Europe’s schools now have an AI literacy framework with 19 competences, presented by the European Commission and the OECD in Brussels on 18 June 2026, plus updated ethical guidelines for teachers. With an EU Education Package due in November and the PISA 2029 test on media and AI literacy approaching, school leaders face a practical question: who teaches this, and when?
Key facts
- The AILit framework, built by the European Commission and the OECD with Code.org, sets out 4 domains and 19 competences for primary and secondary learners.
- More than 1,200 people joined over 50 consultations on the draft, and 800+ respondents from 97 countries answered the online survey.
- The Commission’s 2026 Guidelines on the ethical use of AI and data in teaching and learning replace the 2022 version and target teachers and school leaders.
- OECD’s PISA 2029 will include an assessment of Media and Artificial Intelligence Literacy (MAIL).
What does the AI literacy framework ask pupils to do?
The framework organises AI literacy around four ways learners deal with the technology: engaging with AI, creating with it, managing it and shaping it. Each of the 19 competences mixes knowledge, skills and attitudes. The Commission describes the result as “a common reference for integrating AI literacy in education,” and the text comes with learner expectations, learning scenarios and classroom examples.
That last part matters most for teachers. A list of competences is easy to file away. A worked scenario for a lesson on biased image generators is harder to ignore.
The consultation also shaped the tone. Feedback summarised by the AILit team asked for more on metacognition, student agency, healthy scepticism and the environmental cost of AI. In the survey, 84% said the framework addresses a real need and 81% said they were likely to adopt it.
How it compares with UNESCO’s frameworks
UNESCO published two AI competency frameworks during Digital Learning Week 2024, one for students and one for teachers. Both start from a human-centred mindset and the ethics of AI. The European text is more classroom-ready, while UNESCO’s teacher framework adds “AI pedagogy” and “AI for professional development,” which is useful for anyone designing staff training.
| Document | Publisher | Audience | Structure |
|---|---|---|---|
| AILit framework (June 2026) | European Commission and OECD | Primary and secondary learners | 4 domains, 19 competences |
| Ethical guidelines (2026 update) | European Commission, DG EAC | Teachers and school leaders | Principles and legal context; guiding questions and scenarios; background resources |
| AI competency framework for students (2024) | UNESCO | Students | 4 core competencies |
| AI competency framework for teachers (2024) | UNESCO | Teachers | 5 competency areas |
The rules for teachers, not just pupils
The updated ethical guidelines, listed by Cedefop at the end of March 2026, were drafted by a working group of the European Digital Education Hub. They align with the EU AI Act and the GDPR and are split into three parts. The middle section, with guiding questions and classroom scenarios, is the one to print. It gives a staff meeting a script to use before any new tool is switched on.
The Commission’s next step is broader. A call for evidence, opened on 19 August 2026 and summarised by Eurydice, says the Education Package will cover basic skills, the teaching workforce and digital education infrastructure with an emphasis on human control. It is due in November.
A view from South Africa
Outside Europe, ministers are drawing similar lines. South Africa’s Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube told a teaching regulators’ conference in Boksburg in June 2026 that “there’s no artificial intelligence that can ever replace an ethical, qualified educator in a classroom.” In a May opinion piece she argued for teacher-facing uses first, on the principle that AI may draft but teachers decide.
What this means for schools and teacher trainers
- Map before you add. Compare the 19 AILit competences with your current digital competence or computing curriculum. Many schools already cover parts of “engaging with AI” under media education.
- Train the adults first. UNESCO’s teacher framework is a ready syllabus for an in-service course. Pair it with the EU scenarios.
- Write a one-page rule. Gwarube’s formula works as a starting policy: AI can draft feedback, plans or reports; a named teacher approves anything that affects a pupil.
- Plan for 2029. Students sitting PISA in 2029 are in lower secondary today. Their assessment will look at media and AI literacy together.
Related reading on 3LNews: Generative AI Is Changing How People Learn, Whether Schools Are Ready or Not and When Students Lean on AI, Professors See Thinking Skills Slip.
FAQ
Is the AILit framework mandatory for EU schools?
No. Education remains a national competence, so the framework is a common reference that ministries and schools can adopt or adapt.
Where can teachers find classroom examples?
The AILit framework includes learning scenarios, and the Commission’s 2026 ethical guidelines contain guiding questions and classroom scenarios.
What is PISA MAIL?
It is the OECD’s Media and Artificial Intelligence Literacy assessment, planned as part of PISA 2029.
Sources: European Commission, AI Literacy Framework news; AILit: global consultation; Cedefop: 2026 ethical guidelines; BABL AI; Eurydice: Education Package call for evidence; UNESCO NZ: AI competency frameworks; Let’s Data Science / SABC.
