5 EDUCATION TRENDS TO WATCH IN 2025

Indian education is poised on the brink of a tremendous opportunity. Personalised and adaptive learning are among the most promising emerging pedagogical approaches to improving student learning, success, and satisfaction. However, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a double-edged sword. While AI is set to bring many benefits to the workplace, such as higher productivity, improved job quality, and stronger occupational safety and health, it is also expected to impact almost 40% of jobs globally—replacing some and complementing others, according to the International Monetary Fund. Sustainability and global citizenship in curricula have the potential to influence the world of education. As we step into 2025, let us delve into the top five trends that will shape learning this year.

AI is the path forward: The use of AI and machine learning will revolutionise education by enabling personalised learning journeys, mentioned Prof Ram Kumar Kakani, Director, IIM Raipur. “AI-driven tools will analyse individual student performance, identify learning gaps, and offer customized content and strategies to help students succeed,” he said. Rev. Dr. John Felix Raj, Vice-Chancellor (V-C) of St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata, also emphasised the impact of AI and machine learning, highlighting the institution's focus on subjects that incorporate these emerging technologies. “From Al-driven personalised learning to VR classrooms, technology will redefine the archaic pedagogical methodologies. As industries call for practical expertise along with emotional and cross-cultural intelligence, management institutions are collaborating with institutions globally, launching dual-degree programmes, and attracting international students to provide hands-on training while exposing them to diverse cultures and work systems,” said said Dr Girish Jain, Professor Finance and Chairperson Admissions, Birla Institute of Management Technology (BIMTECH).

Sustainability and global citizenship in curricula: To achieve holistic and multidisciplinary education, recognising the pressing need for sustainability is crucial. “Educational institutions will increasingly embed topics like climate change, ethical leadership, and global citizenship into their programmes in 2025. Students will graduate with a sense of responsibility toward society and the environment,” said Prof Kakani of IIM Raipur. “Design institutions will lead the way in inculcating design methodologies into diverse curriculums, developing innovation and adaptability among students. Sustainability will take a prominent role, with programs integrating eco-conscious practices and circular design principles to address environmental challenges,” said Nien Siao, Dean at JS institute of Design.

Collaboration is the future: Effective collaboration fosters increased innovation, job readiness for students, and growth for companies. This is why more partnerships between academia and industries will be a priority in 2025. Joint degree programmes, faculty exchange initiatives, and international immersion opportunities will enable students to gain global exposure and develop a multicultural outlook “The education sector is pivotal in driving a nation’s economic growth and development. In 2025, Indian education is poised to embrace further transformative changes. Greater industry partnerships are expected to provide hands-on, real-world exposure for students, while holistic assessment models will replace traditional examinations,” said Niru Agarwal, Managing Trustee, Greenwood High International School.

Radhika Shrivastava ,Executive Director, Fortune Institute of International Business (FIIB) said in 2025, global collaborations will become more inclusive, enabling students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds to participate in cross-border learning exchanges. “Mental health will evolve from being a support mechanism to a core aspect of education, with institutions embedding emotional resilience training into curriculum,” she said. Prof Mahadeo Jaiswal, Director, IIM Sambalpur mentioned how collaborations between educational institutions and technology companies play a pivotal role in innovation and responsible AI deployment over time. “AI will redefine how education is delivered and redefine the skills and competencies required to thrive in a technology-driven world by 2025. We have also initiated the use of AI platforms for classroom case studies through breakout learning, prioritizing the rollout of all academic MBA courses,” he said.

Prof. Manindra Agrawal, Director, IIT Kanpur, pointed out that while the Government of India is focusing on enhancing Gross Expenditure on R&D (GERD), high-quality research and development for academic institutions remains a challenge. He suggested that enhancing industry-academia collaboration could help address this issue.

Advancing NEP goals: The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 will continue to drive educational reforms across India. Recent reforms include the introduction of Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Programs, Micro-Credentials linked Skill Programmes, mandatory internships, Four-Year Undergraduate Degrees, and two admission cycles per year in universities. The vision for NEP 2024-2025 is to transform India into a vibrant knowledge society and global knowledge superpower by providing high-quality education to all, making India a hub of research and innovation. “The emphasis on flexible learning pathways, multilingual education, and universal foundational literacy and numeracy will continue to drive educational reforms. These efforts aim to make education more inclusive, accessible, and aligned with the diverse needs of learners,” said Prof Kakani of IIM Raipur.

Generative AI in classrooms: According to Forbes, Generative AI will make significant inroads into classrooms in 2025. Widespread adoption of technologies such as AI and AR/VR across classrooms, greater emphasis on experiential learning, and increased focus on life skills such as financial literacy, critical thinking, and communication, will allow for 360-degree development of students in 2025, said Dr Satyabrata Minaketan, Chairman at ODM Educational Group. According to Anurag Gupta and Rajeev Tiwari, co-founders of Stemrobo, 2025 will witness transformative trends such as AI-powered virtual labs, immersive AR/VR classrooms, and blockchain-based credentialing systems, redefining assessments and learning validation. “Emerging technologies like Generative AI will revolutionise content creation, while AI tutors and chatbots are projected to assist 80% of students globally. The integration of AI ethics education into school curricula will also gain momentum,” they said.

The World Quality Report 2024 showed 68% of organizations now utilize Gen AI to advance quality engineering. Test automation is the leading area where Gen AI is making an impact. “Gen AI tools and solutions are clearly gaining adoption by quality engineers to assist them in their function and focus on higher-value-added tasks,” said Mark Buenen, Global Leader, Quality Engineering and Testing at Sogeti.