Education in the Asia-Pacific region - statistics & facts
Both on a regional scale as well as within its individual countries and territories, Asia-Pacific boasts a huge disparity in education accessibility, level, and infrastructure. While East Asia and the Pacific record the second lowest illiteracy rate worldwide, South Asia has the second highest. This gap stems from fundamental differences in primary and secondary education across the region. Within APAC, the duration of both compulsory and free pre-tertiary education ranges from five to 13 years, representative of the disparity that continues across all aspects of education in the region.
Even during the pandemic, in-person classes were, on average, still the most used teaching mode in East Asia and the Pacific. In contrast, they were the least implemented mode in South Asian schools, where partial school openings were most common. During partial school openings, schools either implemented a rotation system or were only open temporarily to students from specific grades or those preparing for exams. These difficult conditions for both teachers and students have led to major learning delays across the region, which already averaged six months in East Asia and the Pacific and 12 months in South Asia as of April 2022.
COVID has reinforced existing education inequities
The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on education are multifaceted and long-term. In APAC, they have exacerbated existing regional discrepancies. South Asia and some Southeast Asian countries were particularly affected by prolonged durations of full and partial school closures during the height of the pandemic.Even during the pandemic, in-person classes were, on average, still the most used teaching mode in East Asia and the Pacific. In contrast, they were the least implemented mode in South Asian schools, where partial school openings were most common. During partial school openings, schools either implemented a rotation system or were only open temporarily to students from specific grades or those preparing for exams. These difficult conditions for both teachers and students have led to major learning delays across the region, which already averaged six months in East Asia and the Pacific and 12 months in South Asia as of April 2022.
