I am sure there is a version of project-based learning, led by researchers, that’s not like what I’m about to describe. However, in my experience, setting kids a 3-week history or science project is mainly about the teacher not having to prepare lessons for 3 weeks. The teacher can check emails and catch up on other work while the kids cast about ‘researching’—which now often means using AI—and focus their attention on presentation, if they focus their attention at all. Some students won’t do much for three weeks. They will chat and sometimes resent not being taught anything. This lack of work may or may not be addressed, but if it is, the teacher will quickly move on. Three valuable weeks of teaching will slosh its way down the drain. If it is a group rather than individual project, I can guarantee that a maximum of two kids in each group will do any significant work. Project-based learning of this kind is very tempting for time-poor teachers because they don’t have to do very much, but it isn’t teaching.