The Future of Education

Achieving inclusive, equitable quality education (Sustainable Development Goal 4) and gender equality (SDG 5) remains central to both global and national development efforts. In the Philippine basic education system, gender parity is a vital measure of equity, yet regional disparities persist. This study employs Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven analytics, including time series forecasting, clustering, anomaly detection, and the Best-Worst Method for Multi-Criteria Decision-Making in assessing and forecasting gender equity trends across all 18 Philippine regions. By integrating forecasted Gender Parity Index (GPI) data into a synthesized Gender Equity Score (GES), the research offers a comprehensive view of where and how gender disparities evolve. Validation of forecasts from 2016 to 2020 confirms the reliability of the model, with actual GPI values consistently falling within the 95% confidence intervals compared to the forecasted values. Most regions demonstrate steady or improving parity; however, declining trends in Bangsamoro (BARMM) Region and Region IV-B highlight areas of urgent concern. Clustering analysis reveals three regional performance groupings, while anomaly detection identifies outliers from expected trends. The GES combines GPI average, slope, and enrollment gap to assess gender equity more holistically. Findings reveal Region IX, Philippine Schools Overseas (PSO), and Region XII as top-performing in gender equity, whereas highly urbanized regions show lagging trends and growing gender gaps in enrollment. This research provides a framework for monitoring gender equity with strategic insights for policy design. By applying AI to long-term equity monitoring, the study contributes to more responsive and sustainable education planning in the Philippines.