Tories pledge to halt screen-based school exams and cut coursework

The Conservatives have pledged to stop the introduction of screen-based school exams in England and reduce coursework, arguing that these steps would limit pupils’ reliance on generative AI and help protect educational standards. They also want screens to be used less in classrooms, with stricter limits for secondary pupils and minimal use in primary schools.

The proposals include capping secondary pupils’ screen time at two hours a day and redirecting £900m currently spent on educational technology, as the party describes it, to create a £250m textbook fund. Most UK exams are already taken on paper, and Ofqual has said paper will remain central for the foreseeable future. The government plans to publish screen-use guidance for children aged five to 18 in the new year; a survey found most teachers said pupils used individual devices in fewer than a quarter of lessons, or not at all.