BCE launches Microsoft’s GenerativeAI tool for students to empower future-ready learners

This initiative builds on BCE’s strong partnership with Microsoft and reflects a shared commitment to ethical, inclusive, and innovative education.

Copilot is an AI-powered tool designed to help students aged 13 years and over safely explore ideas, ask questions, and receive real-time support for their learning. 

Following successful trials in two BCE schools in 2025, Copilot is available at no extra cost to all students attending BCE secondary schools that opt-in and have completed all mandatory readiness activities.

BCE Education and Digital Excellence Executive Leigh Williams said, Copilot was not just about technology, it was about empowering students to become confident, creative and independent learners. 

“Our teachers have seen students move from passive participation to active ownership of their learning, using Copilot to brainstorm, revise, and manage their time more effectively,” she said. 

“It’s about a student’s learning, and that's the heart of our work. 

“It's also utilising technology to enhance teaching and learning in a way that they've never had the capability or capacity to do before. Given the chance, students will use AI ethically and meaningfully.  “The main goal is to guide students rather than limit them, demonstrating what positive and appropriate use looks like. This involves showing how AI can support learning without encouraging cognitive offloading, ultimately helping students achieve greater success.”

Microsoft Elevate Asia Senior Sales Manager Ryan McIvor said AI will be part of every job our young people step into in the future.

“The most important work we can do now is help students build the confidence, judgement, and responsible habits to use it well,” he said. 

“By giving students a safe, guided way to learn with Copilot, Brisbane Catholic Education is not just adopting new technology, they’re future‑proofing the next generation of change makers with the skills to think critically, create boldly, and lead with integrity.”

Trinity College Beenleigh Principal Allison Elcoate said during their pilot of Copilot, students used the tool to brainstorm, iterate, and build confidence. 

This resulted in a 275% increase in learner agency for at-risk cohorts, according to data from University of Melbourne’s New Metrics for Success project. 

“Before Copilot, students were often passive participants in their education,” Allison said. 

“Now, they’re using AI to unpack achievement standards, generate project ideas, and assess their own progress.

“They’re becoming learners, not just receivers of knowledge. That’s the shift we’ve been trying to make for years, and Copilot has accelerated it.” 

Earlier in 2025, BCE became the first K–12 education system globally to partner with Microsoft and the Vatican as ambassadors for the Rome Call for AI Ethics, ensuring that the use of AI in schools is guided by principles of fairness, accountability, and respect for human dignity. 

BCE’s approach aligns with the Rome Call for AI Ethics and the Australian Framework for Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Schools, prioritising student privacy, data protection, and wellbeing.

The introduction of Copilot for students follows BCE’s system-wide and global-first rollout of Microsoft 365 Copilot for educators and staff, across its 146 schools, which has already delivered significant reductions in administrative workload and enabled teachers to focus more on student engagement and wellbeing. 

For students, Copilot offers: 

• personalised, judgment-free feedback and guidance

• support for independent and inclusive learning

• opportunities to build digital literacy and responsible AI skills

• enhanced creativity, confidence, and future-readiness

• safe, responsible, and equitable access. 

Leigh said BCE had rigorously assessed Copilot for safety and privacy. 

“The tool is designed with strong protections, including strict rules to avoid harmful or sensitive topics and monitoring to ensure responsible use,” she said. 

“Only students aged 13 or older are eligible, with both students and teachers receiving training to support effective and ethical use in the classroom.

“AI is transforming education, and our partnership with Microsoft ensures that BCE students are equipped with the skills and values they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world. 

“We are committed to providing equitable access to innovative learning tools and to lead the way in ethical, future-focused education.”

Microsoft Elevate National AI Skills Director Tim Allen said the future economy was about equitable access. 

“We can’t talk about the future economy without talking about equitable access to the skills that will shape it,” he said. 

“By embedding responsible AI literacy into education at scale, Brisbane Catholic Education is helping ensure more young people, regardless of background, can participate, contribute, and thrive in a rapidly changing world. 

“That’s how we build an inclusive economy: by expanding opportunity early, and doing it safely and ethically.”