Insights from the 2025 DBE Lekgotla on navigating the educational AI landscape
Guest post by Niall McNulty, Product Lead for Education Futures at Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Niall is a specialist in the use of AI to enhance teaching and learning.
As I presented at the recent DBE Lekgotla 2025, the rapid integration of AI into education isn’t just coming—it’s already here. For you as school leaders and principals, understanding how to navigate this technology is no longer optional but essential for effective school management and student success.
Why School Leaders Need AI Literacy Now
Your schools are likely already experiencing AI adoption, whether through formal programs or informal use by teachers and students. As the educational leader in your school, your understanding of AI fundamentally shapes how these technologies will be implemented in your classrooms.
Without proper AI knowledge, you risk:
- Missing opportunities to enhance teaching and learning
- Making uninformed procurement decisions on educational technology
- Failing to address equity concerns that could deepen rather than reduce achievement gaps
- Being unprepared for the challenges of academic integrity in an AI-powered world
When you understand these tools properly, you can establish policies that balance innovation with safeguards that protect your students, support your teachers, and maintain your school’s educational standards.
Building AI Literacy in Your School
AI literacy starts with understanding the basics: AI systems learn from examples and identify patterns to make predictions. They don’t “understand” content the way humans do, which is why they sometimes present incorrect information confidently.
As a school leader, focus on:
- Recognizing the spectrum of AI tools: Beyond chatbots, educational AI includes adaptive learning platforms, automated grading systems, and specialized tutoring programs.
- Understanding limitations: AI can be confidently wrong or “hallucinate” facts, making human oversight essential.
- Staying aware of evolution: AI is advancing beyond text to handle images, video, and voice, creating new opportunities and challenges for your school.
Practical Implementation for Your School
Student Use Policies
Your students will have access to AI on their devices regardless of school policies. Instead of ineffective bans, consider:
- Implementing transparency requirements: Have students cite or declare AI use, treating AI like any other reference source.
- Redesigning assessments: Move toward in-class, oral, or project-based tasks that demonstrate authentic understanding.
- Using AI as a learning tool: Encourage proper integration of AI for research, brainstorming, and personalized feedback.
Teacher Development
As principal, prioritize professional development that ensures all teachers have:
- Basic AI literacy and ethical understanding
- Skills to evaluate AI outputs for bias or inaccuracy
- Practical knowledge of how to use AI to reduce workload while maintaining academic integrity
Consider starting with a small pilot program in your school before broader implementation, giving teachers ready-made prompts as starting points.
Privacy and Equity Considerations
Protect your school community by:
- Vetting all AI tools for privacy, bias, and pedagogical value
- Explicitly prohibiting uploading student personal information to public AI tools
- Ensuring all students have equitable access to the infrastructure needed for AI tools
- Regularly auditing AI systems for potential bias
- Exploring AI’s potential to provide personalized support for students with diverse learning needs
Measuring Success in Your School
Establish clear metrics for successful AI integration:
- Improvements in student achievement
- Increased teacher confidence with technology
- Enhanced learner engagement
- Reduced administrative burden
Collect both qualitative and quantitative data regularly, using insights to refine your approach.
Next Steps for School Leaders
- Develop clear school-level guidelines on permissible AI uses that align with any national or provincial policies
- Shift toward “AI-aware” assessment formats that value critical thinking over memorization
- Institute ongoing professional development focused on AI literacy and ethical usage
- Enforce strict data privacy measures with all educational technology vendors
- Address any technology resource gaps within your school
- Involve teachers, students, parents, and community partners in shaping your school’s approach
Looking Forward
As presented at the DBE Lekgotla 2025, AI is transforming education at an unprecedented pace. By developing your understanding as a school leader and implementing thoughtful policies, you can position your school to harness AI’s potential while protecting your students and supporting your teachers.
The leadership you provide now will shape how this technology impacts learning in your school for years to come. Education has always evolved with technology—and your guidance is crucial in this next chapter.
Here are my slides from the Lekgotla:
I can be contacted at niall.mcnulty@cambridge.org for more information.
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