Good AI use is safe.
Good use starts with knowing where student data goes, agreeing on rules as a staff, and keeping the thinking with the student.
What we check in every AI tool
Does it need student data?
Some tools do their job without any information about your students, such as a lesson planner. They carry less risk, as long as staff keep student details out.
Where is the data stored?
Data kept outside Australia can also fall under other countries' laws. That matters most when a tool holds student information.
Does it train its AI on what people type?
Some companies use what people type to improve their AI. We check the setting a new account starts with, because that applies until someone changes it. If training cannot be turned off, the result is Not for student data.
More on this fact: Does it train its AI on what people type?
Does it show ads, or sell data or use it for ads?
If a plan shows ads, or the company sells personal information or uses what people type, or student data, for ads, the result is Not for student data. What students type should not be used to sell to them.
More on this fact: Does it show ads, or sell data or use it for ads?
Does it offer school or education terms?
Some companies offer terms or a data agreement made for schools. Without them, only the personal terms apply, and each teacher agrees to those alone.
Can data be deleted on request?
If a student, parent or staff member asks, someone needs a way to have their information removed. We check that the company offers one.
Each tool gets a Privacy Label with these six facts. See an example label
How a check works
AI tools treat student information in different ways. We read each company's own terms and explain, in plain words, what happens to what your students and staff type.
We read the fine print
We read the company's own terms, privacy policy and help pages for one plan, on its default settings. We note the date and link every source.
We check six facts
We ask the same six questions of every tool, from "Does it need student data?" to "Can the data be deleted?". Fixed rules turn the answers into a result.
Your school decides
A result is not an approval. Use it with your school's own process. Whatever the result, keep personal information about students and staff out of AI tools.
Tool checks are coming
Free and school plans of one product often have different terms, so each plan gets its own label.
We have not published a tool check yet.
We are checking the first tools now. Tell us which one your school uses, and we will look at it early. Email us.
How ready is your school for AI?
15 questions about your rules, your staff and your tools. You get a report card that puts the rules Victorian government schools must follow first, ready to share with your leadership team.
Check your school- Policy5/6
- Staff capability3/6
- Tool approval and terms2/6
Plain answers for staff and parents
Short reads on questions schools often ask.
If your teachers already use AI, what should the school do next?
Start from how staff use AI now. Agree a few firm rules, approve the tools they rely on and train everyone, with help rather than penalties for honest past use.
AI and maths tests: the teacher writes, the software marks
Keep writing your own maths tests. Let software compute the answer key exactly, help with marking, and show you the misconceptions behind wrong answers.
AI at your child's school: questions you can ask
You can ask which AI tools your child uses, what information they receive, where it goes and what the school's rules are. Here are the questions, and what a good answer sounds like.
Help for your school
We help your school check its AI tools and rules, then give plain advice on what to do next.