There is a unique window of opportunity to invest in Education 4.0: an approach to reimagining education in a way that is inclusive, focuses on a broad range of skills to prepare learners for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and leverages technological and pedagogical innovation to put learners at the centre of learning. Global inequities in childhood education—compounded by a Covid-19 pandemic that has shuttered schools for an estimated 1.6 billion children as well as rapid technological transformation that is sure to transform the nature work in the next generation—further underline the need to go beyond the pre-pandemic "business as usual".

In Catalysing Education 4.0, developed in consultation with leading education experts from the public, private and educational sectors, we estimate that investment in critical future-readiness skills such as collaborative problem-solving could add an additional $2.54 trillion in increased productivity to the global economy, with highest relative gains in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean. To unlock this transformation, the report highlights three key investment areas in education, including: new assessment mechanisms; adoption of new learning technologies; and empowerment of the teaching workforce.

To realize the promise of Education 4.0, stakeholders from all parts of society have a role to play – from governments and non-governmental agencies, to businesses, investors and educators, to parents and caregivers as well as learners themselves. By putting front and centre the economic case for upgrading existing education systems, we hope this report will complement other recent efforts and support a growing movement to make better education for all a universal reality.

Report by the World Economic Forum