AI that actually helps schools
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As AI becomes part of school life, Chris Smith reveals why the most successful principals focus less on the technology itself and more on people, purpose and better outcomes for students
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FROM AI-POWERED lesson planning and assessment support to student wellbeing tracking and personalised learning, there’s no question the technology is shaking up what teaching and learning looks like in Australian schools.
As AI tools become more accessible and sophisticated, school leaders are increasingly being asked to make sense of where the technology can add genuine value and where caution is needed.
According to the OECD’s latest teaching and learning international survey, Australia is the fourth-highest AI-using teaching workforce in the developed world. However, every new disruption brings its own unique set of challenges. In the case of AI, principals must navigate a complex mix of opportunities and risks, balancing innovation with concerns around privacy, trust, accuracy, staff confidence and the technology’s impact on student learning outcomes.
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“Our approach to AI is deliberately focused on practical impact over ‘AI theatre’. We’re embedding AI to reduce administrative burden, surface insights faster and support better decision-making – not replace educators”
Chris Smith, Civica
This is where global technology company Civica sees a powerful opportunity.
Since its founding in 2001, Civica has been helping schools cut through administrative complexity by bringing together student, wellbeing, finance and operational data in one place. Leading that work is Chris Smith, Civica's executive vice president and managing director for the APAC region.
“Civica plays a critical role in helping Australian schools operate smarter, more efficiently and with greater confidence in student outcomes,” Smith tells The Educator.
“Through our Education Suite, we support core functions across student administration, wellbeing, data management and financials, enabling school leaders to focus on outcomes rather than operational complexity.”
Smith says Civica is also helping schools connect data across the organisation, reduce manual workload and make better-informed decisions that directly impact teaching, learning and student wellbeing.
“Just as importantly, Civica is a trusted partner as schools navigate emerging technologies such as
AI – ensuring innovation is practical, responsible and grounded in the realities of the classroom.”
Helping leaders see what matters
Amid the growing hype around AI, Smith argues the technology should be judged not by what it can do but by the tangible difference it makes in schools.
“Our approach to AI is deliberately focused on practical impact over ‘AI theatre’,” Smith says. “We’re embedding AI to reduce administrative burden, surface insights faster and support better decision-making – not replace educators.”
For school leaders, Smith says AI’s most valuable applications include reducing administrative workload, identifying student needs earlier through attendance and wellbeing trends, and transforming complex data into clear, actionable insights that support faster, more informed decision-making.
“Critically, this is underpinned by secure, governed data environments. AI is only valuable if it’s trusted.”
Smith says this means strong controls around privacy, transparency and responsible data use.
“Ultimately, the goal is simple: to give educators more time, and better information, to focus on improving student outcomes.”
But freeing up time is only valuable if educators can use it effectively. Smith says that starts with turning the vast amounts of information schools collect into something genuinely useful.
“Schools don’t lack data; they often lack clarity. Our focus is on closing that gap by translating data into simple, contextual insights that leaders can act on immediately,” he says.
“That means helping schools spot important trends that might otherwise go unnoticed, whether that’s shifts in attendance or emerging wellbeing concerns, while prioritising the insights that matter most rather than overwhelming staff with dashboards.”
Just as importantly, says Smith, those insights need to be embedded into everyday workflows so educators and school leaders can take action in real time.
“In 2026, AI best practice in schools is defined by a few consistent principles,” Smith says. “It starts with being purpose-driven, using AI to solve real challenges rather than adopting technology for its own sake. For example, we’re embedding AI to surface meaningful insights that help teachers and school leaders make faster, more informed decisions, while automating repetitive administrative tasks so they can spend more time focused on teaching and learning.”
Equally important, says Smith, is keeping educators at the centre of decision-making, underpinned by secure, well-governed and high-quality data.
“Schools also need transparency around how AI-generated insights are produced, while taking an incremental approach to adoption that builds confidence through focused, high-impact use cases.”
Applied this way, AI becomes a leadership tool, not just a technical capability, says Smith.
Making AI feel useful, not overwhelming
The 2020 edition of Civica’s Changing Landscape of AI in Educational Institutions report pointed out that “it’s not unusual for senior decision-makers to deprioritise future-focused projects like AI in favour of business-as-usual”.
Six years on from the report’s release, Smith says tension between innovation and everyday operational pressure remains front of mind for schools.
“It’s entirely understandable that schools prioritise business as usual, particularly in constrained environments,” he says. “The key is positioning AI not as an additional initiative but to strengthen and streamline what already matters.”
Smith notes that it’s also important to address trust early by having open conversations about data privacy, security and ethical use, while empowering early adopters to demonstrate value and build confidence across the wider school community.
“Many educators are already experimenting with AI. The opportunity is to provide safe, structured and supported ways to use it effectively,” he says. “AI adoption isn’t about driving change for its own sake; it’s about enabling staff to do their jobs better, with greater confidence.”
Yet turning curiosity into widespread adoption remains a challenge, particularly when schools are juggling competing priorities and limited time.
Putting people at the centre
When asked what message he would give principals seeking to achieve greater buy-in for their AI projects, Smith says this is less about whether educators “know enough” about AI and more about whether they’re supported to use it confidently and effectively.
“Students are often fast adopters of new technology, and we’re seeing that again with AI,” he says. “The opportunity for schools is not to catch up technically but to foster a culture of curiosity, critical thinking and continuous learning.”
Smith says the most evident gaps are not in access to AI but in knowing how to apply it effectively, use it with confidence and trust, and access the practical support, training and policies needed to embed it safely and successfully.
“The most effective schools aren’t trying to become AI experts overnight. Instead, they are building a growth mindset, providing safe tools and clear frameworks, and encouraging thoughtful experimentation,” he says. “When educators feel supported rather than overwhelmed, adoption follows naturally.”
Third, says Smith, pace matters. “Sustainable change rarely comes from large, disruptive shifts; it’s built through incremental progress, early wins and continuous feedback,” he says.
“Finally, people need to feel supported. Technology transformations succeed when individuals feel equipped, not replaced – through training, time and leadership backing.”
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Published 13 Jul 2026
“For principals, one of the biggest challenges is guiding teachers and students through an area that’s evolving faster than curriculum, teaching standards and government guidance can realistically keep pace with”
Chris Smith, Civica
At the end of the day, says Smith, the schools that benefit most from AI will be those that keep people, purpose and student outcomes firmly at the centre of every decision.
“For principals, one of the biggest challenges is guiding teachers and students through an area that’s evolving faster than curriculum, teaching standards and government guidance can realistically keep pace with. That creates an important opportunity for industry to work alongside education systems, helping schools navigate change while allowing leaders to remain focused on delivering strong educational outcomes.”
Civica: Trusted by schools around the world
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Australia’s education systems operate at enormous scale: 4.16 million school students, 1.68 million higher education students, and 5.1 million VET students are now moving through systems that need trusted, connected digital infrastructure
Attendance remains one of the clearest student engagement challenges: only 59.8% of Australian students in Years 1–10 attended at least 90% of school days in 2024, well below the 73.1% recorded in 2019
AI adoption is accelerating in schools, but governance matters: an Australian industry survey found 78.2% of secondary schools are using AI-powered education tools, while the national AI framework focuses on workload, privacy, equity, research and standards
Big systems, bigger challenges ahead