Vol. 3 - 2026
Education remains a vital tool for national growth and development, as no nation can rise above the quality of its education. Ensuring equitable access to quality education across geographical locations is therefore essential, particularly in the area of science, technology, and information and communication technology (ICT). Mathematics, being the language of science and technology, plays a central role in this process. However. opportunity and access to the teaching and learning of mathematics remains unequal between urban and rural schools due to disparities in the availability of material and human resources such as electricity, conducive learning environment, and teachers.The emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers new possibilities for reducing these educational gaps. AI facilitates personalized learning, assessment, and instructional support, thereby enhancing teaching and learning processes in both urban and rural contexts. This paper was considered in eight sections, namely: Introduction, urban - rural divide in mathematics education, the promise of AI integration in education, risk and ethical consideration, policy framework for equitable AI integration, conclusion, and recommendations. Leveraging on available current literature and policy guidelines, the policy paper proposes a strategic framework for leveraging AI to promote equity in the teaching and learning of mathematics across geographically diverse settings. The framework was built on five main pillars, namely: infrastructural development, teacher capacity building, inclusive curriculum design, governance and accountability, and monitoring, evaluation and research. The paper concluded by making implementable recommendations for government, technology developers, policy makers and educators. Important suggestions include priortising AI infrastructure in rural schools and engaging teachers in participatory design processes among others.
Artificial intelligence, Rural–urban divide, Educational equity, Policy framework
For Readers
For Authors
For Libraries