Two senior leaders sign the Castlereagh Statement
OES is supporting a shared national vision for Australian education and training with two of our senior leaders becoming signatories to the Castlereagh Statement on the Future of Australian Education and Training in the Age of AI.
The statement, developed by educators, leaders, and students from organisations driving change across Australian education and training, recognises that Australia stands at a critical juncture as AI reshapes the skills learners need to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world.
OES and its two signatories, Associate Director of Generative AI Amanda Ford and Head of Government Relations Rebecca Hall, are backing coordinated national action through the declaration’s three goals, six foundational principles, and three-horizon roadmap.
Signatories to the statement are seeking support from governments, leaders, educators, institutions, industry and other bodies to future-proof Australian education and training in the age of AI through these three goals:
- Value what matters – a shared national understanding of what we value in human learners and educators; and measurement and incentive systems that reinforce these.
- Connect the journey – coherent learning pathways from early childhood to lifelong learning, aligned with societal needs.
- Equip every Australian – every Australian capable of confidently, critically, and creatively engaging with AI, with human flourishing, not technology, at the centre.
The statement is based on six foundational principles: redefining the educated, future-ready Australian; institutional and individual humility; reconceptualising learning and assessment; designing an agile and capability-focused curriculum; empowering teachers and redefining teaching; and placing technology in service of pedagogy and trust.
These principles are operationalised via a three-horizon roadmap with a near horizon focused on urgent stabilisation; a medium horizon focused on structural transitions; and a far horizon focused on establishing new foundations. The Statement is an invitation to share and shape what’s next.
OES has been leading dialogue and practice in two key areas that relate to the statement, including:
- A virtual learning assistant that places AI in service of pedagogy through an AI‑enabled learning support tool, designed to provide students with timely, contextual guidance throughout their studies; and
- The Connected Assurance of Learning Framework, which reconceptualises learning and assessment in an AI‑enabled environment, by reframing assurance as a connected system spanning relational, technical and pedagogical elements.
Ford and Hall are enthusiastic about the potential of the Castlereagh Statement:
We can’t stop the pace of AI, but OES is able to take collective action through the Castlereagh Statement. Supporting our sector to think deeply about the needs of students at a time when AI is creating widespread challenges across training and education is part of OES’ role as an enabler of online education.
The statement offers an important mechanism for participating in collective national action and sharing insights and knowledge that will have benefits Australia-wide. On behalf of OES, we look forward to working with all the other signatories.”
Learn more about the Castlereagh Statement at https://castlereagh.ai/
Find out more about our approach to Assurance of Learning at https://oes.edu.au/oes-assurance-of-learning-positioning-paper/
