The Copyright Amendment (remote Learning and Other Measures) Bill 2025 is a positive step towards recognising the evolving nature of instruction in schools in Australia. The National Catholic Education Commission (NCEC) has welcomed the amendments which prioritise use of quality source materials in an online environment.
“These amendments are a welcome step from the Albanese government in recognising the need to reflect contemporary classrooms and ensure teachers are given the legal protections to select and use the best material and methods of instruction for their lessons,” said Executive Director of the NCEC Jacinta Collins.
These amendments, which extend protections to parents, guardians and community members in lessons which enhance student learning opportunities, support the fundamental community aspect of Catholic education.
In welcoming the reforms, Ms Collins identified the amendments as a step on a journey that has only just begun.
“We know that the pandemic radically changed how students access learning in and beyond the walls of their classrooms, this amendment is overdue. We cannot afford the legislative reforms and protections to lag behind the diversity of pedagogical practice which ensures access and equity. If we want our teachers accessing the most effective teaching methods, including online instruction where appropriate, we must assure them of their legislative compliance” she said.
It is essential is that these amendments are followed by measures to ensure further technological advancements are similarly protected. Artificial Intelligence (AI) in support of quality learning is the next frontier.
Catholic Education is calling on the government to ensure that the complexity of licencing agreements in Australia balances the rights and intellectual property of authors while making sure educational institutions are not encumbered with additional costs and regulatory requirements for use of material for genuine educational purposes.
This would bring Australia in line with jurisdictions such as Singapore, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union which all have public-interest exceptions for the use of AI in education.
“The commitment of the Albanese government to ensure learning environments are safe, outcomes based, and evidence led necessitates access to quality materials and utilisation of tools to make them available to students. The amendments to the Copyright Act are a practical reflection of those commitments and we look forward to working with the government for the benefit of all teachers and students in our schools,” Ms Collins said.