The Australian and Western Australian Governments are co-funding an Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education pilot program to reduce teacher workloads in WA.
The $4.7 million initiative will use AI at eight WA schools to reduce lesson planning time so teachers can spend more time in the classroom and less time doing admin.
Schools in the AI pilot program are:
- Harrisdale Primary School
- Joseph Banks Secondary College
- Lesmurdie Primary School
- School of Isolated and Distance Education
- Emmanuel Catholic College
- Ursula Frayne Catholic College
- Carey Baptist College
- St James Anglican School
The Department of Education will deliver the pilot in partnership with Catholic Education WA, the Association of Independent Schools WA, and the School Curriculum and Standards Authority.
The pilot will help reduce admin workloads for teachers by supporting things like drafting lesson plans and suggesting learning activities aligned to the national curriculum.
Commonwealth funding, under the Workload Reduction Fund, will be matched with co-investment from the Cook Government to implement the pilot. The WA non-Government sector will also contribute $300,000 towards the pilot.
The pilot drew on consultation with teachers, principals and deputies, school support staff, peak bodies and unions.
It is part of the Commonwealth’s $30 million Workload Reduction Fund under the National Teacher Workforce Action Plan which Education Ministers agreed to in December 2022.
This initiative will be informed by the Australian Framework for Generative Artificial Intelligence in Schools which assists school communities use generative AI in a safe and effective way and is aligned with the Commonwealth Government’s work promoting safe and responsible AI.
This builds on the recently signed Statement of Intent by the Australian and Western Australian Governments to fully and fairly fund all WA public schools by 2026.
Under the agreement, the most disadvantaged public schools in WA will be fully funded first. This represents an additional $777.4 million investment by the Australian Government in Western Australian public schools from 2025 to 2029.
“Teaching is the most important job in the world,” Minister for Education Jason Clare said. “The idea that teachers clock on at 9am and knock off at 3pm is rubbish.
“AI will never replace a great teacher, but it can help cut down the time they spend doing admin so they can spend more time in the classroom.
“That’s why the Albanese Government is investing $30 million in the Workload Reduction Fund so they can maximise their time with students,” he said.
WA Minister for Education Tony Buti said the state wants its teachers to be teaching its kids.
“To do this, unnecessary administrative burdens must be reduced, and we hope this new pilot program can support our teachers and ease their workload,” Mr Buti said.
“We are determined to create the right conditions for schools to get on with their jobs of providing a great education.”
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