Glasi students protest timetable changes linked to artificial intelligence

Students at Glasi upper-secondary school held a sit-in protest on Tuesday over planned timetable changes they said had not been properly explained, Kringvarp Føroya reported. The school’s principal said artificial intelligence was the main reason for the changes.

The protest began at 10am after two hours described as “student time” were added to the timetable. Students said they had received no information about what the new arrangement involved.

After about an hour, an agreement was reached for one representative from each class to meet with the principal and school management to discuss the planned changes.

Principal Una Joensen said students in upper-secondary education are required to submit a considerable number of assignments, which they normally complete at home as part of their student time. The school now plans to move some of that time into the school day, where it will take place during regular teaching hours.

Joensen acknowledged that the school had not communicated the changes well enough to students. She said the school had informed teachers but needed to do better in informing students.

She said the conditions for teaching were changing, particularly because of the rapid spread of artificial intelligence in recent years. The school had therefore chosen to bring some student time into the school so it could be organised within a framework familiar to teachers and students, she said.

Students remained strongly opposed to the planned changes. Student Ørvur Mortensen said they had collected signatures against them from most of the students at the school. KVF reported on the protest in its Dagur og vika programme.