Utrecht, 10 February 2026 - In the run-up to the IPON trade fair, which will be organised entirely by Jaarbeurs for the first time on Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12 February, the organisation commissioned research among a thousand education professionals. The survey reveals that AI has now penetrated deep into education, but that schools offer little direction on how to use it responsibly.
AI in the classroom: much use, little guidance
The survey shows that more than half of teachers use AI weekly or more often (53%). AI is most often used for creating assignments (57%), summaries (45%) and lesson plans (36%). At the same time, only 10 per cent of schools have a clear AI policy. A quarter of teachers report that their school has no policy at all, while almost as many do not know (19%). As a result, in many cases the teacher decides how AI is used in the classroom.
Audrey Wilschut, cluster manager care & education at Jaarbeurs: "Teachers are already embracing AI en masse, but lack clear frameworks to deploy it responsibly and effectively. This makes the need for knowledge sharing and practical tools greater than ever. During IPON, experts provide direction in that conversation. For instance, speaker Barend Last shows that the role of the teacher is changing precisely because of AI, but certainly not disappearing. This is exactly why we look forward to focusing on innovation and future-proof education with this first IPON edition under full Jaarbeurs."
Need for policy and clear rules
Although AI is widely used, 79 per cent of respondents see risks if there are no clear guidelines. Students' knowledge also leaves much to be desired: only 9 per cent of teachers consider their students' AI proficiency high, while 36 per cent rate it low or very low. Differences are also wide around student use. In 41 per cent of schools, AI is allowed under conditions, while 17 per cent ban it completely and 30 per cent of teachers do not know what the policy is.
IPON 2026: two days full of inspiration and practical insights
During IPON on 11 and 12 February, Jaarbeurs will bring a compact and powerful programme focusing on AI, digital didactics and educational innovation. International speakers will share their vision of the future of learning, while visitors can get to work with AI skills and digital tools themselves in in-depth sessions and hands-on workshops. On the EdTech exhibition floor, suppliers will present the latest solutions and applications that can be used directly in the classroom. As such, IPON offers exactly the practical insights and inspiration education professionals are looking for. Fully in line with the survey results.
About the survey
The survey AI use in schools was conducted in January 2026 among 1,005 education professionals from PO, VO, MBO, HBO and WO.
