Teachers in six European countries, the UK included, have given their schools 4.7 out of 10 for balancing AI with human judgement, supervision and traditional teaching.
It's the lowest of three scores in new research commissioned by Epson. And it sits on top of a bigger worry: 80% of teachers think AI is arriving in classrooms faster than schools can manage it.
What the survey found
The figures come from Epson's 2026 education research. Focaldata surveyed 3,360 people in the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain and Poland in July and August 2026: 1,227 teachers, 1,219 students aged 16 to 18, 611 trainee or recently qualified teachers and 303 school IT managers.
Students are already using it. 76% expect to use AI in their learning, and 87% of those use some form of it for school at least once a week.
Teachers are less comfortable with how it's being used:
- 88% say students see AI as an easy way to finish tasks without critical thinking
- 81% have noticed students thinking they no longer need to learn spelling or basic maths
- 72% think some students may be getting grades they're not entitled to
- 68% say using AI to complete schoolwork has a negative effect on learning
Teachers want training
82% of teachers want more training on overseeing how students use AI. 78% want more guidance on using it in their own work.
That's the finding I'd put in front of a senior leadership team. Teachers are asking for help managing AI in their classrooms, and a CPD plan can answer that request.
The European Balance Index
A second release from the same research, reported by Business Review on 20 October, asked teachers to score three areas from 1 to 10. The average, 5 out of 10, is what Epson calls the European Balance Index for learning technology.
| Balance between | Teacher score (out of 10) |
|---|---|
| Individual and shared screens | 5.3 |
| Individual screens and paper | 5.0 |
| AI and human judgement, supervision and traditional teaching | 4.7 |
65% of teachers think too much emphasis is placed on AI, and 86% say a better balance between technology and traditional teaching could improve pupils' results. 79% say a shared screen gives the class a single point of focus, whilst 59% find individual screens a source of distraction.
The report also sets this against money spent. The EU has invested over €23 billion in educational technology and skills, yet OECD data shows maths and reading performance falling. The argument is that spending went on devices rather than how they're used.
Read it with the sponsor in mind
Epson sells printers and projectors. The research points towards more paper and more shared screens, with projection at the centre of the classroom. The data can still be useful. It just needs reading with that in view.
And the results are unweighted.
Epson's methodology says they reflect natural fallout, so the mix of countries and roles in the sample shapes the headline figures.
What UK schools can take from it
Epson ties its findings to the EU AI Act and its AI literacy duty, which doesn't apply directly to most UK schools. The literacy gap the teachers describe applies everywhere.
A few practical steps follow from the data:
- Write down how AI should be used in learning, homework and assessment before the next device or software purchase.
- Build AI oversight into staff training, for support staff as well as teachers.
- Revisit homework and coursework design, given 72% of teachers already doubt some grades.
- Ask what each new piece of technology is for, rather than how many devices it adds.
If your staff scored your school on balancing AI with human judgement, would you beat 4.7?