1.1 Global Education Inequality

Educational inequality manifests in diverse forms across countries, regions, and socioeconomic strata, significantly limiting humanity’s potential for progress. XIIID has thoroughly analyzed this issue from multiple perspectives and proposes solutions to address it.

Realities of Regional Educational Disparities

• Overheated Education Systems: In East Asian countries such as China, South Korea, and Japan, intense competition for university admissions leads to severe stress and burnout among students. This fosters rote memorization and standardized learning over creativity.

• Income-Based Disparities: In advanced economies such as the United States, access to quality educational facilities, teachers, and learning environments varies significantly based on household income levels.

• Infrastructure Deficiencies: Regions such as Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia face shortages of qualified teachers and lack basic infrastructure, including classrooms, electricity, and internet limits the application of AI and modern technologies.

These diverse forms of educational inequality stem from the following structural causes:

• Digital Divide: Global disparities in internet access, particularly pronounced in low-income regions, result in unequal access to online learning resources.

• Imbalanced Educational Content: High-quality educational resources are often limited to major languages such as English, Chinese, and Spanish, limiting access for learners in minority language communities.

• Fragmented Educational Data: Learner’s academic records and achievements are segmented across institutions and countries, restricting global educational mobility.

Such multidimensional educational inequalities present complex challenges that cannot be resolved through a single technology or approach.