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Looking Ahead to 2026: What Educational Suppliers Might Need to Rethink
Published
Tuesday, 13 January
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ITN
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As we head into 2026, much of the conversation across education suppliers feels familiar: AI, digital delivery, global uncertainty, and the pressure to do more with less. But beneath those headline themes, there are quieter shifts happening in how educational content is being commissioned, used and valued — and those are worth paying attention to.
One of the most consistent challenges we see sits at the content development stage. Well-intentioned clients often arrive with highly specific requirements, aiming to embed as many learning objectives as possible into a short piece of content. The result can be technically impressive, but cognitively overwhelming. In trying to cover everything, the core impact risks being lost.
What experience has shown us — and what teachers consistently reinforce — is that engagement must come first. A short, well-told story can unlock far more learning than a densely packed explainer. Teachers are not passive recipients of content; they are skilled professionals who know how to expand, scaffold and challenge once students are curious. As educational video producers, our role is often to open the door, not deliver the entire lesson.
A US high-school teacher who is very familiar with the challenges (and much of our work!), Kim Pepper in Massachusetts, put it simply: when students see real people, real places and real stories, something shifts. A two- or three-minute film can spark questions, debate and language use in ways that even the most carefully structured worksheet cannot. For many learners — especially those less confident academically — video offers permission to engage, respond and share their own stories. That dynamic is hard to manufacture through instruction alone.
This matters more than ever given how saturated students already are with video. Learners are not short of content; they are short of meaningful, high-quality experiences. Educational suppliers therefore face a harder task than simply “adding video” — quality, pacing and authenticity now matter enormously.
Trust is another area becoming more visible in procurement conversations. Across the wider ITN business, colleagues are increasingly engaged in discussions about safeguarding journalism in the face of misinformation and unchecked generative AI. At the Council of Europe conference, ITN’s Head of Legal and Compliance, John Battle, spoke about the importance of distinguishing professional journalism — governed by editorial standards and accountability — from unregulated content creation. That distinction is highly relevant to education. As AI-generated media becomes easier to produce, the value of transparent processes, editorial oversight and ethical use only increases.
AI itself is a good example of where reality is more nuanced than headlines suggest. For example, while synthetic voiceovers promise efficiency, in practice they rarely save time in language learning. Accents, pronunciation, rhythm and cultural nuance are difficult to replicate convincingly, and still rely heavily on experienced producers and editors. Where AI is proving genuinely interesting is in translation and lip-sync tools, which open up new possibilities for localisation and improved return on initial production investment. What’s notable, though, is how cautious many organisations remain — experimenting quietly, waiting for precedent, and navigating cost, rights and transparency carefully with all stakeholders.
All of this is playing out against a backdrop of political fracture and global uncertainty. In that context, the role of education feels more important than ever. When public discourse is polarised and information ecosystems are fragmented, impartial, factual and real education becomes a stabilising force. Interestingly, this is reflected in how content is now being commissioned. Despite geopolitical division, we are seeing greater demand for flexible world rights and longer licence terms, enabling educational content to travel across borders and be adapted for different cultural contexts. In practice, education remains inherently international — even when politics is not — and suppliers are increasingly expected to design content that can move responsibly, sensitively and at scale.
Looking ahead to BETT 2026, the opportunity for suppliers is not simply to innovate faster, but to design more thoughtfully — trusting teachers, prioritising engagement, and building credibility through clarity and openness. Those who do will be better placed for what comes next.
Dan Mills, Commercial Director, ITN Education
Dan Mills is Commercial Director of ITN Education, with nearly 30 years’ experience across media, education and digital content. He leads global partnerships spanning English Language Teaching, curriculum-aligned learning, news literacy and professional development. Alongside his education work, Dan has extensive experience delivering video-led communication and learning solutions for corporate and public-sector organisations. He has worked with international publishers, broadcasters and brands to produce original live-action, animated and archive-based content used in classrooms and professional settings worldwide, with a particular interest in trusted storytelling and the responsible use of AI.
You can email Dan on dan.mills@itn.co.uk or continue the discussion on Linkedin via linkedin.com/in/danmillsmedia