REPORT JULY 2026 - FROM ACCESS TO IMPACT - GOVERNMENT DECISIONMAKING AND SCALING OF EDTECH IN SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ASIA

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Jake

Report July 2026 analyzes how governments in South and Southeast Asia choose and scale education technology (EdTech), especially after COVID-19. Despite growing investment, it finds limited evidence on decision processes and how scalability, political economy, and sustainability are weighed. Synthesizing research and interviews, it examines motivations, feasibility, and sustainability constraints shaping scaling outcomes. Recommendations guide decisionmakers toward evidence- and sustainability-informed approaches to reduce inequities and fragmentation while improving lasting learning impact.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages30

Reading Time1 h 16 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Recommendations for decisionmakers

Start with the hardest-to-reach locations and users

Focus on the purpose, not the product

Strengthen institutional capacity as a core scaling strategy

Invest in contextualization of innovations

Prioritize interoperability and system coherence at all

REPORT JULY 2026 FROM ACCESS TO IMPACT: GOVERNMENT DECISIONMAKING AND SCALING OF EDTECH IN SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ASIA BY MOLLY CURTISS WYSS AND BRAD OLSEN ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, the authors would like to thank the government representatives, education specialists, and other interview participants who generously offered their time and perspectives on the topics covered in this report. The authors also wish to thank Eden Foster and Junjie Ren at the Brookings Institution for their contributions to this report. Appreciation is given to Emily Morris, Charlie Radman, and Rebecca Winthrop for thoughtful comments on earlier drafts. This project is supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) through a Knowledge Partnership Agreement. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of the ADB, its country teams, or its board of directors. Brookings is committed to quality, independence, and impact in all of its work. Activities supported by its donors reflect this commitment, and the analysis and recommendations are solely determined by the scholar. Throughout the drafting of this report, the authors used generative AI tools such as Anthropic’s Claude and Microsoft’s Copilot. These tools were used, in limited cases, to summarize research articles, locate sources, visualize findings, as well as lightly edit and streamline earlier drafts. All outputs were reviewed by humans, revised for factual accuracy, and checked for plagiarism by the authors prior to publication. The AI tools did not contribute any original ideas or writing to the report. MOLLY CURTISS WYSS is an assistant project director at the Center for Universal Education in the Global Economy and Development Program at Brookings. BRAD OLSEN is a senior fellow at the Center for Universal Education in the Global Economy and Development Program at Brookings. ABOUT THE CENTER FOR UNIVERSAL EDUCATION For over two decades, the Center for Universal Education ( CUE) at Brookings has been atthe forefront of global policy research focused on inclusive education and skills development. We work in partnership with educators, policymakers, communities, young people, and others across the globe to advance research, develop practical tools, and create spaces and mechanisms for sustained dialogue, transformative learning, and cohesive action in support of inclusive, equitable, high-quality, and contextually relevant learning. Cover photo by Bayu Syaits on Unsplash. GOVERNMENT DECISIONMAKING AND SCALING OF EDTECH IN SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ASIA i INTRODUCTION In the past decade, especially since COVID-19, interest in education technology (EdTech) has surged to expand learning, boost access, and improve education. Despite rising investment, little evidence exists on how governments choose and scale digital innovations, the forces influencing decisions, and how scalability, political economy, and sustainability are considered. Filling this gap is vital for equitable, lasting learning improvements. This brief addresses this gap by bringing together existing research on scaling the impact of promising or proven innovations (Brock 2026; Cooley and Linn 2024; Fullan and Pomfret 1977) with analysis on government decisionmaking around education reform in low-and middle-income countries (Carney and Klerides 2020; Kucirkova et al. 2026; Mundy 2007; Olsen 2023) . Drawing on this work and interviews conducted with key stakeholders, the brief examines the forces informing decisions about EdTech in South and Southeast Asia and the constraints and enabling factors that shape the scaling process. This brief is written for decisionmakers in central and subnational government, local officials, funding representatives, private-sector EdTech providers, and researchers. It offers analysis organized around three dimensions—motivation, feasibility, and sustainability—and proposes recommendations for making clearer, better-informed decisions around scaling Ed

FAQs

What problem does the report address about EdTech scaling?

It addresses the lack of evidence on how governments select and scale digital innovations, including what drives decisions and how scalability, political economy, and sustainability are considered.

How does the report assess the forces shaping EdTech decisions?

It combines a review of relevant literature with analysis of government decisionmaking and interviews, organizing insights around motivation, feasibility, and sustainability.

What is the report’s key finding about government priorities?

Decisionmaking in these contexts often prioritizes motivation and feasibility for scaling over sustainability and evidence, which increases risks to equity and coherence.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Jake