AI Policy in NZ Education - What Schools Actually Need (and what they don’t)
New Zealand schools are feeling pressure to have an AI policy in place. What’s less clear is what that policy should actually do—and how staff are meant to use it.
An AI policy isn’t about control. It’s about clarity, confidence, safety and consistency. When staff don’t have any clear guidance - risk, experimentation and conflicting approaches emerge.
What a good AI policy should do:
clarify acceptable and unacceptable use
align with existing academic expectations
support professional judgement
remain flexible as tools and practices change
With AI rapidly changing, policy should guide decisions, not attempt to predict every possible scenario.
Where AI policies fall short:
A common issue we see is developing AI policy when there is a lack of understanding or knowledge of AI. Schools may introduce an AI policy before staff have had the chance to build basic AI literacy. This creates a gap where:
teachers don’t feel confident interpreting the policy
the policy is applied inconsistently across programmes
uncertainty leads to overly cautious or overly permissive practice
Can you expect staff to apply a policy about AI if they don’t understand how AI works?
Policy creates guidelines.
Literacy enables good decisions.
When AI literacy is missing, policy becomes a document rather than a shared practice.
The most effective approach to policy is when:
staff understand the technology it refers to
expectations are clear and realistic
learning and policy evolve together
Policy without literacy creates uncertainty.
Literacy without policy creates inconsistency.
If you’d like to discuss how the TAKE AI Teacher Module might align with your school’s policy or support your school’s AI journey, feel free to get in touch with the team.