South Australia Pioneers AI in Student Language Assessment
Published: June 4, 2025
Summary
South Australia's Department for Education has introduced EdChat, an AI-powered chatbot developed in partnership with Microsoft, to assess English language proficiency among migrant students.
This tool reduces the time needed for assessments from 30 minutes to just 52 seconds per student. Piloted across 35 schools, EdChat is slated for a broader rollout across all high schools in the state.
Key features of EdChat:
- Automates spoken English assessments
- Generates reports for teachers to inform instruction
- Frees up teacher time for targeted support
- Designed to be inclusive and scalable across diverse student populations
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas and Education Minister Blair Boyer have publicly endorsed the initiative, noting its potential to reduce educator workload and improve student learning outcomes.
You can read more about EdChat’s launch here.
Reflection
This marks a tangible example of AI being used with purpose — not just as a trend-chasing add-on, but as a direct solution to a well-defined problem: how to quickly and fairly assess English proficiency for students with non-English-speaking backgrounds.
As a teacher, it's encouraging to see AI used to free up time for relationship-building and instruction — not just surveillance or grading. That said, ethical concerns around student data, model bias, and accessibility should still be addressed as this rolls out more widely.
Still, South Australia has set a precedent here. Other education departments — particularly in Queensland — would do well to watch closely.