Education Budget Pressure (Philippines): A civil society group says the proposed 2027 DepEd budget would cut support for learners with the biggest barriers, including Special Needs Education (down ~18.5%), Indigenous Peoples Education (more than halved), and Alternative Learning System funding. Literacy Push (Malaysia): Malaysia marks International Literacy Day with a call for reading to become a nationwide habit by 2030, involving government, libraries, schools, families, and media. STEM Gender Gap (UK): EngineeringUK urges action after data show girls and young women remain underrepresented on engineering and technology pathways. Technical Pathways (UK): Darwen’s school is approved to become England’s 45th University Technical College, expanding employer-linked routes. School Place Crunch (South Africa): Gauteng’s grade 1 and 8 intake sees application numbers far outstrip capacity, renewing placement worries. School Safety & Discipline (Trinidad & Tobago): A Tobago schoolboy is arrested over a relative’s death as the new term begins, raising concerns about students’ futures. Online Safety (Australia): A national child-protection campaign shares practical steps for parents to reduce risks online. Skills Alignment (Sri Lanka): Cabinet approves a 10-year TVET roadmap to fix skills mismatches and reshape vocational training governance.