A new report has found Artificial Intelligence is now widely used across New Zealand schools, prompting calls for a national framework to help educators maximise its benefits while addressing concerns around academic integrity and critical thinking.
New Zealand’s Education Review Office (ERO) has called for a national framework to guide the use of Artificial Intelligence in schools after finding the technology has become embedded in classrooms faster than policies governing its use.
The report, Ready or Not: How are Schools Responding to Artificial Intelligence?, provides the first nationwide assessment of AI adoption in English-medium state and state-integrated schools. It draws on almost 4,000 survey responses from school leaders, teachers, students and parents, alongside interviews, focus groups and school visits.
According to the findings, more than 90% of school leaders, over 80% of teachers and around 75% of students are already using Generative AI. However, only about a quarter of schools have formal policies setting out how students should use the technology.
The report found teachers are primarily using AI to develop lesson resources, personalise learning and reduce administrative workloads, while principals are using it to draft communications and summarise information. Students reported using AI to support learning, although many also acknowledged concerns about over-reliance on the technology.
The review also identified growing concerns around academic integrity and critical thinking. Around 40% of secondary school students admitted using AI inappropriately for schoolwork, while more than half of teachers said AI was having a negative impact on students’ critical thinking. Those concerns were most pronounced among secondary school teachers.
ERO recommends developing a national AI framework covering student and teacher use, assessment, privacy, safety and professional development. It said consistent guidance would help schools adopt AI responsibly while ensuring the technology supports, rather than replaces, teaching, learning and professional judgement.
