated, underscoring how rapidly so-called deepfake technology is advancing and how challenging it has become to distinguish fabricated content from reality.

Beyond identifying fake images, the course addresses a range of AI-related pitfalls. One key area is "hallucinations," where AI systems confidently present information they have invented. Laycock describes the term as poorly chosen but acknowledges it captures the tendency of these tools to fabricate content. He warns that young people without what he calls foundational knowledge may struggle to determine whether AI-generated information is genuine or invented.

The teacher argues that pupils must be taught to approach any AI output with scepticism and then verify it independently to establish whether it reflects actual fact. This critical verification skill forms a central plank of the school's approach to AI education.

Another danger Laycock highlights is "anthropomorphisation," the tendency for users to treat chatbots as trusted friends or experts simply because they communicate in a human-like manner. He stresses that despite its conversational qualities, AI remains fundamentally a machine. For young people in particular, maintaining that perspective consistently can be genuinely difficult.

Laycock also cautions that AI systems frequently flatter users and agree with their ideas rather than challenging them. He describes this behaviour as sycophantic, noting that the technology tends to tell users they are amazing and that their ideas are excellent. This characteristic creates particular risks for young people who might accept answers without applying critical thinking, potentially becoming trapped and hooked into over-reliance on the technology.

The curriculum also covers the biases embedded in AI systems, which arise from the information on which they are trained. Pupils will learn to recognise that these tools can reflect and amplify certain norms and perspectives, sometimes in ways that are not immediately obvious.

Lessons will be tailored to different ages and stages of development. Younger pupils will focus on building foundational knowledge and critical thinking skills before progressing to practical applications of AI. This structured approach reflects an understanding that responsible AI use depends on a solid grounding in how the technology works and where its limitations lie.

Laycock is careful to position the school's stance as neither advocacy for nor opposition to AI. He explains that the goal is not to declare the technology good or bad, but to ensure learners know how to use it appropriately and get the best from it. Crucially, pupils need to remain aware that they are interacting with a machine and that this interaction should not undermine their own capacity to think and evaluate critically.

At Mearns Castle, all pupils in S1 and S2 will receive AI literacy lessons, while older year groups will address the subject through citizenship and personal and social education classes. An elective course will also be offered to senior pupils. Laycock will additionally help train colleagues in AI use and develop teaching materials that can be shared with other schools.

The role was established following growing interest from parents and pupils, many of whom have been asking how AI will affect future careers. A number of S6 pupils have volunteered to work with Laycock on how best to teach AI across the rest of the school, giving older students a voice in shaping the curriculum.

Many schools across the UK have appointed AI leads, teachers who take on some AI responsibility alongside their regular duties. However, Mearns Castle's decision to designate a specific role dedicated to AI literacy is thought to be unprecedented in the UK. The move follows a report published earlier this year by Edinburgh University, which concluded that Scottish schools have lacked the time and capacity to prepare properly for the rapid rise of AI.

The development at Mearns Castle represents an attempt to address that gap directly, placing AI literacy at the heart of the school's educational offering rather than treating it as an afterthought. As AI tools become more pervasive in classrooms and workplaces alike, the school's approach may offer a model for others seeking to help young people engage with the technology thoughtfully and safely.