EdTech news, week of August 17, 2026

Monday, August 17, 2026

1. 0101:06 UTC

   Australia needs more people who think like scientists, report says

   2 outlets · first: The Conversation Policy

   Machine summary It says enrolments in subjects underpinning materials science, such as chemistry and physics, are declining.

   1. The report says not enough people in Australia are studying science.

   Reported by The Conversation and sydneysun.com (Big News Network).

Tuesday, August 18, 2026

1. 0204:15 UTC

   upGrad hits ₹2,070 Cr gross revenue as EBITDA jumps 8X in FY26

   2 outlets · first: Times of India Learning platforms

   Machine summary upGrad says it crossed ₹2,070 crore gross revenue in FY26, with EBITDA growing eight-fold to ₹123 crore. AI is now embedded in over 80% of programs and used internally to curb marketing and technology costs.

   1. upGrad reported FY26 gross revenue of ₹2,070 crore including taxes, up 7% year-on-year.
   2. Ind-AS EBITDA rose more than eight-fold to ₹123 crore, compared with ₹15 crore in FY25.
   3. Net loss narrowed 52% to ₹130 crore, the third straight year of losses falling by more than half from a FY23 peak of ₹1,142 crore.
   4. Post-Ind-AS total income closed at ₹1,732 crore, and the company held ₹530 crore in collected but unrecognised revenue for future years.
   5. More than 100,000 concurrent learners were enrolled across upGrad's online, study abroad, and offline skilling programs.

   Reported by Times of India and The Hindu.

   • upGrad
   • upGrad Enterprise

2. 0320:45 UTC

   Ontario's $10M skills fund adds new vetting across 6 programs

   2 outlets · first: chch.com Policy

   Machine summary Ontario's sixth Skills Development Fund round puts $10 million into six skilled trades training programs, with new lobbyist disclosure and individual-level vetting.

   1. Ontario is allocating $10 million across six programs in the sixth round of its Skills Development Fund.
   2. Opposition parties allege Labour Minister David Piccini violated ethics rules when handing out skills training funding, and Integrity Commissioner Cathryn Motherwell is looking into those claims.
   3. New sixth-round requirements include disclosing registered lobbyists and analyzing individuals connected to applications, not just organizations.
   4. Funded projects include YMCA-led construction training, automotive service training, and a youth electrical trades program.
   5. Minister Piccini said the fund helps people build rewarding careers and strengthens the workforce building Ontario homes and infrastructure.

   Reported by chch.com and niagarafallsreview.ca.

   • Ontario
   • YMCA
   • Skills Development Fund

Wednesday, August 19, 2026

4 events. The full rundown for August 19, 2026. The most covered:

1. 23:15 UTC Pentagon orders 30 universities to audit China partnerships 5
2. 08:15 UTC aninews.in: “NEET paper leak: Supreme Court stresses need to institutionalise NTA, seeks Centre affidavit on new reforms to curb paper leaks” 2
3. 16:45 UTC standardspeaker.com: “College is still worth it, parents say. They just want more options” 2

Thursday, August 20, 2026

1. 0403:45 UTC

   Jackson State works toward top research classification

   2 outlets · first: kysdc.com Higher ed tech

   Machine summary The university hosts roughly 400 research projects, including work by Professor Kamal Ali and student researchers on sensors attached to oyster shells.

   Reported by kysdc.com and ipowerrichmond.com.

2. 0522:30 UTC

   Recent grads blame AI for tough job market; economists disagree

   2 outlets · first: wfdd.org Ai in education

   Machine summary Recent college graduates are struggling to land entry-level jobs, and many blame artificial intelligence, according to reporting by Lee Gaines. Economists disagree on the cause: Stanford's Erik Brynjolfsson said AI is part of the story, while Harvard's David Deming said the decline in junior hiring began about six months before ChatGPT was released and attributed it to something else, such as remote work.

   1. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reports that joblessness among young adults who hold new degrees is higher than it is for workers overall.
   2. Irene Chang, who studied engineering at Georgia Tech and graduated in May, said she has applied to around 450 applications.
   3. ZipRecruiter surveyed recent graduates this spring, and almost half said AI had already impacted hiring in their field.
   4. Stanford University economist Erik Brynjolfsson said AI is not the whole story but is part of it, and that employment of early-career workers in fields such as software development and marketing management has declined significantly since late 2022.
   5. Harvard University economist David Deming said the decline in junior hiring started about six months before ChatGPT was released and said he thinks it is more like remote work.

   Reported by wfdd.org and news.wjct.org.

   • Artificial Intelligence
   • ChatGPT
   • Federal Reserve Bank of New York
   • ZipRecruiter
   • Georgia Tech

Friday, August 21, 2026

1. 0620:15 UTC

   Angelina College launches electrical lineworker program

   2 outlets · first: ksfa860.com Higher ed tech

   Machine summary Angelina College has started a new Electrical Lineworker Program, with its first students training in safety foundations, according to the college. The program combines classroom instruction with hands-on field training and was developed with support from the THECB TRUE Grant and regional industry partners.

   1. Angelina College's new Electrical Lineworker Program has its first students training in safety foundations, according to the college.
   2. Students in the program earn OSHA 10 and CPR certifications, according to the college.
   3. The program combines classroom instruction with hands-on field training in electrical theory, equipment operation and industry safety standards, according to the college.
   4. According to the college, backing for the program's creation came from the THECB TRUE Grant, and industry leaders from the region took part in its development.

   Reported by ksfa860.com and b93.net.

   • Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB)
   • Angelina College

Saturday, August 22, 2026

1. 0714:30 UTC

   Niti Aayog report estimates 8.7 crore youth not in education, work or training

   2 outlets · first: moneycontrol.com Learning platforms

   Machine summary Key facts from the reports:

   1. The report is titled 'Reimagining Skilling for Viksit Bharat@2047'.

   Reported by moneycontrol.com and orissapost.com.

   • NITI Aayog
   • Reimagining Skilling for Viksit Bharat@2047

2. 0813:45 UTC

   MIT India IRS 2026 brings together 100+ startups and student teams

   1 outlet · first: nepalnational.com (Big News Network) Edtech startups

   Machine summary MIT India IRS 2026 brought together more than 100 startups and more than 100 student teams, according to reports.

   1. MIT India IRS 2026 brought together 100+ startups and 100+ student teams, according to reports.
   2. The event was described as advancing innovation, entrepreneurship and industry-ready solutions, according to reports.

   Reported by nepalnational.com (Big News Network), heraldglobe.com (Big News Network), calcuttanews.net (Big News Network) and indiagazette.com (Big News Network).

   • MIT India
   • MIT India IRS 2026

What kind of news was it?

1. Policy 6
2. Higher ed tech 3
3. Learning platforms 2
4. Assessment 1
5. Ai in education 1
6. K12 technology 1
7. Edtech startups 1