Over the past half-century, education in the Global South has experienced dramatic expansion, with global enrollment rates for students ages 6–15, or in basic education rising from 45% in 1948 to over 95% today (UNESCO, Reimagining our futures together: A new social contract for education. UNESCO, 2021). Primary enrollment now exceeds 90% globally, and lower-secondary enrollment surpasses 85%. However, in spite of this progress, there remain persistent inequalities in access, participation, and outcomes, rooted in historical exclusion and compounded by poverty, conflict, gender, and other intersecting factors (UNESCO, Reimagining our futures together: A new social contract for education. UNESCO, 2021). Despite global gains in access to school, 251 million children remain out of school worldwide, and the COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated these challenges (UNESCO, Education at a crossroads: Are we learning yet? Global education monitoring report 2024: Climate change education—Settling the facts. UNESCO, 2024a; UNESCO, 251 million children and youth still out of school, despite decades of progress (UNESCO report). UNESCO, 2024b). We see education as having a double goal: helping individuals realize their potential and contributing to the well-being and development of the communities and societies where they live. This chapter explores the core educational challenges of the Global South with respect to access, learning, equity, relevance, governance, and systemic enablers, and situates them within the urgent call for a new future for education articulated by the Commission on the Futures of Education convened by UNESCO in 2019 (UNESCO, Reimagining our futures together: A new social contract for education. UNESCO, 2021). These persistent challenges are not only areas of concern but also represent opportunities for innovation. As discussed in the previous chapter, in this book, we explore how artificial intelligence, while not a silver bullet, can be one of the tools to address these challenges. By understanding the core challenges facing education in the Global South, we can better assess where AI has the potential to add value, and where it may fall short, ensuring that technological innovations are aligned with the dual goal of helping individuals and societies.