Governing AI in education: Policy opportunities for building participatory and equitable futures

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming educational systems, offering the potential to personalise learning, improve administrative efficiency, and enhance decision-making. Yet, without appropriate governance, AI risks reinforcing existing patterns of educational inequity. This research explored how a collaborative governance model could address two persistent challenges in the use of AI in education settings in NSW and wider Australia. The first challenge is that AI innovation in education has grown rapidly, typically resulting in reactive, rather than anticipatory policymaking. A second challenge is that the narrow reliance on technical expertise to identify harms and educational impacts has overlooked critical insights from educators, students and communities. This is particularly acute in the case of children and young people who are most affected but play a limited role in policy formation. To explore solutions, a study was conducted within the NSW EdTech ecosystem, testing two participatory methods to inform AI policy in school education. Research participants, including students, teachers, policymakers, and technologists, reported that participatory processes enhanced their understanding of AI, enabled proactive responses to risks, and fostered greater inclusivity in policy dialogue. Student contributions in those processes reshaped adult assumptions and reframed equity concerns in concrete, context-sensitive ways. To ensure AI supports educational outcomes and equity together, these key findings have been translated into policy opportunities for the government to improve governance, strengthen oversight and develop policy capability.