Global Education Monitoring Report, 2023

• UNESCO recently released the Global Education Monitoring Report, 2023.
• The report has been titled “Technology in education: a tool on whose terms?”

MAJOR FINDINGS

POSITIVES

• Digital technology has dramatically increased access to teaching and learning resources like digital libraries, educational portalsg National Digital Library of India.
• Technology in Education such as radio and mobile phones, has opened up opportunities for hard-to-reach populations.
• Online learning became a lifeline for almost 1 billion students during the COVID-19 school closures.
• Technology has opened up opportunities for learners with disabilities by reducing barriers to learning.
• Digital literacy and critical thinking are now increasingly important, particularly with the growth of generative AI.

NEGATIVES

• It showed that higher screen time was associated with poorer well-being; less curiosity, self-control and emotional stability; higher anxiety; and depression diagnoses”.
• It highlighted that “mere proximity to a mobile device was found to distract students and to have a negative impact on learning in 14 countries.”
• Access to the internet and digital devices remains highly unequal, especially in low-income and marginalized communities.
• Another major concern around the indiscriminate use of digital technology in education was children’s privacy.
• The Report has endorsed banning smartphones in schools.