Independent Schools Australia (ISA) has welcomed the Copyright Amendment (Remote Learning and Other Measures) Bill 2025 as a long-overdue step toward modernising Australia’s copyright laws for the realities of contemporary classrooms.
The Bill introduced today addresses a long-standing gap in the Copyright Act 1968 by extending the “show and tell” exception in section 28 to online and hybrid learning environments. ISA is urging all parties to support this long-sought reform that will finally ensure teachers using platforms such as Zoom or Teams are covered by the same legal protections as those teaching in a physical classroom.
ISA Chief Executive Graham Catt said the reforms provide long-awaited clarity for educators but represent just the beginning of the digital modernisation that schools need.
“This Bill is a good first step. It gives teachers confidence to use online tools safely and legally, but much more work is needed to bring our copyright laws into line with the digital reality of education in 2025,” Mr Catt said.
He said ISA is urging the Government to move quickly to address the next frontier, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in schools.
“Schools are now navigating how to use AI safely and responsibly for learning, in line with the National Framework for AI in Education. Yet our copyright laws have not kept pace,” he said.“Right now, there is no clear exception for teachers who want to demonstrate or fine-tune AI tools in the classroom, even when this aligns with government-endorsed frameworks for digital literacy and student safety.”
ISA is calling for a new public-interest fair-dealing exception for education, allowing schools to use digital and AI technologies in teaching without risking copyright infringement.
“Other countries, including the UK, US, Singapore and Canada, already have fair-use or fair-dealing provisions that balance innovation with copyright protection. Australia should not fall behind when it comes to equipping students with the skills they need for the future,” Mr Catt said.
ISA thanked the Albanese Government for listening to the school education sector’s concerns, and said it looks forward to working with the Government and Parliament to ensure Australia’s copyright laws support safe, lawful and innovative learning in every classroom, physical or virtual.