Australian schools plan broader edtech use as AI interest grows

More than half of Australian school respondents intend to increase their use of education technology over the next 12 months, according to a Campion Education research report described in a secondary account published by The Educator on 28 September 2026.

The Educator reported that Campion Education’s EdTech Adoption in Australian Schools 2026 Research Report involved 126 survey respondents and in-depth interviews with five school leaders. The primary Campion report page supplied for this story identifies the report but does not provide the same detailed findings in the available text.

According to The Educator, 56 per cent of respondents said they intended to scale up edtech use, while 60 per cent said they were extremely interested in education-specific generative AI. The account said school platforms and content systems were the most consistently used category across the teaching journey, ranging from 57 per cent in lesson preparation to 85 per cent in student wellbeing.

The report also said general-purpose generative AI is already being used by 45 per cent of respondents for planning and 55 per cent for lesson preparation. Teaching and learning tools were reported as most prominent in student practice and application, at 50 per cent, and classroom teaching, at 46 per cent.

The findings come amid a broader shift towards purpose-built AI tools in Australian education. In a primary ministerial release published on 23 September 2025, the NSW Government said it would roll out NSWEduChat, a purpose-built generative AI app, to all public school students from Years 5 to 12 from the start of Term 4, following a trial in 50 schools.

The NSW Government said the tool was curriculum-aligned, filtered content and kept student data secure. It said NSWEduChat was designed not to reveal full answers, instead using guided questions to encourage critical thinking. The government listed common student uses in the trial as feedback on writing, brainstorming support, planning for assessments and exams, learning consolidation and structuring written responses.

At the same time, national assessment data points to challenges in digital capability. In a primary update dated 27 May 2026, the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority said its National Assessment Program ICT Literacy 2025 Public Report found Australian students were enthusiastic users of generative AI and other digital tools, but that ICT literacy results had declined since 2022.

ACARA said 50 per cent of Year 6 students attained the proficient standard, down from 55 per cent in 2022. It said 37 per cent of Year 10 students attained the proficient standard, the lowest percentage since the assessment began in 2005.

The Educator reported that Campion’s survey found 84 per cent of respondent schools had academic integrity policies, 83 per cent had data privacy policies and 61 per cent had formal policies governing student use of generative AI.