Submission to the National AI in Schools Framework consultation

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in schools can be harnessed to augment teaching and learning, and equip students with the skills they will need to participate in society and the workforce of tomorrow.

To fully realise the benefits of generative AI, both students and teachers must be confident in its usage. Students must develop the skills to engage with this emerging technology throughout their education, and teachers should be supported with professional development to improve their pedagogy with the power of generative AI. Teachers should also be equipped with the skills to employ generative AI in reducing administrative workloads. The Australian Framework for Generative Artificial Intelligence in Schools (“the Framework”) scaffolds a new approach to enable education departments, schools and educators to embrace this powerful technology. ATSE makes the following recommendations to improve the Framework and its implementation:

Recommendation 1: Develop sovereign capacity for education AI applications.

Recommendation 2: Extend the “fairness” element of the Framework to include equality of access and require a minimum standard of infrastructure for all schools to access AI technologies.

Recommendation 3: Embed regular professional development for teachers into the “teaching and learning” element of the Framework.

Recommendation 4: Require annual reporting of how schools are utilising generative AI and addressing systemic bias within the “transparency” element of the Framework.

Recommendation 5: Extend the “wellbeing” principle of the Framework to include managing risks to safety and mental health.

Recommendation 6: Embed developing an understanding of human, intellectual property and privacy rights in the “instruction” principle of the Framework.

Recommendation 7: Add a new element to the Framework for “environmental sustainability”.