Automation in education – is EdTech a threat to public values?

Educational technology (EdTech) plays a growing part in education across Europe. In England, for instance, education is already subject to a large degree of privatisation, with increasing use of educational technology (or EdTech). EdTech can be defined expansively as the “practice of using technology to support teaching and the effective day-to-day management of education institutions”. The legislative framework for education in England and Wales allows for substantial discretion in how the Department for Education and local education authorities facilitate learning. However, it also presents serious challenges that go to the heart of public values such as equality, proportionality and the very idea of public services.