What the sources say — and what they don’t

• Guidance

  ASD — Planning for post-quantum cryptography

  Says: Recommends planning by end 2026, starting transition by end 2028 and completing by end 2030.

  Limits: Guidance milestones for organisations within scope; not a blanket school law and not a prediction of a quantum breakthrough.

• Guidance

  ASD — Quantum technology primer: computing

  Says: Describes a future conditional threat to certain public-key methods; states no cryptographically relevant quantum computer currently exists (2026 guidance).

  Limits: Time-sensitive; recheck before reuse.

• Standards

  NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography project

  Says: First principal standards (2024): ML-KEM for key establishment; ML-DSA and SLH-DSA for digital signatures. PQC runs on conventional computers.

  Limits: Not every selected algorithm is final; standardisation is not proof any service has migrated.

• Strategy

  National Quantum Strategy

  Says: Strategic national context including skills and education.

  Limits: Context only; does not make QSFS compulsory or a certification.

• Policy scope

  PSPF — applying the framework

  Says: Defines which entities the PSPF applies to.

  Limits: Scope matters: do not apply automatically to every school.

• Policy

  PSPF 2026 release

  Says: 2026 requirements for in-scope Commonwealth entities.

  Limits: Not automatically applicable to schools.

• Policy (Vic government schools)

  Department — Technologies and ICT services policy

  Says: Technology policy for Victorian government schools, including use of Department technologies where available.

  Limits: Applies in its scope; not automatically to independent or Catholic schools.

• Policy (Vic government schools)

  Department — Software and administration systems (Arc/ST4S)

  Says: Software review route including ST4S; existing software-review milestones include end 2028.

  Limits: ST4S assessment is a security/privacy assessment, not educational endorsement.

• Policy (Vic government schools)

  Department — Generative AI policy

  Says: Requires accessible/inclusive implementation, privacy safeguards, restricts personal-information uploads and recommends considering de-implementation.

  Limits: Consult the full policy for any proposed use; recheck before delivery; other sectors differ.

• Policy

  Department — FISO 2.0

  Says: Centres learning and wellbeing in school improvement.

  Limits: Policy alignment, not proof of QSFS effectiveness.

• Research approval

  Department — Conduct research (RISEC)

  Says: Approval requirements for research in Victorian government schools; research for commercial or material gain will not be approved.

  Limits: Anonymous responses or principal permission alone do not establish exemption; QSFS does not promise approval.

• Research

  AERO/MCRI — School readiness for change (2024)

  Says: Community understanding, leadership, resources, training and continuing support shape readiness.

  Limits: Early-primary context; transfer to QSFS is a design choice.

• Research

  AITSL — Teacher wellbeing and career intentions

  Says: Links teacher wellbeing with work demands and career intentions.

  Limits: Does not show a QSFS workshop improves wellbeing.

• Framework

  eSafety Best Practice Framework

  Says: Children’s rights, participation and whole-school support.

  Limits: Framework guidance, not QSFS evaluation.

• Policy

  Making SPACE for Learning

  Says: Relational safety and predictable learning environments.

  Limits: QSFS does not offer trauma treatment or identify students as traumatised.

• Research

  Bastani et al., PNAS 2025

  Says: RCT, ~1,000 Türkiye high-school maths students: GPT-4 interface improved assisted practice; unaided exam performance worse than control; safeguards largely mitigated harm.

  Limits: Context-specific; not proof that all AI harms learning.

• Research

  AI tutor RCT, Scientific Reports 2025

  Says: A deliberately designed AI tutor outperformed the studied in-class condition in a Harvard physics course.

  Limits: University participants, selected content, short-term measures.

• Guidance

  UNESCO — Guidance for generative AI in education

  Says: Human agency, inclusion, diversity and privacy as design priorities.

  Limits: Guidance, not trial evidence.

• Framework

  Australian Framework for Generative AI in Schools

  Says: Covers teaching and learning, wellbeing, transparency, fairness, accountability, privacy/security. 2024 review endorsed June 2025.

  Limits: Not approval of any product; use alongside sector requirements.

• Teaching research

  De La Cruz et al. 2026, EPJ Quantum Technology

  Says: 209 self-selected US grades 10–12 students in six 25-hour summer programs showed pre/post gains.

  Limits: No comparison group or retention evidence; not QSFS validation.

• Teaching research

  Einstein-First 2023

  Says: Six Australian schools, 315 students Years 3–10: feasibility of broader modern-science teaching.

  Limits: Not evidence of quantum-algorithm mastery.

• Teaching research

  Ghimire et al. 2025, EPJ Quantum Technology

  Says: Teacher perceptions of quantum education.

  Limits: Self-selected teachers; not a representative student trial.

• Teaching research

  Holincheck et al. 2024, Education Sciences

  Says: Qualitative study of 49 teachers: enthusiasm and barriers.

  Limits: Qualitative, small sample.

External research or evaluation in Victorian government schools may need Department (RISEC) approval plus applicable ethics and sector approval before any collection. Research for commercial or material gain will not be approved under RISEC. QSFS does not promise approval.