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Kindergartens in China are the latest to trial a program with robots as teaching assistants. Will robots be replacing teachers in classrooms anytime soon?
Xie Yi, a principal at a kindergarten where Keeko robots have been put on trial, believes that it will be a long time before robots can completely replace human teachers in the classroom.
“To teach you must be able to interact, have a human touch, eye contact and facial expressions. These are the things that make an education,” Xie Yi said. “It's not just the language or the content; it's everything.”
Keeko robots cost about 10,000 yuan (USD1,500) or about the monthly salary of a kindergarten teacher in China.
They have a screen for a face and can tell stories as well as challenge children with logic problems, reported AFP.
They also have built-in cameras that double up as navigation sensors and recording device that keep video journals of their interactions with the students.
Keeko is an autonomous robot, meaning it can perform behaviours or tasks in response to its environment and can work for extended periods of time without human intervention.
Besides China, schools in Japan, Singapore and Finland have trialled robot teachers in classrooms – either as lead teachers or teaching assistants.
This month, Japan’s Ministry of Education will be rolling out AI robots at about 500 schools to help students improve their English communication skills. The robot initiative was decided to be a “cheaper” and “easier” option than hiring enough native English speakers for all schools.
Early this year, primary schools in parts of Finland trialled robot teachers for language and math classes.
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