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On 30 June 2025, NIEC (NP) Course Chair Ms Foo Wan Yueh wrote a piece on how the emergence of GenAI is reshaping what we consider “useful” in education, prompting a rethink of its purpose and the core skills educators and students need.

In teacher training, for example, lesson planning has traditionally been seen as essential, but GenAI can now generate such plans quickly and effectively. This shift suggests that today’s teachers need to focus more on evaluating and adapting AI-generated content, guided by sound educational theory. As such, teacher training curricula and assessments must be updated to reflect the evolving demands of the profession.

Additionally, she noted that the rise of GenAI has brought increased criticism of traditional teaching methods that emphasise direct knowledge transmission and rote memorisation. However, she warns against dismissing rote learning entirely especially in early childhood education. This is because memory serves as the foundation for deeper cognitive abilities like analysis and evaluation which are essential skills needed in the age of GenAI.

Hence, by balancing technological advancements with traditional teaching approaches, Ms Foo believes it can help develop more confident and well-rounded learners.