The New European AI Literacy Framework, and What International School Leadership Should Do About It

There are probably still some schools which when asked where they stand on artificial intelligence, reply somewhere between "we've blocked it" and "we're letting teachers experiment”. It goes without saying that neither position can be held for much longer. Like an alien invader, AI is already quietly embedding itself whether we like it or not - in students' homework, staff planning and quietly (but steadily) inside the tools that schools already license.

The OECD and the EC have jointly published an AI Literacy Framework for primary and secondary education, in the form of a shared description for young people and their teachers. It provides a useful reference point and although ‘non-binding’, represents the clearest signal yet of the direction of travel. Importantly, it will inform the PISA 2029 assessment, and sits alongside the ‘binding’ EU AI Act which expects organisations (schools included) to ensure a good level of AI literacy among staff who use AI tools.

For school leadership, this positions AI as a leadership and governance issue.

Addressed to school leaders and policymakers as much as to teachers, it treats responsible AI use as a whole-school responsibility culture, embodying ethics and judgement vs. software settings. It also clearly puts the things that parents and staff actually worry about centre-stage, including: critical thinking and the risk that overreliance erodes it, children's wellbeing and the pull of AI ‘companions’, privacy and the protection of personal and sensitive data.

What it also does, at least in part, is set the bar that schools will increasingly be measured against by parents, accreditors and governing boards, for what "getting AI right" looks like. So what next?

Here’s our TRC systems-wide, checklist:

• If not already the case, AI needs to be a standing governance item, not a delegated IT task. It must be on the leadership and board agenda with clarity about who owns it. A good starting point is asking your technology director for a single, current view of where AI is in use across the school and where that leaves you exposed. You cannot govern what you cannot see.

• If you don’t have one, get a current, evidenced AI and data-protection position in place for staff and students, covering acceptable use, privacy and the handling of school data. It goes without saying that if your last policy predates generative AI, it predates the problem. It is important to show, on demand, that you have clear policies and that they are followed.

• Invest in your teachers' judgement, not just their tools. The framework is blunt about the biggest gap: teachers report a lack in confidence and skills to teach ‘with AI’ well. Budget for professional learning that builds ethical and pedagogical judgement (when to use AI and when not, how to nourish/protect human learning) above and beyond software training.

• Get on top of the wellbeing issue. Don't let overreliance on AI, so-called ‘companions’ and the erosion of independent thinking sit unaddressed. Speaking about these concerns openly builds trust where the current public backlash is sharpest. Merely encouraging responsible use is not the sensible option.
• Benchmark and align, rather than start alone. Map your approach against this framework and the AI Act's expectations, to show your board, parents and accreditors where you stand. Compare notes with peer schools... after all, most are solving the same problem in isolation, and there is no reason to do so.

If these five checklist actions are easy for you, you are further ahead than most. If not... well, you are in good company, and the work now begins.

Main source: https://ailiteracyframework.org/pdfs/framework_pdf/AILF_en.pdf June 19 2026

James Capon is the Founding Board Member of the Technology Readiness Council. With a background in driving innovation and strategic growth at Levi Strauss, he advocates for using technology to create dynamic, personalized learning experiences, fueling curiosity and breaking down barriers between subjects. He is also one of the hosts for the TRC's The Dark Side of the Moon podcast.

Spotify - The TRC's Dark Side of the Moon Podcast | Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescapon/