Navigating the Future: AI, Learning at the College

Education is undergoing a profound transformation. With the rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI), schools around the world are rethinking how learning happens—and what it means to truly understand and grow.

At Penrith Anglican College, we’re not immune to these changes.

AI is already impacting the way students engage with learning. While AI platforms can be helpful, they also present a challenge: when students rely on AI to do the thinking for them, they can short circuit the learning process. The struggle and the effort it takes to wrestle with a hard concept or solve a tricky problem is where real learning happens. It’s in those moments of frustration, even a few tears, that the brain builds new pathways and deepens understanding. Learning happens.

As educators, we want our students to struggle productively. As a College we value this wrestle, and it is encapsulated in our College value of persistence. We want students to experience the satisfaction that comes from persistence and growth, but we also know that AI isn’t going away. In fact, it will be a central part of the world our students are stepping into.

Penrith Anglican College AI Framework

To help guide students and staff through this evolving landscape, we are starting to roll out of a new AI Framework. This framework outlines how AI can be used in different types of assessment tasks, ensuring clarity, fairness, and integrity in learning. The broad categories we will be using are:

No AI

AI Evaluation

Limited AI Assistance

Extensive AI Assistance

The framework has been adapted from the ides of Leon Furze and will be roll out for Year 12 in Term 4 this year and Year 7 to 11 in 2026. It is designed to help students use AI as a learning tool, not a shortcut. It encourages thoughtful use, academic integrity, and the development of essential skills for a future where AI will be an increasing part of everyday life.

The Role of Parents in AI-Era Learning

As parents, you play a vital role in helping your child navigate learning in an AI-influenced world. One of the most powerful things you can do is help them struggle well to stay accountable and engaged in the learning process.

Here are a few practical ways to support your child:

Be present during homework time. Encourage them to work at the kitchen table or another shared space where you can observe their process.

Help them organise their work. Supporting your child in saving drafts and documents to their OneDrive account creates a clear document history.

Talk about the process. Ask questions like: What are you learning? What’s challenging? How are you approaching the task?

Discuss perseverance. Help them understand that struggling with a task isn’t a sign of failure—it’s part of how we learn.

Learn about AI tools. Familiarise yourself with the platforms your child may be using. Understanding how these tools work will help you guide their responsible use.

Together, we can help students build the skills they need to think critically, act ethically, and thrive in a world where AI is part of everyday life.

AI and Digital Safety

It’s important to highlight a recent and significant change in legislation around the use of AI to create images of real people.

The NSW Government has strengthened laws to protect individuals from image-based abuse, particularly targeting the creation and distribution of sexually explicit deepfakes of actual people. These changes make it a criminal offence to produce or share AI-generated content that impersonates real people in harmful or inappropriate ways.

As a college, we take this issue seriously. Over the coming weeks, we will be educating students about these changes during year meetings. Our aim is to ensure that all students understand the ethical and legal boundaries of AI use, and feel confident navigating the digital world with respect and responsibility.

We also encourage parents and carers to be part of this conversation at home. Talk with your child about the risks and realities of deepfakes and image-based abuse. Ask them what they know about how AI can be used to manipulate images or voices, and discuss why these technologies must be used responsibly. These conversations help build awareness and reinforce the shared community values of Compassion, Courage, humility, Integrity, and perseverance.

This is part of our broader commitment to preparing students not just for academic success, but for safe and informed participation in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

Detail of this legislative change can be found here: https://www.nsw.gov.au/ministerial-releases/nsw-government-to-strengthen-protections-against-image-based-abuse