AGP Executive Report

School Funding: Malaysia’s 2027 education allocation rises to RM69 billion, but teachers say the increase must deliver safer classrooms and urgently needed repairs; plans also include 200 teaching assistants for high-enrolment primary schools. Vocational Pathways: China now has 124 vocational undergraduate universities, with 52 more institutions offering vocational bachelor’s programs, as it expands job-focused higher education. Classroom Technology: More than 150 UK clinicians warn that heavy screen use in schools may affect children’s health and development. The government says it is consulting on guidance and that technology can support learning when used well. Research and Learning: Arizona State University has launched a Taiwan Studies Initiative to fund research and expand courses, workshops and student opportunities.

Career Pathways: Texas awarded 84 grants worth more than $20 million to expand career and technical education, with programs expected to train 7,400 students in their first year. Early Learning: North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson joined 24 states challenging proposed Head Start changes, warning that lower standards and tighter cost limits could threaten services for more than 750,000 children nationwide. School Results: South Carolina reported that schools earning its top rating rose from 270 to 320, while the on-time graduation rate reached 87.5%, a decade high. College Access: A new national study will award up to 12 colleges $30,000 each to examine how dual-enrollment students move from high school into college and career pathways. Child Safety: New Zealand’s Teaching Council apologized for failures in the case of a teacher who abused nine girls after the council registered and recertified him despite prior convictions and a police warning; advocates are calling for public tracking of reforms.

School Safety: Two staff members were injured in a shooting at a school near Marseille; local reports say a 14-year-old pupil was arrested. Student Results: New EQAO results show uneven progress at eastern Ontario French-language schools, with performance varying by school, grade and subject. Inclusive Education: Qatar says learning support for students with disabilities now reaches 81 government schools and 18 schools in outlying areas, with plans to improve facilities and staff training. Teacher Development: Kenya’s examinations council has begun online training to help teachers write assessments for its competency-based curriculum. School Investment: Malaysia’s nearly RM69 billion education budget includes funds to repair schools and upgrade 682 dilapidated buildings. Math Curriculum: Quincy School District is revising math units and assessments and adding interventions to address stalled post-pandemic progress. Girls’ Education: Education advocate Obiageli Ezekwesili urged governments to enforce 18 as the minimum marriage age, warning that child marriage cuts girls’ schooling short.

International Students: DHS has proposed charging colleges $70,000 for each initial recommendation for Optional Practical Training and $30,000 for extensions, a change that could sharply raise costs for universities and international graduates. Public comments are open through Nov. 9. Research & Curriculum: Georgia Southern biologist Sara Gremillion won a $1.6 million NIH grant for Myco-Ed, a five-year project to build a fungal genomics resource and teaching materials for educators. Girls’ Education: Access Women Network and Evolve Charity Trust will provide school supplies to girls at 17 schools across 12 Nigerian states. Inclusive Learning: An education ministry says inclusive services now reach 81 government schools and 18 schools in outlying areas, with plans to improve staff training, assistive tools and individual learning plans. Teacher Workload: A Tamil Nadu teachers’ federation is urging officials to drop meal-monitoring duties for teachers, warning the assignments could take time away from instruction. Apprenticeships: New Zealand proposals include degree-level apprenticeships and student loans as apprenticeship numbers fell 14% in 2025 and new entrants dropped 24%.

AI in Higher Education: South Korea will fund 18 AI-focused universities and 15 graduate schools, making introductory AI courses compulsory and linking postgraduate study with industry research. Skills for Work: Bangladesh plans to introduce university courses in AI and ICT, employability, and professional ethics from January; UniSZA’s chancellor also urged graduates to keep learning as AI reshapes jobs. School Investment: Malaysia’s 2027 budget raises education funding to nearly RM69 billion, doubles school repair funds to RM2 billion and allocates RM1.3 billion to upgrade 682 dilapidated schools. Indigenous-language Education: A Hawaiian-language immersion preschool serving up to 80 children is planned for Hilo in 2028, with a role in training future teachers. College Support: Erskine College received a $3 million federal grant for facilities, tutoring and career-focused programs in education, nursing and allied health.

Flexible Learning: The Philippines’ DepEd, higher education and skills agencies launched new tools to map learning gaps and create routes from education to employment, alongside scholarships for staff training in guidance and counseling. School Innovation: Egypt plans to expand Japanese-style Egypt-Japan Schools from 69 to 500 within five years and bring practices such as cooperative learning to public elementary schools, with Hiroshima University helping train teachers. Haze Disruption: Johor extended school and education-institution closures through Oct. 16 as air-pollution readings reached 170–180; scheduled assessments will be postponed. Student STEM: Seven former science high school classmates in South Korea built a CubeSat that reached orbit aboard the Nuri rocket, five years after watching its first launch together. AI and Learning: Educators say AI should support, not replace, student thinking, and urged schools to protect critical thinking, emotional skills and human connection. Civics Teaching: Ball State won a $2.7 million federal grant for a three-year Indiana initiative to train educators and bring civics learning to about 2,000 students.

Research in Practice: Indonesia’s higher-education minister urged universities to turn research into solutions for society, while Togo set priorities including job-ready programs and research tied to national needs. Redeemer’s University in Nigeria also raised its research budget eightfold to N200 million. AI & Online Learning: A University of Phoenix study of 45 online undergraduates found that belonging and psychological safety supported engagement; guided AI could help students start tasks, but participants worried about dependency and unclear rules. Curriculum & Teaching: Research presented at a Bhutan education seminar linked students’ Dzongkha pronunciation challenges to home and school language environments, including dialect use and exposure to English. Malaysian education experts, meanwhile, urged the government to prioritize teaching and learning alongside school repairs in its 2027 budget. Learning Access: Students in Classes IX and XI are still waiting for Cambridge-aligned textbooks as the academic year nears its end, relying on digital copies and printouts.**

Higher Education Access: SETU secured more than €140,000 to expand accredited courses for people in custody, building on a pilot in community development and leadership at Portlaoise Prison. AI in Schools: New York City is barring student-facing generative AI from preschool through eighth grade for the school year, while piloting AI critical-thinking lessons in some high schools. Teaching Practice: A new call argues universities should develop teaching as a professional expertise, rather than assume subject knowledge alone prepares academics to teach. Multilingual Learners: University of Delaware educators urge teachers to use students’ home languages as a resource for literacy, not treat them as a barrier. Research Funding: The NSF and UK Research and Innovation plan to explore joint experiments on grant-making; NSF has not set a date for its own tests. Student Success: Akron’s I PROMISE program reports that eligible seniors have earned college scholarships, reflecting a model that combines academics with emotional and family support.

Haze Disrupts Classes: Perak ordered religious schools in areas with severe air pollution to close, with home-based learning where appropriate and feasible. Digital Higher Education: Lao Telecom and the National University of Laos signed a 15-year deal to expand campus broadband and support AI in teaching and research, with work due to finish by 2030. Education Funding: Nigeria’s state revenues rose 93% from 2023 to 2025, but education’s share of spending fell from 14.9% in 2021 to 12.1% in 2025; the World Bank says actual education spending still increased. AI and Teaching: Vietnam’s education minister called for system-wide change as AI reshapes learning, urging schools to build students’ critical thinking and help teachers guide responsible use. STEAM Training: Qatar’s National Museum and Qatar University gave 36 future teachers hands-on training in using museum collections and heritage to bring STEAM learning into classrooms.

AI in Classrooms: A 2026 educator report says 8 in 10 teachers now use AI in their work or classrooms, up from 1 in 10 three years ago, as educators weigh how technology can support learning. Teacher Preparation: Philippine nursing educators are turning to simulation-based training to help students build clinical skills and prepare for real-world care. School Access: Qatar’s education ministry and Education Above All agreed to support Assalam School, aiming to expand learning opportunities for students who face barriers to attending school. Staffing and Literacy: France will deploy 3,000 substitute teachers to overcrowded schools amid protests, while New Brunswick officials face scrutiny over weak reading results and missed targets. Inclusive Learning: A high school student has developed a step-by-step chess curriculum for children with autism, using the game to encourage focus, problem-solving and social interaction. STEM and Reading: MIT is expanding workforce-focused STEM learning from kindergarten through community college, and a new literacy guide aims to help future teachers apply reading research in classrooms.

AI in Classrooms: A 2026 educator confidence report says 8 in 10 educators now use AI in their workflow or classrooms, up from 1 in 10 three years ago. Teachers also stress the importance of quality materials, expertise and strong relationships. Inclusive Education: India’s Education Ministry says more than 60,000 schools completed an inclusion training module, reaching over 7.2 million teachers and staff to better support students with disabilities. Teaching and Learning: A Philippine nursing education symposium brought together 150 participants from more than 40 institutions to discuss simulation-based instruction for clinical skills, faculty development and patient safety. Global Cooperation: UNESCO and ICESCO signed an agreement covering digital and green education, teacher development, dropout prevention and broader access to early childhood education. Classroom Improvement: A school-district guide outlines how teacher teams can use shared pacing plans, assessments and scoring to track learning and adjust instruction.

Teacher Wellbeing: A review of 186 studies involving more than 350,000 teachers found links between educators’ wellbeing and students’ motivation and academic achievement, adding a learning-focused reason to address burnout and stress. AI in Education: Eight in 10 educators now say they use AI in their work or classrooms, up from 10% three years ago, according to the 2026 Educator Confidence Report. Research and Technology: At the University of Macau’s humanities forum, researchers discussed using AI to analyze speech for language patterns associated with Alzheimer’s disease, alongside applications in education and communication. Teacher Training: Des Moines Area Community College and Ankeny schools are bringing early-childhood courses on-site, giving high school students classroom observation and clinical experience. Educator Pay: Guam senators advanced bills proposing training-based pay incentives and giving the education department authority to set its own employee pay structure.

AI in classrooms and research: A University of Maryland study assistant rollout is being paused after results “raised more questions than answers,” with officials urging better support for effective AI use. Teacher workforce: A new push argues schools should study why teachers stay, not just why they leave—especially as alternative certification grows. Accountability in education spending: Liberia’s finance minister says education funds must be tracked to classrooms, warning against paying staff who aren’t teaching. Early learning quality: A short brief highlights that high-quality early childhood education depends on relationships, strong leadership, and family-centered communities—not one-size-fits-all models. Inclusive education: CBSE is running a sensitisation module to help schools improve inclusive practices for children with special needs. Tech and learning ecosystems: Qatar’s Education Summit 2026 (Vodafone Qatar and Huawei) focused on using AI for teaching, campus systems, and connected education networks. Funding for special education teachers: Arizona won a $5M federal grant to expand paid registered apprenticeships for special education teacher pipelines. Research integrity scrutiny: India’s NIRF 2026 delay is linked to extra review of retracted research papers in university submissions.

AI in Teaching: A new Educator Confidence Report finds 8 in 10 educators now use AI tools in their workflow or classrooms, up sharply from 3 years ago, with teachers weighing quality materials and relationships as they adapt. Rural Learning Access: The USDA awarded $749,400 to Wisconsin’s CESA 10 to upgrade distance learning for 14,445 rural students and 1,914 educators across 12 counties, replacing aging infrastructure and expanding course options. Early Childhood & Family Support: The Philippines’ DepEd expanded its Kaagapay Program nationwide to help parents and caregivers act as co-educators, aiming to prevent bullying and strengthen positive discipline amid concerns about school violence. Curriculum & Culture: Lithuania will make Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko’s works mandatory next school year, citing cultural ties and support for Ukrainian students. Education Research Under Pressure: U.S. education researchers are pushing back on proposed EDGAR rule changes that could delay funding and reshape what counts as “research quality,” warning of political interference. STEM & Workforce: Malaysia reported training 21,391 semiconductor talents via higher education and technical programs, targeting 60,000 skilled workers by 2030. Student Safety: Malaysia’s Kedah Education Department is monitoring a Form One student injured after an alleged fall from a school third floor, with police investigating possible academic pressure.

Budget Pressure on Skills Training: Philippines’ TESDA warned a 2027 budget cut could shrink scholarship slots from about 630,000 to 400,000, after the proposed NEP allocation fell far below its request. Family-School Partnership: DepEd expanded its Kaagapay Program nationwide to help parents and caregivers act as co-educators, aiming to curb bullying and improve discipline through home-school coordination. Teacher Support Spotlight: On World Teachers’ Day, Bahrain lawmakers highlighted curriculum updates and teacher training as key to modern schooling. Learning Poverty Alarm: A World Bank figure—nine in 10 children in sub-Saharan Africa facing learning poverty—puts pressure on education systems to focus on basic reading skills, not just enrollment. Early Literacy Funding: Delaware’s Christina School District received a $650,000 state grant to deepen science-of-reading training and coaching for early grades. Student Wellbeing and Safety: Carbondale, Illinois ran Fire Prevention Week activities, including school drills and youth-led fire safety education. Youth Mediation Program: Savannah’s Mediation Center hired Connor Fowkes to expand its Positive Peer Influencer program, training high school mentors for middle schoolers. AI in Agriculture Learning: IIT Ropar launched AVNI, a free AI-powered app to teach children about crops and nature through exploration and daily challenges.

Teacher pay and support: Philippines President Marcos ordered agencies to speed release of 2024 performance-based bonuses for public school teachers, with added benefits and allowances highlighted at World Teachers’ Day. Learning gaps and youth input: The Philippines’ Edcom 2 is seeking youth perspectives on education reform via arts-based consultations, citing low literacy results for Grade 11 learners. Teacher role and training: Kuwait and a Gulf/MENA dialogue on PISA results both stressed that teacher development and curricula should build critical thinking and scientific reasoning, not just add activities. Early literacy funding: Delaware awarded $7.1M in Bridge to Practice grants to help districts implement its Birth-to-Grade-3 science-of-reading plan through coaching and classroom materials. STEM and future skills: Hamilton County Schools launched a quantum education curriculum for young learners, while Nucor invested $250,000 in youth robotics to grow local STEM pathways. Equity and inclusion: A Mangyan teacher in the Philippines described discrimination in school and how culturally grounded teaching helps Indigenous learners. Teacher recognition and incentives: North Dakota lawmakers proposed a teacher bonus bill tied to state trust fund earnings; Dubai expanded a Golden Visa drive for top educators. Community education access: Tickets for Teachers in Durham is expanding after placing 1,800+ tickets worth $50,000 with public school staff.