CHATGPT AS A TOOL FOR PLANNING SECONDARY EDUCATION: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES IN THE AGE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Abstract

This study examines the role of ChatGPT in planning secondary education in Nigeria, emphasizing both its opportunities and challenges in the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Secondary education serves as a critical bridge between primary and tertiary levels, equipping learners with knowledge, skills, and values essential for personal development and national progress. However, the system continues to face persistent challenges, including inadequate funding, poor infrastructure, declining teacher performance, and low learning outcomes, which undermine its effectiveness and sustainability. In response to these challenges, AI has emerged as a transformative tool for strengthening educational planning. Specifically, ChatGPT holds significant potential in improving planning processes, facilitating evidence-based decision-making, enhancing communication, streamlining administrative functions, and supporting both teaching and learning. Despite these opportunities, the study recognizes major barriers to effective integration. These include financial constraints, infrastructural deficits, limited digital literacy among teachers and administrators, ethical and data privacy concerns, and resistance to adoption due to fears of eroding professional autonomy. To address these barriers, the study recommends phased funding models, targeted infrastructural investment, continuous professional development programs, robust data protection measures, and collaborative change management strategies. Effective implementation of these measures can ensure that ChatGPT serves as a complementary tool, strengthening rather than diminishing educational standards. The findings highlight that, with strong policy frameworks and sustainable practices, ChatGPT has the potential to foster a more efficient, equitable, and future-ready secondary education system in Nigeria.