Education leaders, policymakers, and partners across Southeast Asia gathered in the historical city of Malacca, Malaysia, on 28-30 April 2025, for the 15th Regional Steering Committee (RSC) Meeting of the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) Programme. The three day event served as a platform for dialogue, reflection, and planning to drive the future of foundational learning in the region. 

At the heart of this year’s meeting was the recognition of significant progress made in 2024 particularly the successful completion of the SEA-PLM 2024 Main Survey, which reached almost 40,000 students in more than 1,200 schools across seven participating countries. Moreover, the meeting discussed the interim results and began shaping plans for the upcoming release and dissemination of the full SEA-PLM 2024 finding later this year. The meeting centered on post-2024 action plans focusing on data analysis, dissemination, and utilization of evidence in line with the objectives of the latest programme strategy, Initiative 2: Evidence-to-Policy linkages.

The meeting brought together core member countries, honorary members, and key regional partners. Among the distinguished participants were Ms Isla Gilmore from the UK Mission to ASEAN under theForeign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), Ms Amalia Serrano and Mr Muhammad Dika from the ASEAN Secretariat, and Ms Bo-Ram Jang from the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund (AKCF).  This year’s meeting was further enriched by the presence of Her Excellency Fadhlina Sidek, Malaysia’s Minister of Education, who reaffirmed Malaysia’s dedication to foundational learning. 

Her Excellency Fadhlina Sidek, Minister of Education Malaysia, joined the Regional Steering Committee Meeting in Malacca

The presence of both long standing and newly engaged partners - such as the AKCF and UK’s FCDO - demonstrated growing international commitment to SEA-PLM’s mission. AKCF was formally recognized during the meetings for its continued support in advancing the programme’s regional impact and sustainability. While the UK government was officially welcomed as a new regional partner supported under the ASEAN-UK SAGE programme. These relationships were strengthened through a ceremonial welcome and strategic bilateral meetings throughout the event. 

Another highlight of the RSC meeting was school visits to Sekolah Kebangsaan Paya Rumput and Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (C) Wen Hua where participants engaged directly with Malaysian students and teachers. The participants observed classroom activities, engaged in an open dialogue with educators and learners. 

 Participants visited Sekolah Kebangsaan Paya Rumput and Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (c) Wen Hua to observe classroom practices and engage in meaningful dialogue with teachers and students

As the meeting concluded, a clear message emerged: foundational learning must remain a top regional priority. DatukDr Datuk Habibah, SEAMEO Secretariat Director, praised the collective achievements and called on all stakeholders to maintain momentum as the program transitions into its next phase. This includes the upcoming release of the 2024 regional report in November and the strategic preparations for the third round of assessment, SEA-PLM 2029.

Looking ahead, the SEA-PLM Regional Secretariat sets to convene the 16th RSC Meeting in 2026, hosted in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Training of Viet Nam.