Northern Ireland Teachers Report Saving 10 Hours Weekly via AI Pilot

A six-month pilot program in Northern Ireland suggests that integrating AI into the classroom can significantly reduce the administrative burden on educators. According to a November 2025 post on the Google DeepMind Blog, participating teachers reported saving an average of 10 hours per week using Gemini.

Google DeepMind COO Lila Ibrahim stated that the program, a partnership between Google for Education and the Northern Ireland Education Authority’s C2k program, allowed teachers to reinvest saved time into professional development and student engagement. The pilot documented over 600 unique use cases for the technology.

For some educators, the value lies in eliminating tedious paperwork. Chris Lowe, Head of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) at Ashfield Boys’ High School, told the Google DeepMind Blog that he uses Gemini to draft risk assessments for outings and letters to parents, noting the time savings allow him to focus on teaching. Other applications included using NotebookLM to convert curriculum materials into exam-prep podcasts.

Beyond administration, the tools were used to enhance inclusivity. Alistair Hamill, Head of Geography at Lurgan College, used NotebookLM’s MindMap feature to help a neurodivergent student visualize source material. Additionally, an ICT coordinator at Rowandale Primary School, whom the post does not name, used Gemini to generate images for creative writing and tailor lessons to specific student needs.

Damian Harvey, Interim Head of C2k, emphasized that the pilot's success was driven by teachers sharing learnings with one another. Following these results, C2k intends to expand Gemini training to additional teachers across Northern Ireland.