Literacy in the digital age: opportunities and challenges in the Asia-Pacific
Thursday, 4 Sep 2025
Insights from ACER’s research across the Asia-Pacific highlight how advances in digital technologies are creating opportunities and challenges for students, teachers and education systems.
This year, International Literacy Day invites the global community to reflect on the changing nature of literacy and its growing significance in an increasingly digital world. With more than 739 million youth and adults still lacking basic literacy skills, digitalisation presents both a transformative opportunity and new risks. Those without foundational literacy now face the challenge of being excluded from traditional learning systems and left behind in the digital age.
While digital tools can enhance access to learning and empower communities, they can also widen gaps if not equitably implemented. Issues such as online safety, data privacy, environmental sustainability, and the passive consumption of digital content highlight the need for strong digital literacy. In this context, literacy now means more than reading and writing – it encompasses the ability to access, evaluate and create digital content, fostering critical thinking and responsible online engagement.
Across the Asia-Pacific, where education systems are as diverse as the region itself, efforts to promote digital literacy face both promise and pressing challenges. ACER’s research in the region helps illuminate what is working and where more support is needed.
Bridging digital gaps in the Pacific: insights from the UNESCO GEM Report
ACER’s collaboration with the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report in the Pacific reveals a complex picture of technology integration in education. Our case study uncovered that while countries have taken steps to build digital capacity among students, teachers often report being underprepared, under-resourced and unsupported.
Findings from the Pacific Islands Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (PILNA) data and interviews with educators show that 77% of surveyed teachers lack access to a teaching device. Infrastructural deficits – including unreliable internet, electricity and digital resources – compound the challenge of integrating educational technology meaningfully into classrooms. Teacher training institutions are making efforts to improve digital skills, but the lack of in-school application opportunities negatively impact progress.
Donor-driven investments, while sometimes impactful, have often lacked alignment with long-term educational needs. Safeguarding, inclusive practices, and student wellbeing are not yet embedded in many education technology policies. As ACER’s study documents, coordinated strategies and sustainable investments are essential for meaningful digital literacy development in the Pacific.
Strengthening system resilience in the Pacific
The Pacific’s unique challenges – including natural disasters, migration, and climate change – make education system resilience a high priority. Through the GPE KIX Observatory on Education System Resilience, ACER is working with the Pacific Community to develop a framework to ensure that systems can better anticipate and respond to future disruptions.
Digital technology plays a key role in resilience. However, as recent crises have shown, the region needs improved contingency planning, stronger digital infrastructure, and better support for educators’ mental health and professional development. The project’s goal is to create a culturally responsive, evidence-informed model that ensures all students can continue learning – regardless of external shocks.
Digital literacy in Southeast Asia: case study from Lao PDR
In Southeast Asia, where digital transformation is progressing rapidly, ACER’s contribution to the 2023 regional UNESCO GEM Report focused on technology integration in Lao PDR. The country has made notable progress, including the introduction of digital literacy camps, teacher training platforms, and the use of blended learning and educational broadcasting.
Yet challenges persist. Despite growing digital infrastructure, disparities in access remain stark – particularly for girls, ethnic minority students and those in rural or low-income settings. Teachers’ digital capacities are uneven, and there is limited evidence on how current educational technologies impact learning outcomes or inclusion.
The Lao PDR case study highlights the region-wide need for consistent digital policies, training and infrastructure investment – all guided by robust data. Without this, technology risks becoming an added burden rather than a tool for equity and empowerment.
Addressing the gender digital divide: lessons from ASEAN-UK SAGE
As the ASEAN region’s digital economy expands – expected to contribute $1 trillion to GDP over the next decade – digital literacy is becoming essential for employability and economic participation. However, girls and women remain at a disadvantage due to unequal access, entrenched stereotypes and a lack of targeted educational support.
In 2024, the ASEAN-UK Supporting Girls’ Education (ASEAN-UK SAGE) Programme identified promising initiatives aimed at building digital skills for girls and women. These ranged from school curriculum reforms to community-based training and teacher upskilling. Yet, in countries like Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar, fewer than 1 in 4 students has internet access at home.
To realise the full potential of digitalisation, ASEAN countries must close the gender gap in digital access and skills. Investments in equitable, inclusive digital literacy programs are not only a matter of fairness – they are essential for the region’s social and economic future.
Looking ahead
ACER’s research across the Asia-Pacific demonstrates that to unlock the benefits of the digital age, learners and teachers must be equipped with the adequate tools, training and infrastructure they need. Digital literacy is no longer a luxury – it is a necessity. It holds the key to more inclusive, equitable and resilient education systems. But to make this a reality, education policies and programs must be grounded in evidence, informed by local needs and driven by a commitment to leaving no learner behind.
Further reading