UNITED KINGDOM, LONDON, 2nd September 2025
Top Countries for a Future Ready Education

High grades aren’t enough! The future belongs to the digitally fluent, emotionally resilient, and culturally curious.

Preparing our children for the future demands more than high test scores. Today, the most forward-thinking education systems are those that combine academic excellence with access to robust digital infrastructure, cutting-edge technology, and a strong foundation of social confidence and emotional well-being. True preparedness is built not only in classrooms, but also through safe learning environments, cultural enrichment, and the tools to thrive in a digitally connected future.

And the stakes are only getting higher. By 2030, 170 million new job roles are set to be created and 92 million displaced, resulting in a net increase of 78 million jobs, according to the World Economic Forum. These emerging roles will require entirely new skill sets. To meet this challenge, schools and governments must take the lead, blending academic rigour with digital fluency, future-focused skills, and the emotional resilience every child will need to succeed in an unpredictable, tech-driven world.

To evaluate which countries are best preparing their children for the future, the team at GoStudent analysed a broad set of indicators. Our methodology investigates government spending on education, student-to-teacher ratios, early childhood participation rates, and PISA scores, with wider cultural and societal factors including the number of libraries and museums, national safety ratings, and overall happiness levels.

Crucially, we placed a strong emphasis on digital infrastructure and future-facing skills. This included assessing access to technology in schools, the availability of AI learning tools, and teachers’ confidence and training in delivering AI-related education. We also considered how well schools support students' mental wellbeing, reflecting the growing need for emotional resilience as a key pillar of future-readiness.

Taking all of these factors into account, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Austria ranked highest out of the six countries we analysed, standing out for their ability to balance academic performance with digital innovation, cultural access, and strong student support systems.

Different Government priorities when it comes to spending on education

Over the past decade, shifts in education funding have revealed where national priorities truly lie, and the differences are striking. Austria leads with a notable 14% increase in primary education spending since 2012, reflecting a growing commitment to early learning. Germany shows strong growth across the board, especially in upper secondary education where funding rose nearly 14% from 2012 to 2023.

Elsewhere, the picture is far less encouraging. Italy experienced a significant 12% drop in lower secondary spending since 2012, while France’s primary and upper secondary funding declined by over 3% and 5%, respectively. The UK’s investment picture is mixed, with an 11.5% rise in upper secondary funding offset by declines in earlier stages.

Such uneven investment raises an uncomfortable question: if governments aren’t funding every stage of learning with equal urgency, how can they expect to prepare students for the demands of an unpredictable, quickly evolving future?

Where are students getting more teacher time, and who’s missing out?

The number of students per teacher offers a crucial lens into classroom conditions and the individual attention students are likely to receive. Across Europe, these ratios vary widely, particularly in the early years, ranging from just over 10 nursery students per teacher in Germany, to more than 24 in France.

It’s important to note that class size and student–teacher ratio are not the same. Class size measures the number of students in a single class, while the student–teacher ratio measures the total number of students relative to each member of the teaching staff. Two countries may have similar ratios yet very different actual class sizes, with significant implications for how much direct attention students receive.

According to Felix Ohswald, GoStudent CEO and Co-Founder: “As education systems adopt more digital tools, maintaining manageable class sizes remains key, especially in ensuring that new technologies enhance, rather than replace, quality teaching.”

Large classes may save costs, but the trade-off is reduced interaction, more time spent managing behaviour, and less time on actual teaching. In fact, 75% of teachers we surveyed across the markets analysed don’t think their respective governments are doing enough to reduce the number of students in each class. 

Faced with these challenges, many parents turn to online tutoring to bridge the gap, seeking more personalised support and targeted learning that the classroom can’t offer. In a future-ready education system, the focus must be on finding the right balance, one that supports both learning outcomes and teacher wellbeing.

Which countries are giving children a head start in early education?

Access to early childhood education plays a critical role in cognitive, social, and emotional development, laying the foundation for lifelong learning. However, participation rates, especially for children under three, vary significantly across countries, often reflecting deeper cultural norms, family policies, and childcare models.

In countries like Spain and Germany, early enrolment is more common, with over 39% of children under three attending formal early education. Strong public childcare infrastructure and supportive social policies play a crucial role in enabling parents to return to work. Since 2013, every child in Germany aged one and above has had a legal right to a childcare place, backed by federal funding and a major expansion of public daycare. This policy shift has significantly increased early childhood participation by making childcare more accessible, reliable, and integrated into everyday family life.

By contrast, France and Italy report far lower enrolment in the under-three category, despite France reaching universal coverage for children aged 3 to 5. These lower early enrolment rates may reflect a cultural preference for parental or informal care in a child’s earliest years.

The UK stands out with full participation from age 3 onward, but relatively low uptake for the youngest children, pointing to a possible gap in affordable early childcare access or differing parental leave structures.

Where are education's top performers?

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is one of the most widely respected benchmarks for evaluating educational outcomes globally. Run by the OECD, PISA tests 15-year-olds every three years in key subjects to assess how well students are equipped to apply their knowledge in real-world contexts.

While PISA scores don’t capture everything, they provide a valuable insight into how education systems are performing academically. Interestingly, countries with strong or consistent investment, like Austria and Germany tend to perform well, suggesting a possible link between sustained government spend and student outcomes. That said, investment alone doesn’t guarantee high achievement; how resources are used, from teacher support to curriculum quality, also plays a critical role.

Where do students have the best access to education beyond the classroom?

Learning doesn’t stop at the classroom door. Access to libraries and museums offers children vital opportunities to explore, question, and connect with the world around them, enhancing formal education with real-world context, creativity, and critical thinking.

According to Felix, fostering a love of learning beyond the classroom is essential to raising curious and confident children who are ready for the future.

“Formal education lays the groundwork,” Felix explains, “but it’s the experiences outside of school, such as visiting museums, exploring libraries and asking big questions, that often spark the deepest and most lasting forms of learning.”

1. Connect classroom topics to real life

“If your child is learning about Shakespeare or English literature, take them to see a play or find books that bring the playwright to life. It may help reinforce knowledge in a more memorable, engaging way.”

2. Make outings collaborative, not instructional

“Let your child lead. Ask what they’d like to explore, and follow their curiosity. Turning visits into shared experiences, rather than lessons, makes them far more inspiring.”

3. Use digital resources to extend access

“Many libraries and museums offer interactive apps, virtual tours, or child-friendly podcasts. AI-powered tools, like personalised learning apps or homework helpers, can also support children in exploring topics at their own pace. These tools are great for weekend learning or rainy days at home.”

4. Create habits around curiosity

“Regular library visits, reading challenges, or family ‘discovery days’ can turn learning into a lifelong habit. The goal is to build an environment where questions are welcomed and exploration is encouraged.

“Ultimately, the more children see learning as something they get to do rather than have to do, the more motivated and future-ready they’ll become.”

5. Don’t be afraid to call in backup

“If your child is passionate about a topic that’s outside your area of expertise, whether it’s coding, creative writing, or advanced maths, consider finding an online tutor who can help them explore it more deeply. Personalised support can boost confidence, fuel curiosity, and turn a passing interest into a long-term strength.” 

Happy students learn better

When children grow up in countries with safe schools, supportive teachers, and communities that care about their well-being, they are given the confidence to focus, engage, and thrive in their education.

According to the GoStudent Future of Education Report 2025, 40% of teachers identified stress management as one of the most important skills students need to be taught to succeed in the future, and 35% of students agreed. Nearly a quarter of teachers (22%) also identified needing training on mental health and wellness to prepare students for the world of work. 

As academic and digital demands increase, building healthier, safer school environments where students feel emotionally secure, socially supported, and equipped to manage stress, is no longer optional. It’s an essential part of preparing them for life beyond the classroom.

Plugged in or left behind? The digital divide in schools

As technology continues to reshape the world of work, schools face increasing pressure to ensure students leave the classroom digitally fluent, adaptable, and future-ready. From coding and AI literacy to understanding data and cybersecurity, digital skills are becoming an essential tool in any student’s arsenal for the future. 

The findings show a growing awareness, but also a clear readiness gap. While 38% of UK teachers believe AI belongs in the curriculum, only 26% have received relevant training. Germany performs slightly better, with 38% trained and 30% in favour of AI integration. Austria and Italy, on the other hand, show lower tech infrastructure scores and limited teacher preparedness.

For education systems to keep up with rapid technological changes, digital readiness must go beyond device access. It requires equipping teachers with the training, confidence, and resources to embed future-facing skills into everyday learning.

Are schools teaching the right skills for the future? 

Technology, automation, and new industries are transforming the job market at breakneck speed, and many of today’s children will go on to work in roles that don’t currently exist yet. This makes it more important than ever for schools to focus on adaptable, future-proof skills, not just knowledge tied to current career paths.

As the job market continues to evolve, preparing students for their futures means giving them the creativity, resilience, and digital literacy to thrive in careers we can’t yet imagine.

What needs to change?

Our research makes it clear: while some countries are making strides in balancing academic performance with digital readiness, cultural access, and emotional well-being, too many are falling behind in providing the consistent funding, training, and infrastructure needed to future-proof their education systems.

If we want schools to meet the realities of tomorrow, governments must stop treating teacher training, mental health support, and digital infrastructure as optional extras. Without urgent and sustained investment, even the best intentions will crumble under outdated systems, overworked teachers, and unequal access to opportunity.

As Felix warns:

“We can’t keep asking teachers to prepare students for a changing world without giving them the time, tools, and training to do it. A future-ready education system is not a luxury, it’s a national responsibility. The cost of inaction will be measured in lost potential.”

Future readiness requires bold leadership, political will, and a commitment to building not just schools, but ecosystems of learning that are safe, inclusive, digitally capable, and emotionally supportive. This means recognising that learning happens everywhere; in classrooms, in cultural spaces, through online tutoring platforms, or right at home. Anything less is setting our children up to fail in a world that won’t wait for them to catch up.

Sources and methodology