Overview

The world is experiencing profound and wide-ranging change, due to a transition to, and impact of, the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) with its associated demands, new and emerging technologies, increasing focus on green growth, including challenges associated with climate change, urbanization, and the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. These changes have created major disruptions to the economic and social environment in many countries worldwide, which have important implications for education and schooling, and for the advancement of learning societies. This is no doubt an age of disruption. This introductory chapter provides an overview of six key themes covered in this volume. Using an evidence-based approach, this chapter describes the six parts of the volume that explore implications of these disruptions on education at all levels, and on advancement of learning societies. The book also outlines key issues, concerns, and prospects confronting education and training, and the challenges faced by countries, regardless of their level of economic or social development. An area of special emphasis is the disruptive impact of COVID-19 on powering learning societies.