OECD Education Policy Outlook 2025: Lifelong Learning as a Strategic Resilience Tool
SDG 4: Quality Education | SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
Institutions: Ministry of Education (MoE) | National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT)
The OECD’s Education Policy Outlook 2025 presents a new framework for building resilient societies by treating lifelong learning not as a slogan, but as a systemic necessity. The report argues that the traditional “learn-work-retire” model is obsolete due to rapid digitalization and demographic shifts. Instead, it proposes a “Will, Skills, Means” framework to empower individuals to learn continuously:
Will: Fostering agency, curiosity, and motivation.
Skills: Developing foundational, digital, and metacognitive competencies.
Means: Providing resources, time, and flexible pathways.
The report identifies four critical life moments where policy intervention yields the highest returns:
Early Childhood (0-6 years): The foundation of curiosity and self-regulation. Policies must shift from simple “care” to high-quality “early learning” interactions.
Adolescence (10-16 years): A pivotal time for identity formation. Systems must prevent disengagement by connecting learning to real-world career readiness and fostering student agency.
Mid-Career (35-44 years): A stage of high risk for skills obsolescence. Policies should focus on “stackable credentials” and modular learning to allow working adults to upskill without leaving employment.
Approaching Retirement (55-65 years): Reframing this stage from “exit” to “contribution,” using learning to extend employability and social participation.
India Context & Policy Alignment
Non-Participation: It is important to note that India was not among the 35 education systems formally participating in this specific OECD study. However, the report’s findings strongly validate the strategic direction of India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Early Childhood: The OECD’s emphasis on “process quality” (interactions) mirrors India’s NIPUN Bharat mission and the shift to a 5+3+3+4 structure, which formally integrates early childhood care (Anganwadis) into the educational continuum for the first time.
Adolescent Agency: The OECD’s call for “career readiness” in early adolescence aligns with the NEP’s introduction of vocational education and internships from Grade 6, a radical shift intended to build “skills and means” early.
Flexible Pathways: The report’s recommendation for “stackable qualifications” for mid-career adults is directly being operationalized in India through the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC), which allows learners to accumulate credits from different institutions and exit/re-enter education flexibly.
Policy Relevance: For India, this report serves as a global implementation benchmark for the NEP 2020. As India navigates its demographic dividend, the OECD’s evidence on “mid-career” upskilling is particularly urgent. India’s massive working-age population risks obsolescence in an AI-driven economy unless the “means” (digital infrastructure like DIKSHA/SWAYAM) are matched with the “will” (motivation) and “skills” (pedagogy) frameworks highlighted in this report.
Follow the full news here: OECD Education Policy Outlook 2025