AGP Executive Report

Curriculum & Civics: India’s NCERT revised Class 8 Social Science, tweaking Congress’s Partition framing and adding PIL/tribunals/ADR, while removing references to Hitler and Nazi ideology. State Education Policy: Texas launched a teacher-led “Texas Classroom Commission,” even as faculty groups sued Texas Tech over memos restricting race/sex/gender instruction. Higher Ed & STEM: India’s AISHE report says higher-education enrollment hit record levels, with STEM crossing 1 crore and women’s STEM share rising. Teacher Workforce: Himachal Pradesh is recruiting 3,468 teachers for CBSE-affiliated government schools, including English and math hires. Safety Research: Kentucky researchers are investigating why teen drivers face unusually high fatal crash rates and what prevention strategies could work. Digital Learning & AI: South Korea and Denmark partnered on AI-enabled healthy ageing and dementia prevention, while Africa-focused commentary stresses AI should support—not replace—human teaching. Student Well-Being: New research finds many young people experience economic abuse in relationships, raising concerns for education-linked support systems.

AI in Schools & Classroom Control: A Michigan district’s “approved phrases” list is sparking backlash after teachers say LGBTQ-linked messages triggered legal reviews and disputes over what belongs on classroom walls. Higher-Education Free Speech: A federal appeals court struck down Florida’s “Stop W.O.K.E.” higher-ed speech limits, reinforcing that colleges can’t be restricted by political “salary-for-speech” rules. Student Readiness: Washington’s superintendent proposes a mandatory yearlong “Postsecondary Launch Course” for seniors, adding resume-building, voting, and job/military application skills to graduation requirements. Inclusive Education: UNICEF and three Nigerian states are drafting a 2028–2032 child development strategy focused on poverty, malnutrition, and improving learning outcomes for vulnerable children, including those with disabilities. Teacher Training & Literacy: UNC Pembroke’s elementary education program earned top recognition for evidence-based reading instruction aligned to the science of reading. Workforce Education: North Central Michigan College won nearly $6M for skilled trades pathways and a renovated dental hygiene clinic. Sports Science Partnerships: India’s SAI and Safdarjung Sports Injury Centre signed an MoU to expand sports medicine, rehabilitation, and research. Ed-Tech & AI Policy: Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula district is rolling out AI rules targeting academic honesty and student data privacy.

School Feeding & Nutrition: Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Education Secretary Sonny Angara expanded the School-Based Feeding Program in Bulacan, targeting rising stunting—now 25.3% among under-fives. Teacher Licensing Reform: Tennessee is weighing easing teacher licensure testing, including possible edTPA exemptions and shorter retakes for failed sections. Inclusive Education Funding: Ghana’s government will allocate GH¢100m annually via GETFund for free special needs education, including higher feeding grants and assistive devices. Higher-Ed Expansion: India’s IIM Bangalore will open its first overseas campus in Indonesia, aiming to strengthen ASEAN leadership and tech ties. Workforce for Care: Australia’s shift toward home-based care is pushing education systems to prepare workers for technology-enabled community services. Education Finance Debate: South Korea’s education and budget ministries clash over reforming a tax-linked local school funding grant as student numbers fall. Digital Transformation Partnership: Papua New Guinea signed an MoU with QUT to build digital government capacity through research and workforce development. Early Learning Support: UK councils in Oxfordshire plan new “Best Start Family Hubs” to support parenting, early learning, and universal health services. Teacher Employment Rights: South Africa’s ELRC ordered Mpumalanga to reinstate a dismissed teacher after finding unfair handling of her case.

Education Policy & Safety: Malaysia’s Education Ministry is urged to strengthen its Safe School Policy after a school stabbing in Banting, with calls for whole-school safeguarding, clear child-protection procedures, designated safety teams, and regular trauma-informed training. Workforce & Leadership Pipelines: TalentCorp Malaysia selected 500 young women for the Women-Industry Network cohort under Wanita MyWira, pairing final-year students and graduates with 61 industry mentors to boost leadership and workforce participation. AI, Learning, and Governance: A global higher-ed AI survey finds students adopting AI faster than institutions respond, with many lacking AI literacy training; meanwhile, Tanzania calls for stronger international AI governance so developing countries aren’t left behind. Student Support & Inclusion: A University of Mississippi-led study suggests a telepractice resilience program can help children who stutter build coping and self-advocacy skills. Higher Ed & Community: Florida’s Stop W.O.K.E. Act higher-education provisions were struck down by a federal appeals court as unconstitutional. STEM Pathways: Texas launched the teacher-led Texas Classroom Commission to shape public education recommendations, while the Twenty Four Foundation and NASCAR driver Rajah Caruth unveiled a “Built Different” STEM accelerator using motorsports as a learning platform.

Early Childhood Expansion: Malaysia’s Education Ministry says it will add 1,040 new preschool classes by 2027, with May 31 figures showing 10,491 preschool classes serving 217,026 students. Special Education Capacity: In Bandon, Ireland, Hamilton High School is seeking permission for a new block with two SEN classrooms to meet rising demand. Rural Learning + Health: Santos Foundation-backed projects in Papua New Guinea’s Hela and Southern Highlands focus on early learning in Paua and more reliable healthcare in Inu via a solar mini-grid. School Infrastructure After Shocks: Venezuela’s education authorities are inspecting campuses in Valles del Tuy after a June 24 earthquake, including schools placed under yellow and red safety alerts. Nutrition on the Development Agenda: Ghana’s NDPC and the Eleanor Crook Foundation renewed efforts to tackle malnutrition, linking nutrition to education and economic growth. Speech-Language Impact Post-COVID: Michigan’s Alpena ESD reports nearly double the number of children with speech and language impairments since COVID. Higher-Ed + Research Support: UNESCO convened Jamaica’s validation meeting for its Health and Family Life Education study, reviewing school-based sexuality education outcomes. Funding + Accountability in Higher Education: Fiji’s TSLS and Higher Education Commission signed an MoU to improve monitoring and ensure scholarships back accredited, workforce-relevant programs.

Education Policy & Access: Mozambique says it will reposition higher education to produce solutions for industrialization and jobs, urging universities to move from teaching knowledge to building applied innovation. Inclusive Education: The UK’s Rainbow Centre became the first educational setting graded “exceptional” in all areas under Ofsted’s new framework, highlighting a conductive approach for children with complex needs. Teacher Development: Dominica’s teachers’ institute drew a record 187 educators for two weeks of training focused on inclusive, innovative teaching and leadership. STEM Pathways: North Carolina launched its Lady Cardinal Mentorship Program for 11 high school girls, pairing public-service STEM exposure with hands-on work experience. School Safety: In Venezuela’s Cojedes, education-quality authorities are inspecting quake-affected schools before classes resume to protect students and staff. EdTech & Administration: Nigeria’s FlexiSAF, backed by AWS, is expanding AI-enabled education administration via Distinction.app, serving universities and schools. Higher Ed Governance: Burkina Faso’s junta approved a law requiring prior authorization for students to study abroad, citing fraud prevention and “scientific sovereignty.”

Scholarship Access: Punjab opened its 2026–27 Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for Scheduled Caste students via the National Scholarship Portal, with a Nov. 15 deadline and correction window through Nov. 30. Early Learning Support: Malaysia’s Education Ministry’s Year 4 Learning Matrix 2026 will be used to spot learning needs and trigger early intervention—not to rank pupils or schools. Digital Learning Expansion: Qatar’s Ministry of Education and Higher Education expanded evening study options in private schools, with 37 schools now offering evening classes under the same standards as morning programs. Safe Internet in Schools: Papua New Guinea’s Lightspeed PNG rolled out “clean internet” at Tubusereia Junior High School, filtering adult content and limiting social media to prioritize learning. Teacher Hiring: Katsina State flagged off appointment letters for 2,158 newly recruited teachers to address staffing gaps. Learning Under Pressure: In Niger State, attackers burned five primary schools in Dekara District, deepening an insecurity-driven education crisis. Higher Ed Online Credits: India’s UGC told HEIs to integrate SWAYAM MOOCs for the July 2026 semester, allowing students to earn up to 40% of programme credits online. AI Mentorship for Youth: India’s Army enrolled about 100 Northeast tribal children into an AI-focused programme mentored by IIT Kanpur while keeping their CBSE studies.

Teacher Certification & Workforce: Oklahoma moves to expand pathways to teacher certification, aiming to reduce reliance on emergency credentials while keeping classrooms staffed. Digital Access in Schools: California faces a $5.5M cut that could end key online library and media subscriptions for K-12 students, while Nigeria’s Kogi Central celebrates free campus-wide Wi‑Fi at a federal college of education to narrow the digital divide. AI Skills and Training: Bhutan prepares a national teacher licensing and professional certification framework, and a Labour Affairs Bureau in Malaysia expands free AI upskilling courses into a certification programme. Education Funding & Quality: India’s AICTE shuts 58 engineering and technical colleges under progressive closure rules, and a new Europe-wide survey finds broad public support for fertility treatment and embryo research alongside calls for better understanding. Research in Practice: Western Nevada College students present NIH-funded biomedical research, showing how paid research experiences can build lab-ready skills. Student Well-Being: India’s UGC issues mental health and well-being guidelines for higher education, but implementation funding remains the big question. Special Needs Milestone: Sheiling School in Ringwood marks 75 years supporting students with special educational needs through a personalized education-and-care model.

STEM Pipeline: Qatar’s education ministry says it’s building four new STEM secondary schools next year to push science-specialisation graduates beyond an 18% target by 2030, with more scholarships and placements to meet workforce needs in areas like AI and cybersecurity. TVET Overhaul: Malaysia moves toward a new Technical and Vocational Education and Training Commission to replace the National TVET Council, with legislation expected to be finalised by year-end. Inclusive Safeguarding: England’s Ofsted drops guidance that linked autism with extremism after public outcry, following concerns that autistic children were being referred to Prevent. Equity in Access: A Safe Ireland census finds nearly 1,900 women turned away from domestic violence services in six months, mainly due to bed shortages. Education-to-Work Fit: Ghana’s former education minister calls for reviewing “useless” university programmes and aligning admissions with labour-market needs. Gender in Business Education: IIM Kozhikode reports a record intake for its flagship MBA, with women at nearly two-thirds of students. Learning Beyond Screens: New reporting cites research-backed calls for unstructured summer boredom to support creativity and emotional resilience in children.

Medical Education Investment: Sri Lanka is funding a new Sabaragamuwa University Faculty Complex, with Rs. 2,876 million from the government plus a US$50 million Saudi Fund for Development boost, alongside support for buildings, equipment and learning resources. Life Skills in School: Dubai’s KHDA-led “Skills for Life” plan will roll out in 2026-27, teaching nutrition, budgeting, relationships, mental resilience and digital skills from early childhood through adulthood. AI in Classrooms: Bernardsville schools are preparing for an AI program pilot, as districts weigh how to use AI in the curriculum. Inclusive Education Recognition: Pakistan’s ICT-PEIRA honored private schools for meeting inclusive-education targets, including scholarships and support for out-of-school children. Literacy Push: Ghana’s GES and UMA-Subika ran a district reading competition, awarding materials and tablets to boost early reading in English and Twi. Teacher Policy Debate: Guyana’s opposition criticized a new teacher promotions regime for overvaluing academic qualifications versus years of service. Digital Learning Credits: India expanded Academic Bank of Credits via APAAR, reporting 26.35 crore verified IDs created by July 2. Religious Education: Algeria’s Quranic schools saw summer enrollments rise as families seek structured memorization and values education.

AI & Higher Ed Rethink: A University of Manchester study says universities must move beyond adding AI to classrooms and redesign assessment and teaching around critical thinking, ethics, and communication. EdTech & Skills: Ghana’s CTVET endorsed GH Schools’ 24-hour training model, aiming to upskill and reskill youth and workers to match a “24-hour economy.” Policy & Access: Nepal’s education ministry says it sped up exam-result timelines and modernised abroad NOC processing, while Pakistan’s HEC advertised a short-window SNU President Fellowship for faculty PhD study. Learning in the Real World: Hyderabad’s work-site schools bring classes into labour camps, with plans to expand across Cyberabad. Equity & Outcomes: Australia’s science education white paper calls for earlier science specialist support and AI-informed curriculum changes to build a “science identity” from early years. Education Under Strain: Trinidad and Tobago’s MiLAT suspension has alarmed educators and youth advocates, warning vulnerable young men could lose a key pathway to CSEC. Weather Risk: WMO warns El Niño is forecast to strengthen rapidly, raising odds of heatwaves, droughts, and heavy rainfall that can disrupt schooling and services.

NEP Implementation Gap: India’s Ministry of Education reports and audits say more than 26 states have missed key NEP 2020 literacy and numeracy milestones, with school reopenings in July highlighting how policy targets aren’t reaching classrooms. AI in Exam Prep: Smartschool’s founders argue building “bullet-proof” AI tutoring for SAT/ACT is harder than chatbots, because educators need safe, accountable tools. Curriculum Overhaul: Bangladesh’s education minister says a new primary and secondary curriculum will roll out from 2028, adding culture, sports, and mandatory technical-vocational education. Digital Education Data: Nigeria’s Kaduna is praised for launching D-NEMIS to replace manual reporting with real-time school data for planning and monitoring. Teacher Time Theft Claim: Delhi Congress alleges teachers are being pulled into electoral roll work, disrupting instruction for students in understaffed government schools. School Safety Focus (UK): Wales’ education minister vows a “whole system” response to school antisocial behaviour, targeting attendance and wellbeing. Learning Outcomes Spotlight: Kentucky ranks high for student recovery in reading and math, with districts like Marion County highlighted for progress. Higher-Ed Research Leadership: CCNY names Stephen O’Brien dean of science, underscoring research and faculty rebuilding priorities.

Higher-Ed Research Funding: Japan’s Kyoto University is set to be certified as an International University for Research Excellence, with potential subsidies of about 20 billion yen to reorganize research labs into about 20 field-based units. AI in Schools: Punjab (India) says an AI curriculum will roll out across government schools from next month, after a year of planning and student input. Curriculum & Inclusion: A UK teaching union warns national curriculum changes tied to “Send” reforms aren’t ready enough, urging phased rollout, more teacher time, and less reliance on high-stakes exams. Teacher Licensing: Minnesota’s Martin Luther College is working to restore teaching licensure after a board vote ended license eligibility for new teacher-education entrants. Education Security: Nigeria’s Adamawa State relocated 12 NECO exam centers due to safety concerns. Accessible Learning Tech: Oregon Tech won a National Park Service matching grant to build “Battlefield Sound,” an audio mobile experience for visitors including those with low vision or print dyslexia. Global Language Education: Overseas educators gathered in Seoul to expand Korean-language teaching, highlighting long-term teacher support abroad. Academic Integrity Shift: Princeton is adding proctored in-person exams as campus norms adapt to generative AI-era cheating concerns.

Higher Education Diplomacy: Malaysia says it will keep working with the Boao Forum on trade, AI, and education and talent development, framing higher education as a bridge for global partnerships. Teacher Training & Assessment: Ibb University rolled out training for faculty on modern teaching and assessment strategies to meet accreditation and improve learning outcomes. Skills for Youth: Bahrain’s AlMabarrah AlKhalifia Foundation launched summer programmes to build future-ready skills, including AI, leadership, and workplace exposure. Literacy Policy Fix: New Zealand’s education ministry corrected phonics test materials after real words were wrongly marked as “made-up,” with claims that past results weren’t affected. Learning Under Pressure: Nigeria’s education system faces disruption from insecurity, with schools and teachers targeted and girls hit hardest. Digital Access: Dubai’s Digital School programme is expanding across Africa to support education and teacher capacity for hundreds of thousands. Curriculum Updates: Terry Public Schools began updating its social studies curriculum for grades 6–12, citing a “dire need” for modernization.

Policy & Governance: California Democrats move to strip the elected state superintendent of managerial authority, shifting control to a governor-appointed education director. Education Data Systems: Nigeria launches DNEMIS, urging states and private schools to upload records so officials can track schools, teachers, learners, and infrastructure for better planning. Inclusive Higher Ed: JAMB’s Equal Opportunity Group reports 4,216 candidates with disabilities admitted over 10 years, with an average 53% gaining entry annually. Early Childhood & Community: A chain of U.S. preschools raises thousands for Make-A-Wish through “Let’s Grant Wishes,” pairing early learning with giving. International Partnerships: Japan reaffirms support for Cambodia’s education, including student exchanges, Japanese language teaching, teacher development, and ICT cooperation. Minority Education Reform: Uttarakhand replaces its Madrasa Board with a single Minority Education Authority under “One Nation, One Education,” with recognition for minority institutions. STEM/Workforce Links: Sri Lanka’s MCAS and EightD sign an MoU to expand aviation and logistics education training. Local Leadership: Council Bluffs schools name Iowa City’s Chace Ramey interim superintendent while launching a national search.

Higher Ed & Military Mobility: Space Command personnel relocating from Colorado Springs to Huntsville, Alabama, can tap in-state tuition at multiple North Alabama colleges and all three University of Alabama campuses, with GI benefits and full-time course-load rules shaping eligibility. Early Childhood Philanthropy: Dozens of The Learning Experience preschool sites across the U.S. ran “Let’s Grant Wishes” for Make-A-Wish, raising amounts ranging from about $5,000 to nearly $39,000 in local campaigns. Inclusive Education Research: A new comparative analysis looks at why U.S. and Brazil’s inclusive education promises don’t always translate into similar outcomes, pointing to differences in institutional structure, professional support, and how policy becomes day-to-day services. AI in Teaching: St Joseph University trained faculty on “AI-ready” teaching practices, focusing on using AI tools for lesson planning, content creation, assessment, and classroom engagement. Global Education Funding Pressure: A UNDP report warns that Middle East conflict fallout is pushing low- and middle-income countries to spend more on fossil fuel subsidies, squeezing budgets for education and health.