Year 12 students help shape the future of AI in education

We’re excited to celebrate the achievements of Year 12 students Hannes Ennemann and Jedd de Gouveia, whose passion to explore the best ways to responsibly integrate artificial intelligence in education have resulted in meetings with Federal MPs at Parliament House.

Their initiative began when they hosted an AI in Education Summit at NBCS in June, bringing together industry experts and students from 12 schools to explore how AI is impacting learning. The consensus of ideas from the summit resulted in their drafting of an open letter calling for AI literacy to become a core part of the Australian curriculum.

Earlier this month, they travelled to Canberra to present their open letter to Federal Members of Parliament. Their initiative was warmly received by several key MPs, including Federal Minister for Education Jason Clare (main image). They also met with Dr Andrew Charlton (Assistant Minister for Science, Technology and the Digital Economy), Julian Leeser (Shadow Minister for Education and Member for Berowra), Aaron Violi (Shadow Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation), Dr Sophie Scamps (Member for Mackellar) and Zali Steggall (Member for Warringah).

The open letter calls on the Australian Government to make AI literacy a mandatory component of the curriculum, while also placing greater emphasis on the uniquely human skills that AI cannot replicate. Rather than attempting to ban AI in schools, the students argue that assessments should evolve to focus on critical thinking, creativity, communication and other capabilities that will become even more important in an AI-driven world.

Their advocacy has attracted significant national media attention, with coverage in The Herald Sun, The Adelaide Advertiser and across a range of digital and social media platforms. Federal Minister for Education Jason Clare praised the students’ work, describing their proposal as “seriously impressive” and saying it had prompted him to think about AI in education in new ways.

Congratulations to Hannes and Jedd, along with Mitchell Hedger who supported the duo on their trip in Canberra, for demonstrating outstanding leadership and contributing thoughtfully to one of the most important conversations shaping the future of education.

It’s inspiring to see our students using their voices to help shape conversations that will influence the future of education.

To view the open letter and its recommendations, click here: