Surprising Places Where Edtech Outshines America

With the extreme popularity of tech, it would seem like education tech would be all the rage. It certainly appears to be in the U.S., where schools can’t get enough of it.
In 2018 alone, the USDOE spent almost $140 billion on education reforms. A large portion of that went into education technology, but we’ve seen little in the way of achievement. School Districts in the US tend to waste their money on education technology, purchasing redundant programs, or letting memberships lapse without ever utilizing them.
American schools love the idea of integrating tech in instruction, but they are not alone. Most other countries are also incorporating educational technology into their classrooms and businesses.
United Kingdom
Educational tech has taken Europe by storm. The many significant education technology investments are in Nordic countries and the United Kingdom. More than half of Europe’s education technology investment growth stems from cities like London and Helsinki.
Israel (Negev)
America is probably the place that comes to mind when you think about the global tech market. That’s about to change. Israeli education technology startups not only incubate and accelerate, but they also coordinate, collaborate, and teach.
These companies in Negev do not want to revisit or rehash education technology concepts. They want to make new paradigms that will transform education. The Israeli education technology startups want to redefine how learners learn. Each program and service they develop focuses on learner-centric design.
Latin America
As the fourth largest consumer of education technology worldwide, Latin America will be investing nearly $3 billion in education by 2023. Systems like SaaS and cloud-based programs have gained popularity because they improve connectivity and inspire collaboration.
Latin Americans are taking advantage of massive open online courses (MOOCs). They rely on education technology for training and learning English to obtain better-paying jobs and stay current for global market needs.
China and India
China currently leads the education technology market in Asia. As of 2020, China invested $1.2 billion in education technology. This “Middle Kingdom” has made an ambitious plan to revolutionize its education program through tech. China devotes considerable effort to make education technology a success. However, experts predict that India will spend nearly twice what the Chinese spend on educational tech within a handful of years.
In Summary
Education technology companies wanting to make their mark outside the United States must consider international market demands. Germany and the Persian Gulf, for instance, have made a robust commitment to closing education gaps.
As a result, they have encouraged local efforts to develop education technology incubators. Education technology products and services that meet these countries’ goals could do well for themselves. Their success is dependent on addressing the unique needs and customs of learners outside the U.S.
Whether or not other countries will pass the United States in their efforts to improve academic achievement with education technology remains to be seen. For now, though, their concentrated efforts have education technology companies taking notice.