Stephen Downes

Though it recognizes that "our education and training systems were not designed for an AI-driven society," I regard the Castlereagh Statement - a declaration signed by an Australian 'Coalition of the willing' - to be at its heart a very conservative document (36 page PDF). It asserts three goals for Australian education and training: "a shared definition of what we value in human learners and educators, with aligned measurement systems; coherent learning pathways from early childhood to lifelong learning, aligned with societal needs; and every Australian being capable of confidently, critically, and creatively engaging with AI." It's always dangerous to begin a process of redefining what is value as a society, and always difficult to agree on a shared vision and collaboration, especially when it means that for most people the focus remains on jobs and skills, but the statement appears confident it has articulated that foundation, though Australians might not want their values to be redefined by some committee. Via Carlo Iacono. See also Learning Elearning with notes on the webinar to soft-launch the statement, and EdResearch Matters on how to implement the ideas it contains.