The recentÌý91¶¶ÒõÌýstate of tech in Australian education 2026 reportÌýshowsÌý26% of schools spent between $100k and $250k on digital tools and software in FY25. ThisÌýis a significantÌýinvestmentÌýand one that is increasing every year.ÌýÌý

The report also found that schools onÌýaverageÌýare usingÌý6-7 differentÌýdigitalÌýtoolsÌýacross classrooms and operations. But theÌýresults of thisÌýembrace ofÌýedtech (educational technology)Ìýare mixed.ÌýÌý

Australian schoolsÌýare not noticing a significant improvement to the areas that matter most – student outcomes and staff efficiency.ÌýWhich begs the question: what can school leaders doÌýtoÌýget more bang forÌýtheirÌýbuck?Ìý

While there is no magic one-size-fits-all formulaÌýfor calculating the return-on-investment (ROI) of all the technology you’re usingÌý(wouldn’t that be nice?!),Ìýthere are some questions we recommend asking yourself to help assess and evaluate the tools you have and any new ones you are considering adding.Ìý

How to maximise ROI on edtech in your schoolÌý

1. Focus on the biggest challenges firstÌý

What is the number one complaint you hear from your staff?ÌýIt could be the chaos of the timetable, the mountain of paperwork involved in Individual Learning Plans (ILPs) or theÌýcollections of data held all over the place and not in one central system.ÌýÌý

Whatever it is, tackle that first.ÌýÌý

When staff see the tangible improvements starting to flow,Ìýit’llÌýbe easier to gain their buy-in as youÌýcontinue onÌýyour digital transformation journeyÌýacross the other solutions and platforms you provide.Ìý

2. Maximise your potentialÌý

It'sÌýnotÌýnecessarilyÌýabout addingÌýmore individualsÌýtools, butÌýusing the ones you have to their full potential.ÌýÌý

• Do you haveÌýprocesses or workflows thatÌýhaven’tÌýbeen migrated across? Are some tools only being used for certain year levels?ÌýThis partial integration createsÌýswitching fatigueÌýfor your staff.ÌýÌý
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• Have tools been put in place andÌýthenÌýleft to stagnate?ÌýIt might beÌýtime for an audit to reset howÌýthey areÌýbeing used.ÌýFor example,Ìýperhaps youÌýneed toÌýconductÌýaÌýreview of the schoolÌýtimetable.ÌýÌý
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• Have you been using the same toolÌýor piece of edtechÌýfor a longÌýtime,Ìýbut your school hasÌýchanged,Ìýand it is no longer fit for purpose.ÌýSchoolsÌýaren’tÌýstaticÌýand your needs may have changed. YourÌýsoftware should be dynamicÌýenough to keep up.Ìý

3. Make timeÌýfor trainingÌý

AreÌýall ofÌýyour staff up to speed and confident in the suite of software of edtech in place?ÌýWe all know that school staff are extremely time poor.ÌýUnfortunately, this can mean that the adoption of new digital tools is slow.ÌýÌý

In fact, ourÌýState of tech in Australian education 2026 reportÌýfound that 78% of schools rated training and supportÌýasÌýone of their biggest concerns about increasing their use of digital tools.ÌýÌý

IfÌýthe process of onboardingÌýnewÌýschoolÌýsoftware or technologyÌýseems too timeÌýconsuming,Ìýit’sÌýeasyÌýto de-prioritiseÌýtraining on the to-do list. But this is short sighted.ÌýOnceÌýthey’reÌýup and running, the tools you implement will saveÌýhours ofÌýtime. Stay focused on theÌýlong-termÌýbenefits of getting staff trained upÌýas soon as possible.Ìý

This will also contribute to greater staff wellbeingÌýin the long run. Reducing the burden of admin tasks by rolling out digital toolsÌýwill help them feel less overworked and burnt out.ÌýÌý

It’sÌýalso helpful to lead by example. A report on edtech fromÌýÌý(AITSL) showed that when schoolÌýleadersÌýmodel effective use of digital tools, staff adopt a more positive attitude towards edtech overall.Ìý

4. Crunch the numbersÌý

School budgets are stretched already which means that every dollar spent needs to deliver clear and impactful results.ÌýThis goes forÌýbothÌýsoftware and salaries.ÌýÌý

Are your staff using their time andÌýexpertiseÌýon the right things?ÌýIs there salariedÌýtimeÌýthat couldÌýbe better spent on delivering teaching outcomes instead ofÌýeaten up by admin,ÌýpaperworkÌýand school management?ÌýÌý

ToÌýdetermineÌýyour edtech ROI, you need to trackÌýand periodically reviewÌýkey measures such as student learning outcomes,Ìýattendance, staffÌýsatisfactionÌýand budgetary savings.Ìý

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The bottom lineÌý

TheÌý91¶¶ÒõÌýstate of tech in Australian education 2026 reportÌýhighlights the need for a more strategic approach toÌýedtechÌýin Australian schools.ÌýÌý

By asking the right questions, tackling the biggest challenges head-on and making the most of your existing toolsÌýand school software, youÌýcan start to seeÌýreal results. Remember to prioritise staff training and stay focused on the long-term benefits of your digital investments.ÌýÌý

With the right approach, Australian schools can harness the power of technology to drive real change and deliver better outcomes for students,ÌýteachersÌýand staff alike.Ìý

ForÌýmore insights into how Australian schools are managing the challenge of integrating digital tools into their processes and budgets,Ìýdownload theÌý91¶¶ÒõÌýstate of tech in Australian education 2026 report.Ìý