While the Asia-Pacific region has made significant strides in expanding access to education, deep disparities persist in learning outcomes, digital access, and education quality. Approximately 16 million primary school-aged children and 34 million lower secondary-aged adolescents remain out of school, with a large proportion in South Asia. Additionally, 20% of children in East Asia and the Pacific are still unable to read and understand a simple text by the age of 10. This is particularly salient in rural and underserved regions, where millions of children lack access to quality schooling. Inequalities in resources, infrastructure, and teaching quality, alongside underfunded education systems and technology gaps, exacerbate this divide.
Education reduces poverty, improves health outcomes, and empowers individuals to contribute meaningfully to society. Each additional year of schooling can increase an individual’s earnings by approximately 10% and contribute to GDP growth. In the Asia-Pacific, closing education gaps could avert USD 3 trillion in future earnings losses. However, public social expenditure across Asia and the Pacific remains low. In 2023, public social protection expenditure stood at 11.8% of GDP, significantly below the global average of 19.3%.
Faith-aligned givers—philanthropists and investors motivated by their values—play a pivotal role in addressing these challenges. For decades, they have driven impactful education initiatives across Asia. Faith-aligned capital in education complements conventional methods by instilling core values and emphasising socio-emotional principles.
This brief illustrates how these values manifest in practice through the education programmes of three organisations: Dompet Dhuafa, Porticus, and Piramal Foundation. These case studies provide insights into shared values that drive meaningful change and offer replicable models for stakeholders seeking to improve education outcomes in Asia.
