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- Global Voices
Students air their frustrations anonymously online as emigration tempts many young people in North Macedonia
Students in North Macedonia are utilizing an anonymous digital platform to share grievances regarding educational and economic conditions. This initiative seeks to compile concrete data to support policy advocacy and address the rising trend of youth emigration from the country.
- Inter Press Service
‘Prioritize Social Inclusion as Rapid Transformations Risk Leaving Millions Behind’
A new UN DESA report warns that global shifts in technology, demographics, climate, and security are worsening inequality in employment and service access. The publication urges policymakers to center social inclusion in development strategies to prevent vulnerable populations from being marginalized by rapid systemic changes.
- Global Voices
Hong Kong police launch AI-powered national security platform for school pupils
Hong Kong authorities have deployed an artificial intelligence platform in local schools to educate students on China's security policies. The digital tool enables pupils to create customized narratives about state protection frameworks. This initiative aims to integrate official security doctrines into youth education.
- Devpolicy Blog
PNG university students’ perception of PNG turning 50 years: future aspirations
As Papua New Guinea approaches its fiftieth independence anniversary, university students have shared critical perspectives on governance, corruption, and social disparities. Supported by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, researcher Minetta Daniella Kakarere highlights youth aspirations to help inform the nation's future development and leadership priorities.
- Inter Press Service
How Nepal is Learning To Cope With the Psychological Toll of Its Missing
Nearly thirty years after Nepal’s civil war, families of missing individuals still suffer severe psychological distress from unresolved disappearances. Mental health initiatives are helping communities address this trauma by providing vital support and coping strategies for those left behind.
- Devpolicy Blog
PNG university students’ perception of PNG turning 50 years: future aspirations (part I)
- Inter Press Service
Nigeria’s School Kidnapping Threat Is Changing: Four Lessons from the 56 Day Oyo Attack
Following a 2026 mass abduction of 46 students and teachers in Oyo State, Nigeria, authorities convicted members of the Ansaru terrorist group responsible for the assault. This incident highlights the evolving nature of school kidnappings in the region, underscoring persistent security challenges for educational institutions and the ongoing need for robust protection measures.
- Inter Press Service
Austerity and Privatization Weakened OECD Education Systems
A new Inter Press Service report indicates that budget reductions and structural cuts in member states have severely damaged OECD education systems. Observers note these governance choices diminished institutional resilience long before the rapid rise of digital technologies and social media placed additional pressures on global learning infrastructure.
- UN News
One day behind bars: Students and incarcerated women break prison stigma in Thailand
- UN News
Collective action needed to tackle global information crisis, UN-led dialogue hears
Participants in a United Nations-led dialogue urged diverse sectors to forge partnerships addressing shifts in the worldwide media landscape. Stakeholders emphasized that collaborative, concrete measures are essential to safeguard the integrity of public information globally.
- UN News
‘I have not lost my dreams’: Refugee education funding cuts threaten millions
Severe budget reductions are threatening educational programs for millions of displaced youth globally. A teenage Sudanese refugee residing in Egypt exemplifies how these financial shortfalls jeopardize long-term academic and career aspirations. Sustained international funding is vital to ensure that vulnerable populations retain access to learning opportunities.
- UN News
United Kingdom announces action on disinformation and global AI standards
- Global Voices
Thai student movement forms ‘Hope Theatre,’ making the stage its new battleground
- UN News
Millions of children return to schools that still can’t provide clean water or a working toilet
- UN News
Ukraine: Attacks on education threaten an entire generation, UNICEF warns
UNICEF warns that ongoing hostilities in Ukraine are severely disrupting schooling, endangering the academic future of an entire generation. Continuous strikes on educational facilities force many students to study in underground shelters, undermining learning continuity and psychosocial well-being in conflict-affected areas.
- UN News
Back to school in Haiti: ‘Madame, can you stop what the gangs are doing to us?’
During a recent Port-au-Prince classroom visit, UNICEF Representative Geetanjali Narayan learned that Haitian children urgently need protection from escalating gang violence as the academic year begins. Armed groups continue to disrupt education access, threatening the safety and futures of students across the country.
- UN News
Six UN staff killed in Gaza school strike; Lebanon violations mount
Israeli military strikes hit a shelter facility in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of six personnel from the UN agency for Palestine refugees and other displaced civilians. The incident highlights escalating humanitarian crises and security threats facing aid workers operating in the conflict zone.
- Devpolicy Blog
Ground realities: a case study of a remote secondary school in the PNG Highlands
A case study of Jimi Secondary School in the Papua New Guinea Highlands highlights severe infrastructure challenges in remote educational facilities, including chronic electricity shortages and deteriorating dormitories. Funded by Australian aid initiatives, the research underscores the daily operational hurdles educators and students face in isolated regions, informing broader international development strategies.
- Inter Press Service
PHILIPPINES: ‘Responding to Disinformation Can’t Mean Giving the Government a Mandate to Police Truth’
The Philippine House of Representatives has approved a digital media bill criminalizing the intentional spread of false information. Civil society representatives warn that the legislation grants authorities excessive oversight regarding online content. Human rights advocates caution that the measure threatens fundamental civil liberties and freedom of expression within the country.
- Inter Press Service
Afghan Men Quietly Resist Taliban Ban on Girls’ Education
An anonymous female journalist in Afghanistan reports that local men are covertly defying the Taliban’s prohibition on female schooling. This grassroots pushback is significant for international development professionals because it highlights internal civilian resistance and sustained local commitment to girls' education under restrictive governance.
- UN News
Record number of attacks on education, global fund warns
Education advocates report that an unprecedented wave of assaults on schools has left 93 million children out of the classroom globally. This surge in violence threatens basic learning access, severely impacting child development and future stability in conflict-affected regions worldwide.
- Inter Press Service
FAO and the Global South: Advancing Agrifood Transformation through South-South and Triangular Cooperation
The Food and Agriculture Organization leverages South-South and Triangular Cooperation to drive global agrifood system transformation. Led by division director Hua Yang, this collaborative approach enables developing nations to share knowledge and agricultural innovations. Such partnerships are vital for improving food security and fostering sustainable rural development across regions of the Global South.
- Devpolicy Blog
Vanuatu’s literacy challenge: planting seeds of hope through national storytelling
Addressing Vanuatu's high rate of childhood illiteracy, local initiatives like grassroots writing competitions are working to foster youth literacy and encourage local authorship. These community-led efforts aim to cultivate a new generation of writers, providing essential educational support in a nation where most young children struggle with basic reading and writing.
- Inter Press Service
Bridging Digital Transformation in an ASEAN-EAEU Cooperation
Recent discussions between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Eurasian Economic Union focus on aligning digital policies to overcome regulatory divides. Strengthening technological cooperation across these regions aims to harmonize diverse standards and foster sustainable economic integration.
- UN News
General Assembly backs creation of new UN learning institute under UN80 reforms
The UN General Assembly has consolidated two educational and training entities into a single new institute as part of ongoing organizational reforms. This unified body aims to enhance capacity-building assistance for member governments and internal personnel alike.
- Devpolicy Blog
Resource-related education investment in PNG: lessons from Porgera and Lihir
A comparative analysis of two Papua New Guinea gold mines examines why Lihir's educational scholarship program succeeded while Porgera's trust fund struggled. The study provides valuable insights for resource-rich communities seeking to improve the long-term developmental impact of industry-funded education initiatives.
- Devpolicy Blog
Women’s earnings and support for women’s education in Afghanistan
A recent survey in Afghanistan indicates that women's earnings can reduce men's resistance to supporting women's education, even amidst existing bans. The findings suggest that household attitudes significantly influence access to education, highlighting the importance of economic empowerment in shaping social norms and attitudes towards schooling for women in the region.
- UN News
Sudan war: $22 million education boost to help 200,000 children
The United Nations global education fund has launched a $22 million initiative in Sudan to restore schooling for 200,000 children. The program addresses widespread classroom closures caused by the ongoing civil war. This intervention aims to mitigate long-term learning losses among affected youth in the conflict zone.
- Global Voices
Without education for girls, Afghanistan loses its chance for a better tomorrow
Despite severe restrictions imposed by the Taliban preventing girls from attending secondary school and university in Afghanistan, young women continue to defy bans by pursuing alternative learning. Continued exclusion from education severely threatens the country's long-term socioeconomic recovery and human capital development.
- Global Voices
From DMs to data: How an anonymous platform is turning students’ stories into fuel for change in North Macedonia
Digital Student Voice is an online platform in North Macedonia that allows learners to anonymously report grievances regarding academic rights, financial aid delays, and poor residential facilities. By centralizing these complaints, the initiative transforms individual concerns into actionable data to advocate for systemic improvements within the country's educational sector.
- UN News
World News in Brief: Afghanistan education, Myanmar flooding, Syria recovery, homecare workers in New York
Marking five years since the Taliban takeover in Kabul, the United Nations reports starkly contrasting conditions across Afghanistan. While certain areas show signs of progress, widespread vulnerability persists, threatening humanitarian stability and ongoing aid efforts throughout the nation.
- UN News
UN calls for urgent action to protect children from online information risks
The United Nations has urged immediate measures to safeguard youth from digital harms, noting that over 80 percent of individuals aged 15 to 24 globally now access the internet. This connectivity is especially high in developing nations, making youth protection critical as digital exposure rapidly outpaces the rest of the local populations.
- Inter Press Service
Palestinian Children Deserve Education, not Ethnic Cleansing
Amid global focus on other geopolitical crises, international stakeholders must address escalating concerns regarding Palestinian children's access to education in the West Bank. Humanitarian advocates warn that current regional pressures threaten local schooling systems and vulnerable communities, necessitating sustained attention from development professionals monitoring the area.
- UN News
Sudan: ‘It made me dream again’: The students refusing to let war stop their education
Amid ongoing conflict in Sudan, displaced students like Eritrean refugee Sarah Tekhlu are resuming their higher education through alternative learning initiatives. Despite facing multiple displacements across the country, these students are continuing their academic pursuits, highlighting the resilience of affected youth and the critical need to maintain educational access during humanitarian crises.
- The Guardian — Global development
Cockroach protests: parents of Indian students who took their own lives reveal pressure of leaked exam papers and resits
Following nationwide youth protests over widespread academic assessment failures and bureaucratic mismanagement, India’s education minister resigned in late July. Grieving families attribute a significant rise in student suicides over the past decade directly to extreme systemic pressures stemming from canceled assessments and compromised testing materials.
- Inter Press Service
From the Foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro, Magnolia Athletics Camp Is Helping Girls Stay in School, Pursue Athletics and Escape the Pressures of Harmful Traditional Practices
The Magnolia Athletics Camp in Kenya provides teenage runners with daily training near Mount Kilimanjaro. By combining sports participation with education, the initiative helps young women avoid harmful traditional practices and supports their continued schooling.
- Devpolicy Blog
Beyond access: what kind of citizens is PNG’s education system producing?
Papua New Guinea's education reforms prioritize access, examinations, and curriculum development, yet questions arise regarding their effectiveness in fostering responsible citizenship. Hafford Norea emphasizes the need for these reforms to also focus on nation-building and civic responsibility within daily school activities, highlighting the broader implications for societal development.
- Inter Press Service
A License Is Not a Teacher
In India, classrooms face significant challenges due to a shortage of trained teachers, high vacancy rates, and ineffective education colleges. These issues contribute to a broader crisis in education quality, revealing systemic weaknesses that hinder effective teaching and learning. Addressing these factors is essential for improving educational outcomes in the country.
- The Guardian — Global development
The Taliban’s war on education: ‘Nobody talks about what is happening to the boys’
Five years after the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, male students face severe penalties for minor infractions related to dress codes and appearance. Reports indicate that inexperienced teachers struggle to provide effective education amid a climate of fear, highlighting the broader implications for educational standards and student well-being in the country.
- The Guardian — Global development
Developing countries spend more repaying foreign debt than on education, UN reveals
A UN report indicates that in 2025, 113 developing countries allocated more funds to repay foreign debt than to education, with some nations spending five times more on debt service. In sub-Saharan Africa, the disparity is even greater, with countries spending 3.6 times more on debt than on educational investments.
- Devpolicy Blog
Changes needed to procurement to promote skills formation in PNG
New regulations from the World Bank and ADB mandate local labor quotas for infrastructure projects in Papua New Guinea, requiring that 30% of labor costs be allocated to local workers. Experts question whether this approach will effectively address the existing skills gap or if a more targeted training initiative is necessary for sustainable development.
- World Health Organization
New COVID-19 Law Lab to provide vital legal information and support for the global COVID-19 response
Several international organizations have launched the COVID-19 Law Lab, a global repository of pandemic-related legislation from more than 190 countries. The initiative aims to help governments establish rights-based legal frameworks that support effective public health interventions, strengthen health systems, and prevent discrimination during the health crisis.
- World Health Organization
ITU-WHO Joint Statement: Unleashing information technology to defeat COVID-19
The World Health Organization and the International Telecommunication Union are partnering with telecom companies to deliver vital COVID-19 health alerts via mobile text messaging. Launching initially in the Asia Pacific before expanding globally, the initiative aims to reach billions of offline individuals in low-income regions with essential protection guidance.
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