Welcome to the first edition of World Student News, a new weekly briefing from the Global Student Forum, taking its name from the historic publication of the International Union of Students.
Published every Monday, it brings together key developments affecting students and education worldwide, alongside GSF’s perspective on what they mean for student organisations. Each edition looks back at the previous week and highlights important events, decisions and deadlines coming up. We hope it will help you stay informed, identify emerging issues and connect national developments to the wider student movement.
Last week in brief
- Indonesian police detained at least 21 people around a university student demonstration in Jakarta.
- UNESCO reported that 2.4 million Afghan girls are now excluded from secondary education.
- South Africa’s higher education minister intervened in a funding dispute that shut down CPUT.
- England guaranteed funding for significant growth in enrolment among 16–19-year-olds.
- New US measures could reshape accreditation, racial equality protections and international student mobility.
- Australia ordered the termination of an international university partnership on national-security grounds.
- An estimated 796 schools have been affected by the earthquake in western Colombia.
Key developments
Indonesia: arrests during student demonstrations
Hundreds of university students demonstrated in Jakarta on 18 August against government policies, including public spending decisions and the rising cost of education. Police blocked demonstrators from reaching the Hotel Indonesia Roundabout and detained at least 21 people whom they accused of attempting to provoke clashes. Video footage showed police using force against protesters; reports subsequently indicated that those detained had been released.
Our take: Students must be able to criticise governments and participate in public debate without violence, intimidation or arbitrary detention. The release of those detained is welcome, but student organisations should continue documenting policing practices, injuries and any subsequent disciplinary or legal action against participants. Read the report.
Afghanistan: 2.4 million girls excluded from secondary education
In an update marking five years since the Taliban seized power, UNESCO reported that approximately 2.4 million Afghan girls have been excluded from secondary education. Afghanistan remains the only country where girls and women are formally prohibited from education beyond primary school, while women have been barred from universities since December 2022.
The crisis extends across the education system: enrolment has declined, shortages of qualified teachers and learning materials continue, and community-based programmes cannot substitute for access to formal education.
Our take: Five years of exclusion cannot be treated as a temporary interruption. The international community risks normalising a system that denies an entire generation of women their right to learn and participate in society. Student organisations have an important role in keeping Afghan students visible in campaigns, policy discussions and international education forums. Read UNESCO’s updated assessment.
South Africa: government intervenes in CPUT shutdown
South Africa’s Minister of Higher Education and Training sent a departmental team to the Cape Peninsula University of Technology following protests and the suspension of activities. Students opposed a draft financial recovery plan concerning historical debt, registration, residence fees and access to academic records. The university subsequently withdrew the plan, but the institutional shutdown continued amid serious disruption, including an arson attack.
The minister instructed the team to facilitate discussions between university management, its governing council and student leaders.
Our take: Violence cannot be accepted, but it must not eclipse the underlying affordability and governance concerns raised by students. Sustainable resolution requires direct negotiations with legitimate student representatives, transparent financial information and clear, time-bound commitments on debt, registration and accommodation. Read about the ministerial intervention.
England: funding guaranteed for growing post-secondary enrolment
On 17 August, the UK government published its funding policy for institutions experiencing significant growth in enrolment among 16–19-year-olds in England, including learners with high needs up to age 24. Unlike previous arrangements, qualifying growth payments for the 2026–27 academic year will not be subject to affordability.
The government says this will allow colleges, schools and other providers to recruit any young person for whom they have a suitable place. Payments are expected to begin in May 2027.
Our take: Guaranteeing funding for increased demand is a positive step, particularly when many young people remain outside education, employment or training. Access alone is insufficient, however. Additional enrolment must be matched by adequate teaching, guidance, welfare provision and meaningful learner representation. Read the government guidance.
United States: accreditation, equality and mobility rules change direction
The US Department of Education issued a proposed overhaul of higher education accreditation on 19 August. The proposal would make it easier to recognise new accrediting bodies and place greater emphasis on cost, completion and employment outcomes.
The Department also directed schools not to change discipline policies solely to reduce racial disparities. Civil-rights advocates warn that this could weaken efforts to address the disproportionate suspension and expulsion of Black students.
Meanwhile, unions and advocacy organisations filed a lawsuit on 18 August challenging a new immigration rule that replaces admission for the duration of an academic programme with fixed periods generally capped at four years. The rule is scheduled to take effect on 15 September.
Our take: Accountability for quality and outcomes is necessary, but reforms must not weaken institutional independence, equality protections or students’ security of status. International students and marginalised learners should be represented in implementation and impact reviews, not only informed after decisions have been made. Read the accreditation proposal, and the international-student legal challenge.
Australia: government terminates university partnership with China
The Australian government ordered the Australian National University to terminate its Joint Science College agreement with Shandong University in China. ANU confirmed the decision on 20 August and said it would comply under Australia’s foreign-relations legislation.
The undergraduate partnership allowed students to begin their science education in China before continuing at ANU. The university says students already enrolled in Australia will not be affected, but arrangements for other participating students require clarification.
Our take: Governments may review international partnerships on security grounds, but students must not bear the consequences of opaque decisions between institutions and states. Any termination should include consultation, clear communication and guaranteed routes for enrolled students to complete their education without additional costs or lost credits. Read ANU’s statement.
Colombia: hundreds of schools affected by earthquake
UNICEF reported that an estimated 796 schools have been affected by the 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck Colombia’s Pacific coast on 10 August. Damage in Chocó and Buenaventura has interrupted learning and deprived children of schools as safe community spaces. The disaster has also caused extensive deaths, injuries and displacement.
Our take: Education must be included in the immediate humanitarian response; not postponed until wider reconstruction is complete. Recovery planning should involve students, teachers and affected communities and prioritise safe, inclusive temporary learning alongside equitable rebuilding. Read UNICEF’s situation update.
This week: 24–30 August
- 26 August — Slovenia’s accession to UNESCO’s Global Convention on Higher Education takes effect. The Convention establishes principles for fair recognition of qualifications and studies across borders, making implementation relevant to international students, refugees and displaced learners. Read UNESCO’s announcement.
- 26–28 August — Higher Education Summit in Bordeaux. Students, educators and researchers will discuss transformative and decolonised education for sustainability. Students should watch whether the summit translates student participation into influence over its conclusions. See the programme overview.
- 27 August — East African launch of the 2026 Global Education Monitoring Report. The regional event in Nairobi will examine access and equity in education. Its findings may support national advocacy on exclusion and unequal participation. See the UNESCO event.
- 28 August — South African parliamentary colloquium on student accommodation. National student organisations, NSFAS and other stakeholders are expected to discuss accommodation costs and the funding cap. The outcome could affect housing affordability for publicly funded students. Read Parliament’s announcement.
- 28 August — Nepal policy dialogue on access and equity. UNESCO will present the 2026 Global Education Monitoring Report alongside a national study at a teachers’ conference in Kathmandu. See the event information.
What we are watching
- The treatment of students detained or injured during demonstrations in Indonesia.
- Whether negotiations allow CPUT to resume teaching with students’ concerns addressed.
- Legal challenges to the new US rules affecting international students.
- Education continuity and reconstruction in earthquake-affected Colombia.
- Whether upcoming regional and international meetings give students meaningful decision-making roles.
Are important developments affecting students in your country? Send them to the Global Student Forum so they can be considered for the next edition of World Student News.
