Signal School-age population projected to fall 40 percent by 2040, widening regional education gaps

Summary

The report projects a 40 percent decline in the school-age population by 2040. Elementary, middle and high school enrolments are already falling steeply, while people concentrate in the capital region and large cities. Regions therefore face extinction risks and deepening inequality of educational opportunity. More schools operated on an integrated basis and a continued outflow of local talent are listed as structural factors that widen gaps between regions. The report says region-specific response systems and reforms of laws and institutions are required. The decline sits at the head of the education outlook and serves as the starting point for later tasks on regional education and regional talent.