The UNESCO GEM Report (2024–25) highlights a persistent global education crisis:
Approximately 272 million children and youth remain out of school—an increase of over 21 million—with conflict zones and data reassessments accounting for the rise edtechdigest.comunesco.org+6deccanherald.com+6bestcolleges.indiatoday.in+6.
Nations are projected to miss their SDG 4 targets by 75 million students by 2025 timesofindia.indiatimes.com+7hindustantimes.com+7bestcolleges.indiatoday.in+7.
India enjoys universal primary enrolment, but learning outcomes lag, with 73% of children in developing countries unable to read basic texts by age 10 timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
United Arab Emirates launched AI classes for children as young as four, covering ethical use, prompt-writing, and critical evaluation—up to 20 hours a year .
In India, multiple AI initiatives are gaining momentum:
Principals Conclave 2025 in Nagpur spotlighted integration of AI tools, teacher training, and ethics in classrooms businessinsider.com+6ft.com+6timesofindia.indiatimes.com+6timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
Symbiosis University has unveiled its Symbiosis Artificial Intelligence Institute, offering cross-disciplinary AI programs and global partnerships timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
Academic studies further endorse AI’s inclusive potential:
Tools like Audemy, using AI audio-learning, empower blind students with adaptive platforms edtechdigest.com+10arxiv.org+10linkedin.com+10arxiv.org.
AI-driven translation and customization are enhancing early education for multilingual and special-needs learners arxiv.org.
Delhi’s education board (DBSE) is being phased out, transferring all enrolled students in Grade IX–XI to CBSE to streamline the system .
Meanwhile, UNESCO continues to advocate for a “new social contract”—a rights-based, justice-centered, tech-infused vision for the future of education unesco.org.
The UNESCO GEM Report flags gender and leadership disparities:
Female leaders are underrepresented globally, impacting policy and educational outcomes hindustantimes.com+5ndtv.com+5unesco.org+5.
Boys, on average, lag behind girls in reading proficiency by 13% globally, worsened in middle-income countries ndtv.com+1hindustantimes.com+1.
In Latin America, FLACSO’s recent Summer School (June 17–18) focused on ethical AI applications, aligning with UNESCO’s standards on responsible education linkedin.com+4unesco.org+4ft.com+4.
AIED 2025 is set for July 22–26 in Palermo, Italy—gathering policymakers, educators, and technologists to explore AI’s impact flypix.ai+1panoramaed.com+1.
UNESCO also launched AI readiness studies for Southern Africa and East Asian higher education, underlining broad efforts for digital transformation unesco.org.
Education in mid-2025 faces a paradox—rising global exclusion alongside explosive innovation. AI is becoming both a powerful equalizer and a source of ethical questions, while efforts to streamline policy and unify standards are ongoing. As UNECO warns, without decisive action, millions will remain sidelined, even as classrooms evolve at lightning speed.
