AGP Executive Report

Inclusive Schools: The Philippines will require new public school buildings from 2027 to meet stronger accessibility and disaster-resilience standards, including ramps, tactile paths and accessible toilets. School Meals: Kenya has joined Brazil, Finland and France as a co-chair of the Global School Meals Coalition, pressing for more investment to reach children with nutritious meals. School Policy: Virginia’s Loudoun County board voted to replace a decades-old open-transfer system, whose roots officials link to efforts to evade school integration, with limited exceptions. AI and Assessment: A Dutch media review found 20% of recent master’s theses at 12 universities were largely AI-written; the education minister called for universities to act. Learning Disrupted: Malaysia is coordinating school decisions during haze, pausing outdoor activities when pollution readings exceed 100 and closing schools above 200. French students also continued protests over education funding, while police reported clashes involving a small, violent group.

France’s School Protests: A second nationwide day of demonstrations over school conditions drew 161,500 people by official estimates. Clashes and police tear gas followed, though officials said violence was largely driven by a small fringe, not protesting pupils. Technology and Student Wellbeing: A new legislative commission will examine digital tools in public schools, children’s social media use and AI’s effects on mental health. Ukraine’s Campuses: A Russian drone strike damaged a university building in Rivne and injured 25 people; students had taken shelter, with classes shifting online. Special-Needs Access: An autistic 11-year-old in Camden faces a potentially lost school year after no placement was found among 19 schools consulted, amid rising demand for support. Rural Schooling: Cross-border agreements are helping South Dakota districts sustain enrollment and widen access to career and technical courses. AI in Higher Education: Indian universities are weighing lessons from US and UK campuses that are weaving AI skills and responsible use into degree programs.

Schools in the Line of Fire: A Russian drone strike damaged an educational building in Rivne, Ukraine, injuring 20 people. In northern Israel, an explosion on a school trip killed a 14-year-old and injured more than 20; investigators are examining the route taken. Student Welfare: India’s Education Ministry has appointed a panel to investigate a first-year student’s death at IIIT Ranchi, including campus facilities, counselling and grievance systems. Funding and Protests: French students are protesting school conditions, amid concerns over deteriorating facilities and teacher shortages. In the Philippines, an education group warns proposed cuts to classroom construction and school computer funding could deepen inequality. Malaysia’s higher education budget is rising, but teachers say funding must deliver safer, better-equipped schools. Technology and Teaching: Kenya’s cost-conscious digital learning model highlights how technology can support teachers without replacing them. Uzbekistan and China are exploring university links, updated IT curricula and joint AI projects. Universities’ Public Mission: Sunway University’s president says higher education should put societal challenges, including climate change, ahead of rankings, with teaching and research serving that mission.

School Safety: Protests in France left eight education staff injured, while a separate shooting at a school near Marseille wounded a principal and teacher; a 14-year-old was arrested. In the Philippines, School Safety Week is bringing anti-bullying, violence-prevention and online-safety lessons to schools nationwide. Funding and Access: Louisiana lawmakers are weighing support for public universities amid rising costs and workforce needs. In Nigeria, advocates called for greater investment in girls’ education, and a new sanitary-pad distribution aims to help keep pupils in school. AI in Classrooms: North Texas students are helping districts shape rules for AI and screen use, giving learners a voice in decisions that directly affect them. Higher Education: A lecturers’ strike has delayed the University of Ghana’s reopening, while UK universities are withdrawing some international admission offers amid visa concerns. Language Rights: Ukraine’s parliament passed a law on minority-language education, addressing Hungarian concerns as the country pursues EU accession.

Campus Disruption: Ghana’s University of Ghana has postponed reopening indefinitely as administrators strike over pay and working conditions; talks with the government are due to address a dispute disrupting registration and student services. School Safety: A 14-year-old student was arrested after a shotgun attack wounded a headmaster and teacher at a school in southern France. Separately, the Philippines launched a nationwide safety week focused on bullying, violence and online abuse. Access and Inclusion: UK universities are withdrawing some international students’ offers amid tighter visa scrutiny, while Azerbaijan’s new school dress rules have sparked protests over restrictions on hijabs. Learning and Wellbeing: Chinese cities are setting autumn school breaks to broaden students’ experiences and give families more time together, with schedules varying by location.

School Costs: New Zealand Labour wants to cap compulsory branded uniform items and allow cheaper alternatives, while also pledging to restore school lunches and some rural bus routes. Charter Schools: Pakaraka has become the country’s first state school to convert to a charter, under a parent-led trust; it will keep state-school testing and must show comparable results. International Students: Some UK universities have withdrawn offers to Nigerian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi applicants as tighter visa rules raise the risk of losing sponsorship licences. Higher Education Access: At South Africa’s Rhodes University, students protested a proposed requirement to pay 50% of outstanding fees before registering for 2027. Education Funding: The World Bank warns that debt interest exceeds spending on health, education or both in nearly 80% of sub-Saharan African countries. Student Protests: French students are demonstrating over overcrowded classrooms, poor facilities and teacher shortages. Girls’ Education: Fiji women’s rights advocates want comprehensive sexuality education made compulsory to help protect girls from child marriage, while former Afghan president Hamid Karzai is urging authorities to reopen schools and universities to girls.

Campus Disruption: The University of Ghana has postponed the 2026–27 academic reopening as an administrators’ strike stalls registration and campus services. Affordability: Cleveland State will cover tuition for qualifying Ohio freshmen with at least a 3.0 GPA from families earning $125,000 or less. AI in Education: South Korea is investing in AI-focused universities and graduate schools, requiring foundational AI courses and expanding industry partnerships. Student Mobility: Rising visa fees and refusal rates in Australia, the US and Canada are making study abroad costlier and less predictable; UK universities are also withdrawing some Nigerian students’ offers amid visa restrictions. Education Funding: World Bank figures show debt interest exceeds health and/or education spending in nearly four-fifths of sub-Saharan African countries. Student Privacy: A US charity’s proposal to use AI to monitor classroom conversations in Gaza is drawing concern over surveillance, consent and who controls education.

Flexible Pathways: The Philippines’ education, higher-education and skills agencies are launching new tools to spot gaps in learner pathways and connect training with jobs, alongside scholarships for school staff studying counseling and psychology. International Students: UK universities are withdrawing offers to Nigerian applicants amid tougher visa rules; visa withdrawals among Nigerians rose to 22.7% in the first half of 2026, leaving students caught between universities and immigration policy. School Meals: New Zealand’s Labour Party says it would restore school lunches for 244,400 students in 1,014 schools from 2028, with meals prepared in school kitchens or by local partners. Access to School: More than 241 children in Bauchi State, Nigeria, have been without a local school for over four years because no teachers were assigned, an advocacy group says. In Ghana, UNICEF and partners have refurbished a kindergarten to widen access for children, including families displaced by conflict. Education Reform: Egypt plans to expand Japanese-style public schools from 69 to 500 within five years, while introducing elements of the approach in about 18,000 elementary schools. Haze Disruption: Johor, Malaysia, extended the closure of schools and educational institutions through Oct. 16 as air pollution worsened.

Flexible Learning: The Philippines’ education, higher-education and skills agencies launched initiatives to support learners, identify gaps in education pathways and create routes from study to employment beyond a four-year degree. Girls’ Education: UNESCO awarded its 2026 prize to projects in Morocco and Peru helping adolescent girls stay in school and pursue further study; 133 million girls worldwide remain out of school. French School Protests: Students and teachers are protesting poor school conditions, staff shortages, long days and the university admissions system, as clashes with police intensify. Research and Innovation: Nigeria’s TETFund is setting up innovation hubs at 45 tertiary institutions to help turn research into practical solutions and businesses. Student Support: Malaysia’s 2027 budget includes RM19.1 billion for higher education, campus infrastructure funding and food assistance for students. Strikes Ease: University classes are set to resume at three Lagos institutions after lecturers suspended industrial action, while Ghana’s teacher unions also called off their nationwide strike.

Special Education Access: Namibia’s Eluwa Resource School has 600 children waiting for just 64 places in 2027; some may wait a decade for support. Workforce Links: Education and business leaders in Arkansas are building a regional hub to connect schools, colleges and employers with high-demand jobs. School Choice: New York has joined a federal scholarship tax-credit program, making taxpayers eligible for credits on donations to education scholarship groups. AI in Higher Education: EDUCAUSE urges colleges to teach baseline AI skills, as students face restrictive campus rules while employers expect AI readiness. Student Protests: Demonstrations over crowded classrooms, staff shortages and poor facilities have spread from France to six other European countries; France has pledged 3,000 teachers. Teacher Strike: Ghana’s education ministry welcomed unions’ decision to suspend a nationwide strike and return to negotiations.

France’s School Crisis: The government has pledged more than 3,000 substitute teachers for 114 secondary schools after weeks of student protests over staffing and conditions, but demonstrations continue. School Safety: After knife attacks in Poland, police checked more than 10,000 schools and detained at least 10 people over threats or weapons. Education Funding: Nigeria’s state revenues rose 93% from 2023 to 2025, yet education’s share of spending fell from 14.9% in 2021 to 12.1% last year, the World Bank reports. University Oversight: The U.S. Labor Department is investigating nine universities over alleged misuse of J-1 visas; officials say the probe will examine claims that the visas undercut wages for U.S. researchers. Haze Disruption: Perak ordered religious schools in areas with severe air pollution to close, with home-based learning advised where feasible.

France’s School Crisis: After more than a week of student protests over teacher shortages and poor conditions, the government pledged 3,000 substitute teachers for the worst-affected high schools; students say the response falls short. Skills and Training: New Zealand will fund 15 additional domestic veterinary places at Massey University each year from 2027, while nursing educators in Manila are promoting clinical simulation to better prepare students for practice. AI and Assessment: Education leaders are calling for more authentic assessment and stronger academic-integrity safeguards as generative AI spreads. Higher-Education Pressures: Lincoln University students and alumni are suing Missouri for nearly $550 million, alleging decades of underfunding; U.S. authorities have also opened a visa-fraud investigation involving nine universities. Education in Conflict: The Palestinian education ministry says more than 20,000 school and university students have been killed in three years of war, while the UN says Afghanistan needs $160 million to meet education needs.

France’s School Protests: Tens of thousands of students are demanding better-funded schools, more teachers and improved facilities. Demonstrations have spread nationwide, while police tactics face scrutiny after a teenager lost part of his arm; authorities suspended stun grenades pending an investigation. Student Safety: Malaysia’s king urged schools in haze-hit areas to close when pollution stays high, as unhealthy air readings affected dozens of locations. Skills and Curriculum: Cambodia’s prime minister called for updated curricula, digital and AI skills, and stronger links between vocational training and employers. In the Northern Mariana Islands, education leaders are also developing career pathways with local businesses. Nursing Education: A Manila symposium brought together 150 educators and health-sector leaders to explore simulation training for preparing Filipino nurses for clinical work. University Labor: Nigeria released eight months of salary arrears to university staff, averting a threatened strike.

School Safety and Protests: A stabbing at an Istanbul middle school killed one student and injured seven; a teenage suspect was detained. In France, school protests over conditions and funding have intensified, with police suspending the use of stun grenades after a student was seriously injured. School Closures: Portland families, staff and students protested plans to close 11 or 14 school buildings as the district responds to declining enrollment. Teacher Workforce: The University of Maine is offering full-tuition support for rural educators pursuing special-education qualifications, addressing a persistent shortage. Higher-Education Equity: Lincoln University students and alumni sued Missouri, alleging decades of underfunding totaling more than $361 million and seeking equitable support for the historically Black land-grant institution. Teacher Investment: A Nigerian education leader urged the government to declare an emergency on teacher education and welfare, citing poor pay and working conditions as drivers of shortages.

French School Protests: More than 250,000 people rallied over poor conditions and funding, while a 15-year-old lost his hand after a police grenade exploded. Police have suspended stun-grenade use pending an investigation. U.S. Education Department: The department’s watchdog will investigate the Trump administration’s transfer of higher-education duties to the Labor Department, following pressure from Senator Elizabeth Warren. School Safety: A Washington state man was charged with allegedly helping plan last year’s deadly attack at a Canadian school and offering to livestream it. Learning Resources: Moldova launched its first national open educational resources platform, offering teachers, students and families free materials organized by grade and subject. AI in Classrooms: Estonia’s education minister urged countries to develop global rules for classroom AI, warning that tools should build students’ thinking rather than do it for them. Haze Disruptions: Malaysia ordered schools in Batu Pahat closed after air pollution reached hazardous levels; outdoor activities were suspended in areas with readings above 100.

School Safety & Violence: A teenage girl stabbed pupils at a school in Istanbul, killing one student, as Turkish authorities investigate. Cross-Border Criminal Case: A Bellingham man, James Cody Bryant, was charged in the U.S. for allegedly conspiring with a Canadian school shooter, including advice and livestream planning. Student Protests & Policy Pressure (France): Hundreds of thousands marched as high school students block schools over education funding; officials reported widespread disruptions, arrests, and injuries, with classes suspended for “internal democracy.” School Choice Politics (US): The federal Education Freedom Tax Credit is rolling out as states must opt in; Colorado is highlighted as a key battleground while unions warn it could divert funds from public schools. Cybersecurity & Student Data: South Carolina districts reported a cybersecurity incident tied to Frontline Education systems holding student medical records and staff data. Enrollment & Access: Broward again weighs closing schools amid 61,000 empty seats; in Suriname, hundreds of parents still can’t enroll children as the new school year begins. Learning Support & Workforce: High-dosage tutoring grants target math in Connecticut; Nigeria’s UNN won approval for 12 new undergraduate programmes; and a nursing school in Erie reopened with a part-time pathway to address shortages.