About one in three teachers across OECD education systems use AI in their work, according to OECD’s TALIS 2024. In the UAE and Singapore the figure is about 75%. Among British international schools surveyed by COBIS, 60% had trained staff on AI. No survey yet measures AI use across international schools worldwide.
How many teachers use AI?
It varies widely by country. The OECD’s Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2024 is the largest international source (OECD, October 2025):
| TALIS 2024 finding (lower secondary teachers) | Figure |
|---|---|
| Teachers who have used AI in their work, OECD average | ”Around one in three” |
| Singapore and the United Arab Emirates | ”Around 75%“ |
| France and Japan | ”Fewer than 20%“ |
| Teachers using AI “to learn about or summarise a topic” | 68% |
| Teachers using AI “to generate lesson plans or activities” | 64% |
| Teachers using AI to review data on student participation or performance | 25%, the least frequent use |
| Teachers who “lack the knowledge or skills to teach using AI" | "Three in four”, on average |
The UAE figure is the most relevant for Gulf international schools, though TALIS samples the UAE’s school system as a whole, not international schools specifically.
What do British international schools report?
The closest international-school evidence is the COBIS Annual Research Survey 2025, run with Renaissance and GL Education for the 2024/25 year:
| COBIS survey 2025 | Figure |
|---|---|
| Schools that offered staff training on AI | 60% (47% the year before) |
| Respondents teaching students to use AI “responsibly and appropriately” | 59% (up from 53%) |
| Schools saying AI decreased teacher workload | 60% |
| Schools reporting more suspected plagiarism or academic dishonesty | 57% |
| Schools stating an increased need for explicit AI literacy education | 52% |
COBIS does not state the number of responding schools on the page, so treat the figures as indicative of COBIS members, not all international schools.
What do UK and US surveys show?
National surveys give the most detailed picture of classroom use:
| Survey | Finding |
|---|---|
| DfE Technology in schools 2024–25 (England) | 44% of teachers used generative AI for school activities: 35% for lesson planning, 7% for live lessons, 5% for marking |
| Pearson School Report 2025 (UK) | 23% of teachers not confident using AI; 9% confident teaching it; 44% of secondary teachers think students are not equipped for AI’s impact |
| RAND (US), 2025 | 54% of students and 53% of English, maths and science teachers used AI for school |
| RAND (US), 2025 | 45% of principals reported school or district AI policies or guidance |
Sources: DfE (November 2025), Pearson (4 December 2025), RAND (30 September 2025).
RAND describes use as growing fast: its 2025 figures were “increases of more than 15 percentage points” on earlier surveys. RAND also found that “over 80 percent of students reported that teachers did not explicitly teach them how to use AI for schoolwork”.
How many schools have AI policies?
More than in 2023, but many still don’t. In 2023, a UNESCO survey of “over 450 schools and universities found that fewer than 10% have developed institutional policies and/or formal guidance” on generative AI (UNESCO, June 2023). By 2025, RAND found 45% of US principals reporting policies or guidance. Among COBIS schools, 52% saw an increased need for AI literacy education. For a starting point, see the AI policy template for international schools.
How big is the international school sector?
ISC Research counts 15,075 international schools worldwide in 2026, enrolling 7.7 million students and employing 730,000 staff (ICEF Monitor, reporting ISC Research). That is the population any global figure on international schools’ AI use would need to cover. No such survey yet exists.
What does the data not tell us?
Three gaps limit what leaders can conclude:
- No global international-school census. COBIS covers its members; TALIS and national surveys cover mostly state systems.
- Use is not impact. The surveys measure whether teachers use AI, not whether students learn more.
- Definitions differ. Some surveys ask about generative AI, others about any AI, over different periods.
When quoting a figure, name the survey, year and population. “One in three teachers use AI” is only accurate with “on average across OECD education systems, TALIS 2024” attached.
What should school leaders take from the numbers?
Our reading:
- Training lags use. Three in four TALIS teachers lack skills to teach with AI, and 9% of UK teachers feel confident teaching it. Training is the gap to close first.
- Integrity is the main risk reported. 57% of COBIS schools saw more suspected plagiarism. Assessment design and clear rules matter. See Cambridge and Pearson AI coursework rules.
- Workload is the main benefit reported. 60% of COBIS schools said AI decreased teacher workload.
How schools do this with AI Buddy
AI Buddy is a school-licensed platform for Cambridge and Pearson Edexcel practice, with instant marking and teacher dashboards. Unlike free general tools, it is designed around exam-board questions and teacher oversight. Schools using AI Buddy report time savings on marking. As with any AI tool, schools should measure impact in their own context, not rely on survey averages.
Frequently asked questions
What percentage of teachers use AI?
Around one in three lower-secondary teachers across OECD education systems, according to TALIS 2024. It is about 75% in Singapore and the UAE, and 44% of teachers in England in the DfE’s 2024–25 survey.
How many international schools use AI?
No global survey measures this. Among British international schools in COBIS’s 2025 survey, 60% had offered staff AI training and 59% teach students to use AI responsibly.
Do most schools have an AI policy?
In 2023, UNESCO found fewer than 10% of over 450 schools and universities had formal guidance. In 2025, 45% of US principals reported policies or guidance, according to RAND.
What do teachers use AI for most?
Learning about or summarising a topic (68%) and generating lesson plans or activities (64%), according to TALIS 2024.
Discover how AI Buddy helps schools strengthen teaching, learning and evidence-informed school improvement. Or start a short consultation with our schools team using the form below — we will get back to you directly.
Sources
- OECD, Results from TALIS 2024: Teaching for today’s world (October 2025)
- COBIS, Annual Research Survey 2025
- Department for Education, Technology in schools survey 2024 to 2025 (November 2025)
- Pearson, Pearson School Report 2025: UK educators voice concerns over AI readiness (4 December 2025)
- RAND, AI use in schools is quickly increasing but guidance lags behind, RRA4180-1 (30 September 2025)
- UNESCO, Less than 10% of schools and universities have formal guidance on AI (June 2023); ICEF Monitor, Continuing expansion of K-12 international school sector (February 2026)