Google’s announcement highlights access to practical digital and AI skills training. Image: Google. Google and the International Telecommunication Union have announced 100,000 certificate scholarships to support digital and AI skills training across more than 80 countries. The initiative was outlined in a joint announcement on 22 September 2026. The scholarships will be delivered through the ITU’s AI Skills Coalition and complement its catalogue of more than 200 courses. The initiative also supports Giga, the ITU–UNICEF programme helping governments connect schools to the internet. Local leaders and national ministries will be able to tailor training to their priorities. Intended participants include teachers, students, job seekers, entrepreneurs and public-sector workers, with an emphasis on practical skills and recognised certificates. The announcement describes delivery through participating countries and partners; it does not set out a universal application route or confirm eligibility for every school or educator. Read Google and ITU’s announcement

International Baccalaureate (IB). Logo: International Baccalaureate Organization. The International Baccalaureate has refined its AI Design Principles following feedback from more than 1,500 educators across 119 countries. Its 22 September update outlines changes to the principles and work on practical support for schools. The revisions place greater emphasis on protecting learners and sharing responsibility across the IB community, including the organisations developing AI tools. The updated principles are moving into final review and will continue to evolve. Policy and governance emerged as the community’s highest priority. The IB is testing draft toolkit resources and developing support for professional learning and school AI councils involving educators and students. The update also highlights concerns about AI replacing human relationships, effort and judgement. The toolkit remains in development, rather than being a completed set of resources available for schools to adopt. Read the IB’s update and revised principles

Bill Gates at the European Commission in June 2025. Photo: Bogdan Hoyaux / European Union, via Wikimedia Commons. Bill Gates has called for governments to play a greater role in regulating artificial intelligence, arguing that self-regulation by technology companies is not enough. Speaking to NBC News’ Meet the Press, Gates said lawmakers and law enforcement need to be involved in deciding what AI safeguards and monitoring should look like. He also warned about the potential for increasingly powerful AI systems to be misused by people intending large-scale harm. Why this matters for schools The debate is taking place at government and industry level, but the underlying questions are increasingly familiar to schools. As AI tools become part of teaching, learning and administration, schools need clear expectations around approved tools, privacy, safeguarding, human oversight and what happens when systems behave unexpectedly. Gates’ position is not an argument against using AI. Earlier this month, the Gates Foundation announced a US$1 billion commitment to expand access to AI, with about 40% directed towards education, including AI tutoring and tools for teachers. The broader message is that adoption and governance need to develop together. The comments add to a wider international discussion about who should set the rules for increasingly capable AI systems, and how quickly safeguards can keep pace with development. Source: NBC News, 25 September 2026. Additional context: Gates Foundation, September 2026.

Liam Benjamin, Teach Me Quickly One More Time. Image: EdEvents. Liam Benjamin, Founder and Director of Creativity at Teach Me Quickly One More Time, has joined the presenter line-up for the International Schools EdTech Summit. He will present at German European School Singapore (GESS) on Friday, 6 November 2026. His workshop, “Strangle of the Screens”, will explore how teachers and school leaders can engage parents in constructive conversations about children's use of technology. The session focuses on building shared understanding of the pressures devices place on children, supporting more intentional habits at home and using conversations grounded in shared values to strengthen school–family partnerships. Practical communication and healthier approaches to technology sit at the centre of the discussion. Held in Singapore following EDUtech Asia, the International Schools EdTech Summit brings school and technology leaders together around the themes of Leadership, Strategy and Impact. The one-day event combines strategic workshops, presentations and discussion, with keynote presenter Tim Evans and opportunities to connect with colleagues from across the international schools community. Join the Summit at GESS on 6 November. Get tickets via Humanitix.

Kate O'Connell, Kate O'Connell Consultancy. Image: EdEvents. Kate O'Connell, PCC Coach, Facilitator and Consultant at Kate O'Connell Consultancy, has joined the presenter line-up for the International Schools EdTech Summit. She will lead a workshop at German European School Singapore (GESS) on Friday, 6 November 2026. Her session, “From Vision to Impact”, introduces a human-centred leadership framework connecting leadership development, coaching and design thinking. Participants will reflect on their own leadership practice, explore how coaching conversations can support colleagues' agency and growth, and apply design thinking to a current challenge in their school. Each part of the workshop is designed to lead to a concrete next step towards lasting school improvement. Held in Singapore following EDUtech Asia, the International Schools EdTech Summit brings school and technology leaders together around the themes of Leadership, Strategy and Impact. The one-day event combines strategic workshops, presentations and discussion, with keynote presenter Tim Evans and opportunities to connect with colleagues from across the international schools community. Join the Summit at GESS on 6 November. Get tickets via Humanitix.

Thailand’s international-school sector has welcomed several new British-linked schools for the 2026–27 academic year, including Highgate International School Thailand, Wycombe Abbey International School Bangkok and SPGS International School Bangkok. Highgate has opened its first international campus in Chonburi, initially serving Pre-Prep and Junior School pupils before its Senior School opens next year. Wycombe Abbey International School Bangkok has also welcomed its founding pupils, offering a British curriculum pathway towards IGCSEs and A Levels. SPGS International School Bangkok, established in partnership with Country Group Development and connected with St Paul’s Girls’ School in London, is beginning with students from Nursery to Year 6. Its Senior School is planned to begin opening from 2027. Read the announcements from Highgate, Wycombe Abbey and SPGS International School Bangkok →

Sethi De Clercq, Rugby School Thailand. Image: EdEvents. Sethi De Clercq, Head of Key Stage 1 and Pre-Prep Computing Lead at Rugby School Thailand, has joined the presenter line-up for the International Schools EdTech Summit. The event takes place on Friday, 6 November 2026 at German European School Singapore (GESS). His workshop, “Teaching the Thinking: Making EdTech Decisions That Improve Learning”, will explore how schools can make technology decisions that strengthen student thinking. Participants will consider practical ways to audit their current technology use, reduce digital distractions and assess tools against their educational value. The session aims to give educators clear criteria for simplifying their collection of tools and keeping learning at the centre of adoption decisions. Held in Singapore following EDUtech Asia, the International Schools EdTech Summit brings school and technology leaders together around the themes of Leadership, Strategy and Impact. The one-day event combines strategic workshops, presentations and discussion, with keynote presenter Tim Evans and opportunities to connect with colleagues from across the international schools community. Join the Summit at GESS on 6 November. Get tickets via Humanitix.

Shrewsbury International School Phnom Penh has officially opened its new purpose-built Sen Sok campus, with students from Early Years through Secondary beginning classes on 3 September. The 7.2-hectare campus brings academic, sporting, arts and co-curricular facilities together on one site. Shrewsbury describes it as the largest international school campus in Phnom Penh. The Cambodia school joins Shrewsbury’s wider international network, which includes campuses in Hong Kong, India and Thailand. Read the Shrewsbury School announcement

Canva World Tour 2026 includes a new free AI Essentials certification. Image: Canva. Canva has launched a new AI Essentials certification as part of its 2026 Canva World Tour and Design School programme. The free beginner-level course takes around an hour and includes six lessons covering areas such as using prompts to create designs, images and copy, refining work with AI, brainstorming and building interactive content without coding. The certification can be completed online through Canva Design School and is available as part of Canva World Tour 2026, which runs from 14 September to 30 November. Read Canva’s announcement

Warren Emanuel, Director of University and College Counseling at American Embassy School, New Delhi, will speak at the International Schools EdTech Summit on Friday, 6 November 2026 at the German European School Singapore. Warren Emanuel will co-present “Designing Schools Where AI Amplifies Human Potential” with Samuel Lee Vierra and Ryan McKinnie. Join us in Singapore on 6 November. Get tickets.

Apple’s updated Screen Time and child safety controls. Image: Apple. Apple has released a new range of child safety and parental control features as part of updates to iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and macOS 27. The changes include Ask to Browse, which allows parents to approve new websites before children access them in Safari, expanded Communication Safety protections for violent and explicit imagery, and new Time Allowances for categories including social media, games and entertainment. Screen Time has also been redesigned to give parents a clearer overview of device use. Apple says some features may vary by region, language and device, and Family Sharing devices need to be running the latest operating systems to use the updated Screen Time features. Read Apple’s announcement

PISA 2025 recorded further declines in reading and mathematics across OECD countries. Illustration: EdEvents News. Student performance in reading and mathematics has continued to decline across OECD countries, according to the results of PISA 2025. The assessment involved 760,000 15-year-old students across 91 countries and economies. Between 2015 and 2025, average reading scores across OECD countries fell by 28 points, while mathematics scores fell by 22 points. One in five students across OECD countries was classified as a low performer in science, mathematics and reading, compared with 16 per cent in 2022. Socio-economic background also remained a strong predictor of performance. Most participating Chinese jurisdictions, together with Estonia, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Chinese Taipei and the United Kingdom, ranked among the ten highest-performing education systems in science, mathematics and reading. Read the OECD PISA 2025 release