During the pandemic, some students learned math from their country’s top teachers—on national television. In Uzbekistan, when schools shut down, the government partnered with broadcasters to deliver high-quality lessons across the country. Even children in remote areas had access to the best instruction available. The result? No measurable learning loss—an outcome that was almost unheard of globally.
This case illustrates a critical lesson: innovation matters—but only when paired with support, training, and equitable reach. Education systems around the world are now investing in AI, EdTech, and personalized learning platforms. But the benefits of innovation will remain out of reach for many unless we rethink how it’s deployed.
Too often, educational innovation starts in well-resourced, well-connected schools. These institutions have the infrastructure, trained teachers, and administrative flexibility to experiment with new tools. Meanwhile, less advantaged schools—where innovation could make the biggest difference—get left behind. Instead of narrowing the gap, we risk widening it.
Innovation needs an engine
The global push for digital transformation has largely focused on infrastructure. We celebrate numbers: how many students are connected; how many devices have been distributed. But access is just the road. If no one knows how to drive, you won’t get very far.
Technology only works when it’s embedded in effective teaching and learning practices. That means supporting teachers, training students, and aligning innovation with what actually improves learning. The most promising investments in education technology during COVID-19 were those that went beyond hardware—investing instead in professional development, broadcast strategies, and community engagement.
The TV teacher model in Uzbekistan worked because it combined scale with quality. Similar lessons come from countries like Uruguay and Bangladesh, where education ministries worked with telecom providers, teachers, and parents—not just tech vendors. In each case, the key was not the tool itself, but the system supporting it.
Support matters more than the platform
As AI and other adaptive technologies develop, they could help personalize learning and accelerate progress. But they also risk reinforcing inequality if they are only accessible or useful to students who are already ahead.
To make innovation inclusive, we need strategies that support students who are in school but not learning—still one of the most widespread challenges in education today. Two approaches stand out: structured pedagogy and teaching at the right level.
These interventions help teachers tailor instruction to students’ actual knowledge levels, not just their age or grade. They work with or without technology, and when tech is used to scale or reinforce them, the gains can be substantial. Research shows that when implemented well, these approaches can yield $65 in benefits for every $1 invested. That’s not just a good return—it’s a smart use of limited education budgets.
In fact, a 6% increase in education spending, if directed toward these high-impact strategies, could more than double learning outcomes in low- and middle-income countries. That’s the kind of smart innovation that pays off—not just in economic terms, but in lives transformed.
Moving together, not apart
What makes innovation truly powerful is not the novelty of the tool, but its ability to support more learners, more equitably, and more effectively. We don’t need fancier apps—we need stronger systems.
That means investing not only in access, but in training, coaching, feedback, and curriculum alignment. It means designing public-private partnerships that are accountable and aligned with national goals—not just technology pilots chasing scale. It also means collecting evidence and learning quickly, adapting innovation to local realities.
Education innovations often fail to reach the students who need them most. It doesn’t have to be that way. We know how to make smarter investments. We know that targeted support works. We know the road—but we still need more drivers, more guides, and more maps.
Let’s make sure that when we innovate in education, we do so with all students in mind—not just the ones already ahead. Innovation should be a bridge, not a barrier.
*From my remarks at the EdHeroes Global Forum, July 11, 2025.
Education, economics and public policy 