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 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
• [New] 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
• [New] 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
• [New] 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
• [New] 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
• [New] 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
• [New] 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
• Corporate learning and development is projected to grow at a 30.62% CAGR through 2031, making it the fastest-growing end user group. Mordor Intelligence
• Many states, including Maryland, Minnesota and Georgia, are focused on making sure they can approve programs that will meet federal metrics for demonstrating that students get a true return on their investment in education. The U.S. Conference
• The top reasons younger generations choose their employer include good work / life balance (25% of Gen Z and 31% of millennials), learning and development opportunities, and high salary or other financial benefits (19% of Gen Z and 22% of millennials). TalentHR
• The Machine Learning (ML) segment is predicted to lead with a share of approximately 44.6% in 2026, as agriculture already generates structured and repeatable data. Persistence Market Research
• The UAE has become a global destination for higher education, offering students world-class learning opportunities and strong career prospects. ourinternational
• By 2030, interdisciplinary learning and real-world problem-solving will become central to curricula. UniDAIM
• One of the biggest shifts by 2026 will be artificial intelligence (AI) being deeply embedded in learning platforms. TheTuitionE - Online Private Tuition - Dubai
• By 2030, the number of students from institutes of higher learning going on overseas internships in ASEAN member states, China and India will double to 3,000 annually, up from 1,500 today. ST

Last updated: 10 August 2026