Digital learning works best when platforms, content and access are treated as infrastructure

The signal

UNESCO and UNICEF’s Gateways direction frames national digital learning platforms as public goods. This shifts attention from isolated apps toward quality, inclusion, governance and long-term national capacity.

What the evidence asks us to notice

• Common platforms can widen access.
• Curriculum alignment improves trust.
• Offline and low-cost access matter.
• Teachers and families need a role in platform design.

The Asmbly lens

Asmbly can complement public content infrastructure by organising how a teacher uses curriculum and resources across the week, rather than trying to own every piece of content.

A necessary limit

Public-good language does not remove questions about procurement, privacy, commercial sustainability and interoperability.