Building on the themes of the last two global editions of the Global Education Monitoring Report – technology in 2023 and leadership in 2024/5 – this regional edition is the result of a partnership of the GEM Report with Beijing Normal University (China), Sophia University (Japan) and the Korean Educational Development Institute (Republic of Korea). It focuses on the role of education leadership for digital transformation in East Asia, a region where some of the world’s most ambitious technology reforms are being implemented.
This report is based on three country case studies; descriptions of school leadership laws and policies from the GEM Report’s PEER country profiles; and a background paper on education leadership and digital transformation. It documents the three countries’ major efforts to prepare their local education officers, school principals and teacher leaders so that they can facilitate the effective and equitable roll-out of these reforms.
The report was released on 18 August at the Global Smart Education Conference in Beijing, China.
SHORT SUMMARY
How can education leaders in East Asia be supported to contribute to digital transformation?
The digital transformation of education requires leaders who can adapt and manage systemic changes in an environment of uncertainty. They are responsible for achieving ambitious digital reforms while balancing a growing list of related tasks, from guidelines to professional development and from strategic resource allocation and infrastructure maintenance to monitoring implementation.
This regional edition accompanies the 2024/5 Global Education Monitoring Report on leadership and follows the 2023 Global Education Monitoring Report on technology. It documents the links between the two themes in East Asia, where some of the boldest experiments in digital transformation are well underway, boosted by distance education during the pandemic and the surge of artificial intelligence. It demonstrates the central role of education leaders in advancing the digitalization of education in ways that are context specific and keep learners’ interests at the core.
School principals are gatekeepers for digital transformation. Their significant role of forging safe and inclusive digital cultures in school communities is increasingly recognized in countries’ digital strategies and plans.
Local education officials at the prefecture, municipal, country and district levels also play critical roles in overseeing digital education reforms, monitoring their implementation and submitting information for policy adaptation. Strong collaboration and communication between leadership tiers is essential to ensure that the shift to digital transformation is efficient, effective and equitable.
Drawing on the East Asian experience, this regional edition calls on countries to further recognize and support education leaders in any plans to roll out digital education reforms, fostered by effective selection processes, professional development and support measures. This should be recognized in plans, policies and guidelines to facilitate the smooth transition to the digital era in education.
By 2030, China aims to introduce AI education in all primary and secondary schools.
Foreword
In an increasingly interconnected and technology-driven world, the imperative to harness the power of digital innovation for learning has never been more critical. Education, the cornerstone of sustainable development and social progress, must not only adapt to this new reality but actively lead its evolution. Until now, discussions on digital transformation have predominantly focused on technological infrastructure or content. This report, East Asia: Lead for technology. Regional edition of the Global Education Monitoring Report 2024/5, reminds us that the indispensable role of education leaders lies at the heart of this transformation at both local government and school level.
East Asia is a compelling case study for this commitment. The region is rapidly adopting artificial intelligence and advanced digital platforms to reshape learning experiences. It is pushing education systems towards a future where technology facilitates more personalized, collaborative and accessible learning. And education leaders’ roles at the system and school level are evolving and adapting as a result.
School principals can no longer be seen as mere administrators. The arrival of advanced technologies is adding to their expanded responsibilities, which is reflected in the new digital strategies emerging from the region. Indeed, digital transformation is not just a technical shift, it is a cultural one, of which school leaders are at the helm. They need to be comfortable managing procurement and cybersecurity as well as pedagogical innovation, staff capacity and overseeing student well-being. Teacher leaders in the region are also emerging with the critical role of facilitators in this paradigm shift.
Empowering educational leaders with training is critical. Providing policy coherence, clear guidance, and sustained support must be provided for leaders at all levels. This report emphasizes the importance of a collaborative management culture, accompanied by robust guidelines and standards on technology.
Strategies may be designed centrally but reform succeeds when objectives are shared, and all actors are empowered to work towards them. This means that a distributed leadership model, where all leaders pull together for the transition, is essential. It ensures that digital transformation is not merely a top-down mandate but a deeply embedded practice that resonates throughout the learning ecosystem. Fostering collaboration, both between levels of governance and within institutions, will feed this system change.
By synthesizing the rich experiences of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea, this regional edition offers actionable insights and recommendations that can inform and inspire digital transformation efforts globally.
It is our collective responsibility to ensure that every child, everywhere, can thrive in an increasingly digital world. With strong, supported, and collaborative leadership, this future is within our reach.
Acknowledgements
The Global Education Monitoring Report team would like to acknowledge the support of numerous contributors to this regional edition.
We gratefully acknowledge the support of UNESCO, its leadership, colleagues from the education sector, the Regional Office in Beijing and the Institute for Information Technologies in Education, for their valuable support, particularly in outreach and dissemination activities.
We would like to thank our co-publishing partners, Beijing Normal University, Sophia University and the Korean Educational Development Institute, for their support in the development and dissemination of this report.
We would like to express our gratitude to the researchers and experts, listed below, who prepared country case studies and the background paper and also reviewed the draft of this report. We are grateful for all those who shared their perspectives for the country case studies and those who contributed to collecting, reviewing and analysing the information.
The report was edited by Andy Quan. We also wish to acknowledge and express our gratitude to the individuals and organizations who worked hard to support the production, design, printing and translation of this regional edition within and outside UNESCO.
COUNTRY CASE STUDIES
China
Ronghuai Huang, Jianhua Zhao, Jingwen Pan, Mohamed Oubibi and TingWen Chang
(Beijing Normal University)
Japan
Jun Kawaguchi and Yuta Yoneda
Republic of Korea
Eun Young Kim
(Korean Educational Development Institute)
THEMATIC PAPER
A framework on the relationship between system and school leadership with the implementation of digital transformation reforms in education
Junjun Chen
KEY MESSAGES
Digital transformation in education is accelerating in East Asia.
More than half of schools in China have independent digital management platforms. Japan brought its one-device-per-student target under the GiGA school programme forward from 2023 to 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The region is fast adopting artificial intelligence in education. The Republic of Korea is introducing AI-powered textbooks to be fully rolled out by 2028. China aims to introduce AI education in all primary and secondary schools by 2030.
The role of school leaders for digital transformation is gaining attention.
School principals can facilitate the growth of a digital culture, organize staff capacity development and select resources based on school needs. Their responsibilities are becoming ever more complex, ranging from procurement to cybersecurity and from pedagogy to well-being.
This is now being recognized in new digital strategies. In China, school principals are being designated as Chief Information Officers. In Japan, the 2023 education digital transformation strategy positions principals as key drivers of digital innovation.
Teacher leaders are being assigned new roles to support the digital transition in classrooms.
In China, the White Paper on Smart Education 2025 aims to provide teachers with 'new roles and missions'.
In Japan, key persons, such as 'GiGA Leaders' are driving digital innovation in schools.
In the Republic of Korea, two to three leading teachers per school are appointed to develop school-specific implementation strategies.
Local, school and teacher leaders need policy coherence, guidance and support.
Nationwide learning management and assessment systems are significant. China has integrated 32 provincial systems into a unique national Smart Education Platform, organized by education level and track.
Guidelines and standards on technology are needed to ensure its safe and effective roll-out. Japan recently released guidelines on the use of generative AI in schools.
Specialist staff are needed to support schools in the digital shift. In the Republic of Korea, digital tutors manage the maintenance of school technology infrastructure.
Leaders need to foster collaboration between levels of governance and within institutions.
Informal working groups between school leaders help them share experiences. A survey of principals in China found that the preferred training format was peer exchange.
Local education officers can facilitate collaboration. Qinghai Province in China built partnerships with its more digitally advanced Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang peers.
Consultation helps shape future digital education policies that are fit for purpose. Japan and the Republic of Korea consulted teachers in developing their digital strategies.
Leader training programmes are needed to manage the digital transition.
All three countries require new principals to receive training and have updated teacher competency frameworks to include the use of artificial intelligence.
Training is also important for system leaders. China and the Republic of Korea have ICT preparation courses for future administrators. In Japan, a survey of 815 municipalities found that negotiation and coordination were critical skills for implementing digital strategies.
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