Has the current pandemic changed our behaviours and the way students and children learn? Yes, definitely.
Does the new normal contribute to an equal and more inclusive education system in Asia? The answer is not that simple.
Whilst the transition to a digital economy is accelerating in many parts of Asia, with several Southeast Asian nations amongst the fastest-growing digital economies in the world, the advances are not reaching all places and groups at the same rate. Socio-economic disparities, for example, result in unequal access to technology; gender gaps, as girls are underrepresented in the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields; and unequal access to education, with some schools lacking the capacity and infrastructure to support marginalised groups such as persons with disabilities.
