MUT wants AI in school curriculum, with warning on overuse

The Malta Union of Teachers is calling for artificial intelligence to be introduced into the compulsory school curriculum, arguing that students should leave school with at least a working understanding of the technologies already reshaping daily life and future jobs. The proposal was included in a wider package the union sent to political parties ahead of the 30 May general election.

The union did not frame AI as an unqualified good. In the same submission, it warned against over-reliance on digital tools in class, especially in early education, where basic learning habits and direct engagement still matter most. That makes the MUT's position more specific than a simple push for more screens: it wants AI taught deliberately, but not allowed to flatten teaching into passive technology use.

The document also called for stronger long-term governance of the sector. The MUT wants an independent education commission to guide policy beyond the electoral cycle, and it pressed government to conclude pending agreements affecting educators' salaries and working conditions while fully implementing those already signed. It also wants broader changes to how negotiations across the sector are handled.

Other proposals in the package include more investment in early childhood education, a national language policy centred on Maltese, a specialised secondary school focused on languages and communication, and air conditioning in every classroom. Taken together, the submission reads less like a single-issue AI intervention and more like an attempt to force education reform higher up the political agenda before voters go to the polls.