Students meet NSW Education Minister to discuss AI in education

Following their meetings with Federal Members of Parliament in Canberra earlier this year, Year 12 students Hannes Ennemann and Jedd de Gouveia have continued their advocacy for greater AI literacy in education, this week meeting with NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car.

Hannes and Jedd presented their ‘We the Students’ open letter, which grew from the AI in Education Summit they hosted at NBCS in June. The letter outlines three key asks: a teacher training program focused on the use of AI; the integration of AI concepts into relevant science, technology and mathematics syllabuses; and the collection of data to better understand how students are using AI.

Alongside Michael Regan MP and NBCS Principal Tim Watson, Hannes and Jedd also discussed existing education policy, the future of AI technology, its applications in education and parallels with previous technological transformations.

“It was a great opportunity to share our journey from the start of the initiative through to where we are now,” Hannes said.

“The Deputy Premier asked great questions and we found common ground on many key topics.” – Hannes Enneman

Mr Watson said the meeting was a testament to the work of Hannes and Jedd, who valued their school’s support in bringing the AI Summit to fruition, as well as the work of Michael Regan MP in organising the meeting with the Deputy Premier.

“A key element of the shared ground was the importance of knowledge and the valuable role of teachers, who will not only teach how AI works but also how to use it so that it enhances, rather than detracts from, learning and thinking,” Mr Watson said.

The meeting follows the students’ visit to Canberra in July, where they presented their open letter to Federal Minister for Education Jason Clare and a number of other Federal MPs, attracting national media attention and contributing to the growing conversation around the role of AI in education.

Their work continues to highlight the value of student voice in shaping discussions about the future of learning, while reinforcing the important role of teachers and quality teaching as students learn to navigate and use emerging technologies.

To view the Open Letter and its recommendations, click here.