Global education ‘not aligned with real needs’, says OECD chief

A global academic leader has urged countries to make education systems more “relevant” in a climate of growing AI automation and dwindling employment opportunities for university graduates.

Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), argued that countries around the world face a “growing mismatch” between what education provides and the world “really needs.”

Universities risk preparing students for tasks that are evaporating from labour markets, leaving them with fewer opportunities after they graduate

Appearing on the inaugural episode of The Education World Forum Conversations podcast, Schleicher highlighted the ironic but well-known disparity in which university graduates suffer from unemployment while companies worldwide claim that the skills of the modern workforce are inadequate.

Schleicher asserted that AI has revolutionised the landscape, and that in this context the issue with education systems is not “efficiency” but rather “relevance”.

This is because skills that are “easy to teach” and test are increasingly “easy to digitise” and automate. As a result, universities risk preparing students for tasks that are “evaporating from labour markets”, leaving them with fewer opportunities after they graduate.

The stakes are high, as the OECD Director warned that if education cannot help us “develop our humanity”, we risk losing it and “wash[ing] away the very foundations of our societies.”

To Schleicher, the solution lies in moving away from lengthy university courses to micro-credentials that compound over time and build a solid foundation in technical skills.

Simply expanding educational opportunities is not enough; education systems must also ensure that learners develop the skills they need to thrive

OECD

Some countries are working to address the issues raised by the Schleicher. Singapore’s SkillsFuture movement is trying to shift to a more personalised system of education by providing Singaporeans with opportunities for lifelong learning and skills development.

Schleicher also discussed the impact of growing social inequality on the educational divide, exploring how it deprives the affected side of economic, social, and political processes in the long-term.

This is a direct opposition to the OECD’s diverse and inclusive approach which not only delivers equal opportunities but also ensures equitable outcomes for the entire spectrum of a population.

Indeed, while the proportion of adults in OECD nations completing tertiary education rose from 27% to 48% between 2000 and 2025, literacy and numeracy skills were negatively impacted between 2012 and 2023, illustrating a clear mismatch.

The OECD has argued that “simply expanding educational opportunities is not enough,” and that “education systems must also ensure that learners develop the skills they need to thrive.”