Global Education Leaders to Tackle AI and Inequality in Singapore

SINGAPORE – May 07, 2026 – Next week, Singapore will become the global epicenter for educational reform as 200 of the world's leading education practitioners, policymakers, and student leaders gather for the Better Future Forum. Hosted by the Global Institute for Shaping a Better Future, an initiative of the Teach For All network, the three-day summit from May 12-14 aims to confront the most formidable challenges facing modern education and forge a new path forward.

The central question driving the forum is both ambitious and urgent: How can education systems be redesigned to develop all students holistically, equipping them not just with academic knowledge, but with the skills and character to shape a better, more equitable future? The event convenes at a time of profound disruption, with the rapid ascent of artificial intelligence, persistent geopolitical conflicts, and deepening inequalities in learning outcomes creating a critical inflection point for educators worldwide.

A System Under Strain: The Urgency for a New Paradigm

The Better Future Forum is not a routine academic conference; it is a direct response to a global education ecosystem under immense pressure. The challenges are multifaceted and interconnected. The rise of generative AI, for example, presents both unprecedented opportunities for personalized learning and significant threats. Concerns over algorithmic bias, the digital divide, and the need for new ethical frameworks loom large, forcing a re-evaluation of what it means to be a literate, critical-thinking citizen in the 21st century. International bodies like UNESCO and the OECD have warned that without careful guidance, AI could exacerbate existing disparities rather than close them.

Simultaneously, the impact of geopolitical conflict continues to devastate educational access and quality for millions of children. According to global reports, conflicts not only destroy school infrastructure but also inflict deep psychological trauma on students, creating entire generations at risk of learning loss. This reality has pushed organizations to seek more resilient and adaptable models for delivering education in crisis contexts.

These crises compound the long-standing issue of learning inequality. Even in stable environments, socioeconomic status and geography remain powerful determinants of a child's educational destiny. The forum seeks to move beyond simply improving access to schooling and instead focus on ensuring quality and equity in actual learning outcomes, a challenge that has proven stubbornly persistent despite decades of global effort.

From Classroom Innovation to Systemic Change

At the heart of the forum's strategy is the belief that the most powerful solutions are already being developed in classrooms and communities around the world. The event is organized by the Global Institute for Shaping a Better Future, which represents a strategic evolution for its parent organization, Teach For All. Known for its global network of over 60 partner organizations that recruit and train leaders to teach in under-resourced communities, Teach For All is leveraging its grassroots connections to influence systemic change.

The Global Institute, strategically based in Singapore, was created to bridge the gap between local practice and global policy. Its mission is to surface insights from exemplary educators and scale them across borders. "The Better Future Forum exists because the most powerful knowledge about how to reshape education lives in classrooms and communities," said Cheryl Fernando, Director of the Global Institute for Shaping a Better Future. "Our job is to bring those insights into the same room as the people who can help spread them."

This practice-led approach will be evident throughout the forum. The agenda includes a “Better Future Showcase,” a TED-style platform where educators and student leaders will present innovations that are already yielding results. By connecting these on-the-ground innovators with heads of state agencies, multilateral institutions, and philanthropists, the forum aims to create a multiplier effect, accelerating progress on a global scale.

Singapore: A Blueprint for Future-Ready Education

The choice of Singapore as the host city is deeply symbolic. The city-state is consistently lauded for its top-tier performance in international assessments like PISA, but its educational journey has not stopped at academic excellence. In recent years, Singapore's Ministry of Education has pivoted towards a more holistic model, emphasizing what it calls the "Desired Outcomes of Education." This framework prioritizes the development of critical thinking, creativity, civic literacy, and strong social-emotional competencies alongside rigorous academics.

Initiatives like the mandatory Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) curriculum and the integration of co-curricular activities are central to this philosophy. Furthermore, Singapore has been proactive in embracing technology as part of its "Smart Nation" vision. It is actively exploring the integration of AI into its education system, not only to enhance personalized learning but also to equip its students with the skills needed to thrive in an AI-driven economy. This blend of high academic standards, a commitment to holistic development, and a forward-looking technology strategy makes Singapore a living laboratory for the very ideas the Better Future Forum seeks to champion.

Charting a Course for Holistic Student Development

The forum's agenda will feature dedicated sessions on reshaping education in the age of AI and surfacing new evidence on holistic development. The gathering will bring together a formidable group of thought leaders, including Wendy Kopp, the visionary CEO and Co-founder of Teach For All who pioneered the model of developing leaders through teaching. Her global perspective will be complemented by local expertise from figures like Mrs. Chua-Lim Yen Ching, the former Deputy Director-General of Education at Singapore's Ministry of Education, who can offer invaluable insights into implementing systemic change at a national level.

The influence of the forum is amplified by its Global Advisory Council, which includes leaders from esteemed institutions like The Brookings Institution, The OECD, and Harvard Graduate School of Education. This intellectual backing ensures the discussions are grounded in rigorous research and global policy trends. By bringing together such a diverse coalition of practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and students from over 50 countries, the Better Future Forum aims to spark a fundamental and lasting shift in how the world approaches the education of its children.