The Castlereagh Moment: Education at a Turning Point with AI?

This week's episode explores a defining moment for education in the age of AI.

Fresh from a week of major events in Sydney, including the Microsoft AI Summit, Dan and Ray unpack the newly released Castlereagh Statement - a collaboration between 70+ education leaders calling for urgent change across schools, universities, and training systems. Their message is clear: education isn't ready for the speed and scale of AI disruption.

But that's only part of the story.

We're also seeing a growing pushback on technology in classrooms, with schools limiting screen time and universities questioning device use; while, at the same time, new AI-first models like AI-led tutoring and mastery-based learning are emerging rapidly.

Add to that a widening gap between what employers expect and what graduates can actually do with AI, plus billions being invested in infrastructure and skills, and it's clear: something has to change.

We also dive into the latest research on AI in teaching, from new peer learning models to rethinking assessment and feedback.

This episode connects the dots across policy, practice, and innovation.

Resources discussed this week

• Castlereagh Statement https://castlereagh.ai/
• California schools introduce tech limits https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/22/los-angeles-school-district-screen-time
• Yale considering banning all electronic devices https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/device-free-classrooms-mooted-yale-plan-rebuild-public-trust
• Khan TED Institute announced https://blog.khanacademy.org/introducing-the-khan-ted-institute-a-new-approach-to-higher-education/ https://khanted.org/Home
• LSI: The world's first AI-led university https://lsi.ac.uk/
• Pearson/AWS survey of employers re students https://www.pearson.com/en-us/power-of-learning/ai-readiness.html
• The Pedagogical Promptbook https://edtechbooks.org/promptbook/
• Microsoft's $25 billion AI in Australia announcement https://news.microsoft.com/source/asia/features/investing-in-australias-ai-future/
• Harvard adds mandatory AI courses to English writing course https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2026/4/23/expository-writing-ai/

Research Papers

• Think–Pair–Chatbot–Share: AI-Facilitated Peer Learning in Chemistry https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.jchemed.5c00438
• Identifying what our students have learned: a framework for practical assessment validation https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2026.2620053
• Using generative artificial intelligence to reimagine feedback in higher education: a collaborative autoethnography https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02602938.2026.2653889#abstract