NSW schools crack down on digital tools - Here’s what it means for you

If you work in education tech - whether as a content creator, EdTech founder, school supplier or delivery partner - something big just happened. And you might have missed it.

In June 2025, the NSW Department of Education quietly announced the launch of the Online Learning Tools Panel, a new mandatory register that determines which digital tools can be used in NSW public schools. At the same time, NSW public schools were instructed that they can only use tools that have been formally approved through this panel from Term 3 2025.

• This applies to both free and paid tools.
• It applies to students and teachers.
• And it covers platforms that are already inside the system as well as any hoping to sell to schools in the future.

From now on, if your tool isn’t approved and listed, it simply cannot be used in NSW public schools.

Even well-intentioned tools that align with curriculum goals may be caught out - not because they aren’t valuable, but because they don’t meet strict new technical, compliance, and accessibility requirements.

The panel applications closed in July with a vague promise that ‘it will open again in the future’, leaving many high-quality, curriculum-aligned tools effectively locked out of NSW classrooms for an undetermined amount of time.

We hope the Department reconsiders its approach and introduces rolling applications in future, allowing organisations to apply when they are ready, not just with a six-week notice period as done this round. It’s a major policy shift, but also one that has been poorly communicated and unnecessarily restrictive in its implementation and rollout.

So… why is the Department doing this?

Honestly? We think they’re right to raise the bar, despite our comments above. Although there are a few quirks in the specifics, this new approach forces all providers to adopt standard security-by-design principles that are fundamental to modern technology:

• Privacy-first infrastructure - keeping student data safe from bad actors.
• Local data storage - ensuring user data is retained within Australian borders to match government data sovereignty standards.
• Single Sign On for users - to make it easier for teachers to access resources.
• WCAG accessibility standards - because good design should be inclusive.
• And above all, clear curriculum alignment - so that schools know your program is effective and trustworthy

The aim is to protect students, simplifying procurement, and preventing public schools from becoming a testing and dumping ground for unvetted tools, no matter how helpful or well-meaning. Importantly, this move also sets a benchmark other states are likely to follow. So getting ahead now means you won't be scrambling later.

We’ve done the hard work for you.

At MPF, we’ve worked across all these relevant areas - building tools for schools, building tools with compliance as a founding principle, and applying to government panels (along with the associated paperwork!). So we’ve pulled together a clear, plain-English cheat sheet that covers:

• What kinds of tools are in scope (and what’s not)
• What ‘curriculum alignment’ actually means in practice
• What technical standards are required
• What to avoid if you want to stay compliant
• Who can apply, how it works, and what happens if you miss the deadline

Although the current panel submission round is now closed, we DO expect it to open again and if you’re building or delivering a tool for schools, you should know this information ahead of time. We’ll happily send our cheat sheet to you - no strings. Feel free to email lynette@theprojectfactory.com, who is happy to support you every step of the way.

Not compliant? Don’t worry.

We know the bar is high, and we’ve seen how easy it is for great tools to get caught out. We’ve created a fixed-fee ‘Panel Readiness Assessment’ to give founders, publishers, and content owners a clear path to upgrading their platforms for the next panel opening.  We can work alongside as your technical delivery partner, help you meet scheme requirements, and walk you through what’s needed, without overwhelming your team.

The bar is high. But it’s not out of reach. And if you wait, you might be locked out for years.

Let’s get ready now.