Global Scans · Quality Education · Weekly Summary

In September 2015, 193 world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. If these Goals are completed, it would mean an end to extreme poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030.
Goal 4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

• [New] AI in education is growing even faster - from $11.4 billion in 2026 toward $57 billion by 2033 at a 25.9% CAGR. Online Skill Assessment | Online Exam Software | Ekla
• [New] In 2026, more than 70% of higher education organizations in North America are expected to evaluate AI applications for personalized learning, academic analytics, and virtual assistance. Zeta42
• [New] VR-based education is likely to ensure psychological safety: while IMGs in Japan may experience psychological discomfort in unfamiliar Japanese clinical environments, VR-based education has the potential to provide IMGs with a psychologically safe learning environment. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Given that IMGs frequently have limited opportunities to develop H&P skills on patients in Japanese clinical environments, VR-based education, which is repeatable and self-paced, can offer useful clinical opportunities for practice and familiarization. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] India operates at an unparalleled workforce scale, presenting both a challenge and an opportunity to design inclusive, scalable learning frameworks that sustain global competitiveness. ETHRWorld.com
• [New] The importance of developing adaptable skills early is underscored by the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025, which estimates that nearly 40% of core job skills will change by 2030, reinforcing the need for continuous learning, innovation, and workplace readiness. FedEx Newsroom
• [New] The future of an entire generation in Gaza is threatened by the collapse of essential services, disruption of education and loss of livelihoods. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitar
• [New] The net primary school enrolment rate fell to 94.5% in 2025 for the second consecutive year, while the Community Basic Education program - focused on indigenous communities - will face a real reduction of 20% in 2026. BNamericas
• [New] The government of Mexico announced a record investment in school infrastructure for 2026, according to President Claudia Sheinbaum, although the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness warns that the total education budget has still not recovered its historical level. BNamericas
• AI literacy is an increasingly important aspect of MOE's broader EdTech Masterplan 2030, which lays out plans to tap education technology to complement teaching. ST
• All primary, secondary and JC teachers in Singapore must complete three compulsory AI training modules by 2027 to understand AI fundamentals, ethical use, and its impact on learning. ST
• By 2026, online education will not simply be about uploading lectures online - it will be intelligent, immersive, adaptive, and deeply human-centric. TheTuitionE - Online Private Tuition - Dubai
• The growing global population has underscored the connection between demographic trends, climate change and sustainable development, making investment in education, health care and economic opportunities increasingly important, particularly for women and young people. KT
• The NSF NEO-SMART Engine, led by Case Western Reserve University with more than 70 regional partners, will apply AI and machine learning to materials design and manufacturing across polymers, chemicals, coatings and metals. EdTech Innovation Hub
• Despite the promising potential of AI integration in higher education, adoption patterns reveal significant disparities that reflect broader global inequalities in technological access and institutional capacity. Nature
• By 2030, Pakistan aims to train more than 2 million AI professionals, develop 10,000 trainers and educators, introduce AI education from school to university, establish AI centers of excellence, create a national AI fund, and strengthen university-industry collaboration. United Nations
• More students can deepen their study of mother tongue languages from 2027 as the Ministry of Education expands the Language Elective Programme at both the secondary and junior college levels. ST
• From 2027, the Language Elective Programme will expand, adding schools for Chinese and Tamil languages to offer more students advanced mother tongue learning and cultural exposure. ST
• The Ministry of Education will expand Tamil and Chinese language elective programmes and the Malay, giving more students opportunities to deepen their learning of mother tongue languages. CNA
• Organizations that continue investing in scalable AI technologies, responsible innovation, and digital learning ecosystems are expected to strengthen their competitive position as global education increasingly embraces intelligent transformation. SNS Insider
• In the second half of 2026, students from institutes of higher learning will have an Adulting 101 programme on key life transitions. ST
• North Korea's consecutive enactment of strict social control laws, such as the Anti-Reactionary Thought and Culture Law and the Law on Ensuring Youth Education, is interpreted as a measure to preemptively block external information that could spread, particularly in border areas. FRS
• As technology continues to advance, tech companies have pounced upon the opportunity to bring education systems around the world up to speed with the ever-more connected digital world and the proliferation of new tools like generative AI. Time

Last updated: 24 August 2026