Robots to be used to support absent children in Wakefield schools

Robots are to be used in classrooms across Wakefield to help support children who struggle to attend school.

The devices will be offered to youngsters to access lessons and communicate with teachers and pupils remotely.

Wakefield Council plans to use 27 machines as part of a pilot project to support children who have health needs or are off school due to anxiety or emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA).

The so-called AV1 robots contain a camera and microphone which connects absent pupils who can speak, see and hear lessons through the device using an app.

The robots were developed by technology company No Isolation for children who are unable to attend school through long-term illness.

According to a report, over 1,600 AV1 devices are now being used to help pupils in other areas of the UK stay connected to their education and friends.

Details of the scheme were discussed at a meeting of the council’s children and young people scrutiny committee.

Jacqui Dundas, the council’s head of inclusion, strategy and performance, said: “They are little robots that sit on the desk.

“If you’ve broken your leg and can’t get to school, this robot will sit in your classroom with your peers and you will be able to communicate with the robot.

“The teacher can ask you questions and you can also answer as well, so it’s very interactive.

“Obviously, it’s very new to Wakefield. Schools are very nervous around the safeguarding element of it but the device has security measures in place.

“It cannot record anything through that device.

“It’s almost like having a walkie talkie but a lot more sophisticated than that.”

Ms Dundas said robots had already been purchased for use by the authority’s medical pupil referral unit and more would be bought for the educational psychology service.

She added: “The feedback we are getting is very positive.

“The children are engaging every day with their lessons, whereas previously they struggled with that face-to-face tuition.

“The robot has supported them to be able to access some education every day.”

The officer said the Department for Eduction (DfE) currently does not allow a child to receive an attendance mark if they use one of the robots.

She added: “There is a national campaign around attendance. If a child is engaging in education every day they should be marked as attending in my view, but that’s another matter.”

Committee member Debbie Kahler said. “I’ve got concerns, because you want to see that child.

“You want to see their expressions, you want to see their body language.

“It does raise serious concerns for me, especially for safeguarding, because you don’t know who is behind the screen.

“We have moved into this era of AI and we have no legislation in place for it, no policy in place for it and we are moving forward with it.

“I think actually sometimes we need to think about stopping, putting our legislation in place and putting the policies in place within the schools so we have the safeguarding.

“I can see there can be some cases where they are relevant and important.

“But I have spoken to some teachers who have raised concerns about these issues.”

Nathan Heath, service director for education and inclusion, said: “Issues will be addressed during the pilot period.

“These technological advances are coming to different areas of education, and especially remote education.

“This gives us an opportunity to focus it on a very specific cohort of children.

“There are very clear parameters around that. We have done a lot of work to ensure safeguarding is paramount.

“The robots we have in this phase will not be the solution in five years’ time.

“This is an area of space which is moving and innovates so quickly.

“We have to be really careful that we are not missing an opportunity, because we know that there are children at home now that could access this provision.”

Committee member Keith Garforth said: “It’s fascinating. Society is moving forward.”

He then asked: “Is there any geographical link to it? I’m asking this so that children can take them on holiday with them.

“Technically, could you go to Florida and still have access to lessons? It’s something that a parent may ask.”

Vicky Schofield, corporate director of children and young people, said: “I suspect the local authority would not want to purchase robots to enable children to go on holiday.

“I suspect our budgets would never stretch that far.”

How AV1 Robots work

AV1 Robots are described as “a telepresence solution for children and young people to access school and classroom settings from another location.”

No Isolation, the company which developed the devices, said: “It bridges the gap between home and school, provides access to learning, and improves attainment and progression.”

Classroom robots have features designed to give the student a sense of belonging at school as well as protecting privacy.

Youngsters can control their robot, which includes a camera, microphone and speaker on the robot’s head which emits a livestream to an app, with two-way audio.

The student can rotate and move the robot, change its eye expressions, and ‘raise their hand’ by making the robot’s head flash green.

This means they can ask and answer questions, or show how they are feeling, without disrupting the lesson.

When a student is unwell and unable to participate, but still wants to attend and listen to the lesson, they can turn the head light blue to indicate ‘passive mode’.

For EBSA pupils, this can be helpful for early steps towards reintegration.

The company said: “The robot is an avatar for the human it represents, so you can name it and customise it.

“You can carry it around with its handle or backpack to involve the student in all aspects of school life, or even on school trips.

“The physical presence means the student is not forgotten, even on days when they are too unwell to log on.”