Turning Vision into Value: Transforming Education Together
Education systems today stand at a turning point. With less than five years remaining to achieve SDG 4, the global picture is sobering: 272 million children are still out of school,1 only 58% of learners reach minimum reading proficiency,2 and an annual USD 97 billion financing gap3 threatens progress at a time when global aid to education is projected to decline by 25% by 2027.4 The world will need 44 million additional teachers by 2030,5 while 650 million young people still lack secondary education certificates.6 Additionally, employers are reporting the worst talent shortages in 17 years, even as learners struggle to access labour markets.7 While the world has engaged in fast digital transition, approximately a third of the world’s population (2.6 billion people) remain offline,8 the transformative potential of AI and digital transformation to reduce, rather than enhance, pre-existing socio-economic disparities cannot be taken for granted.
Yet, in the face of this stark reality, the opportunities before us are equally transformative: 110 million more learners have entered school since 2015,9 AI adoption in classrooms has surged,10 workers with digital skills can access higher earnings,11 and since 2020 the Global Education Coalition has been actively engaged in supporting digital transformation of education, initially responding to COVID crisis and fast tracking the achievement of SDG4.
Against this backdrop, the Global Education Coalition (GEC) brings together more than 240 members to align expertise, resources and innovation in support of sustainable, inclusive, equitable, and country-led digital transformation. It has become an established platform where multilateral actors, private partners, civil society, academia, and networks work together to ensure that digital education benefits all learners while respecting the ecological boundaries that widespread technology use increasingly tests. By working collectively, the Coalition has become a catalyst for stronger national education systems, helping to bridge the digital divide, empower teachers and expand skills opportunities.