To make sense of the changes provoked by the COVID-19 pandemic and its immediate aftermath, this paper critically examines digital education policy responses in the context of the 'new realities' faced by schooling. Based on seven case studies contributed by authors from Australia, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Canada, Sri Lanka, two key questions are addressed: (1) What are the 'new realities' of schooling post COVID-19? and (2) How have digital educational policies changed in response to the new realities of schooling? Findings highlight the complexity of the problem of aligning digital education policies at the macro level to the realities experienced at the meso and micro levels of schooling systems. The paper concludes with discussion of the need for, and challenges of, agile policy making at all levels (macro, meso and micro) that are necessary for schooling systems to meet the challenges and realities of a complex changing world.