IEUA Speaks – Latest government report into AI in education
11 September 2024
Federal and state governments have initiated numerous reviews and inquiries into how generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is impacting the education system. The federal government’s response, including the latest Parliamentary report released overnight, is welcomed and badly needed to help guide the safe and ethical use of GenAI in classrooms.
However, the reality is that the technology is outpacing efforts to provide a comprehensive regulatory response on behalf of students, teachers and school staff.
The latest report, Study Buddy or Influencer, follows a 16 month Parliamentary inquiry. The 126 page report contains 25 recommendations designed to capitalise on the educational opportunities afforded by GenAI, while ensuring adequate safeguards and protections. Key aspects include:
- Promoting GenAI safeguards and developing new standards and frameworks
- The use of GenAI education specific tools and resources
- Integrating AI literacy across all subjects in the next school curriculum review
- Supporting the previously developed Australian AI in Schools Framework
IEU submissions and member input critical to final report
The voice of IEU members was essential to inform the report and provide first-hand accounts of how GenAI is impacting schools. Our union’s Parliamentary submission and appearance before the House Standing Committee emphasised the importance of collaboration with teachers and their unions to develop guidelines that uphold academic integrity and embed ethics education and IT literacy. Inequitable access to technology and GenAI opportunities for disadvantaged students is an urgent priority.
The IEU notes the inclusion of many of these concerns in the report’s recommendations and the multiple citations of our union’s contributions throughout the detailed report.
GenAI impacts on teacher workload & wellbeing – time for school employers to step up
IEU submissions and the Parliamentary Report highlight the impact of GenAI on teacher workload and staff wellbeing. While the technology has the potential to reduce some administrative tasks, there is also the possibility of adverse impacts on staff. These threats need to be identified and carefully managed.
School employers must take every opportunity to work with the IEU and our members to develop shared responses to workload and safety concerns arising from the new technology:
- Any additional staff training or professional development needed to implement new technology or manage GenAI must be done in paid time – the working hours of teachers are already far too long.
- Teachers and school leaders don’t have time to now act as ‘AI enforcement police’. If schools need new student assessments or anti-plagiarism measures to uphold academic integrity, then more time will be needed by staff to manage these duties within already excessive workloads.
- There have been disturbing cases of AI ‘deepfake’ harassment of female teachers and students. A decisive and zero tolerance response is needed in every school to stamp out such behaviour.
