The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) of Viet Nam, in close collaboration with the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) Regional Secretariat, SEAMEO Secretariat, and UNICEF EAPRO, convened the 1st SEA-PLM country-level strategic workshop on June 11 - 12, 2025, in Hanoi. This strategic event is part of SEA-PLM’s ongoing efforts to help countries harness the power of data to improve foundational learning outcomes across Southeast Asia. The workshop is a key component of Initiative 2: Evidence-to-policy linkages, which seeks to build national capacity to interpret, contextualize, and act upon student learning assessment data for more effective education policies. 

Over two days, representatives from MOET, local education authorities, and development partners came together to explore how data from SEA-PLM’s large-scale assessments can be translated into practical reforms that support quality education for all children in VietNam. 

Representatives from SEA-PLM Regional Secretariat and Ministry of Education and Training Group Photo

The workshop commenced with a high-level dialogue at the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) office in Hanoi, where His Excellency TT Phạm Ngọc Thưởng, Deputy Minister of Education and Training, welcomed SEA-PLM representatives and partners. During the session, Datuk Dr. Habibah Abdul Rahim, representing the SEA-PLM Regional Secretariat, extended sincere appreciation to the Deputy Minister and the entire MOET team for their remarkable leadership and commitment in successfully implementing the SEA-PLM 2024 Main Survey. 

SEA-PLM Regional Secretariat and the Ministry of Education and Training during during High-Level Discussions with His Excellency TT Phạm Ngọc Thưởng, Deputy Minister of Education and Training.

"Vietnam’s achievement in completing the 2024 Main Survey, along with other countries registering high participation rates in the region, reflects strong national ownership and a deep commitment to improving learning outcomes," Dr. Habibah shared. She emphasized that with at least two comparable data points now available, Vietnam is in a stronger position to contribute to global education indicators such as SDG 4.1.1b, which reports on minimum proficiency in reading and mathematics at the end of primary education.

His Excellency Deputy Minister underlined how the SEA-PLM survey’s insights provide essential tools to evaluate system-wide responses to learning recovery post-pandemic and to support informed policymaking. The dialogue also emphasized how Vietnam’s continued participation in SEA-PLM, particularly looking ahead to the upcoming third cycle in 2029, offers a long-term opportunity to track progress and strengthen educational equity and quality in the country.

Mr Alejandro Ibanez, SEA-PLM Programme Manager, facilitated the discussion with the education official from Viet Nam

The second day shifted to hands-on training aimed at translating evidence into meaningful insights. Education specialists, provincial officers, and school administrators joined the workshop to dive into the SEA-PLM findings. This is the essence of SEA-PLM’s Initiative 2, “Evidence-to-Policy Linkages,” which empowers countries to turn assessment data into meaningful actions and reforms. During the workshop the Vietnamese team had the opportunity to dissect the latest survey results,from system-level questionnaires that reveal the learning environment in schools, to sample items in reading and mathematics, and preliminary 2024 student achievement results reading and math. 

Group discussion during workshop

Working in groups, the educators discussed questions like: How can we support students who fell behind? And what policies can help teachers in rural areas improve foundational skills? The workshop atmosphere was one of problem-solving and encouragement. SEA-PLM facilitators shared regional “smart buys” – proven strategies to boost basic skills – and the Vietnamese team considered how to adapt these to the local context. By midday, the groups had sketched out concrete next steps. They proposed actions ranging from updating teacher training curricula with lessons learned to strengthening tutoring programs for struggling readers, to improving data sharing so that even district-level officials can use SEA-PLM insights. This action planning was in line with the National Steering Committee’s mandate, ensuring that ideas from the workshop would feed into the overall national action plans.

This country workshop in Vietnam is part of a broader push across Southeast Asia to bridge the gap between policy and practice. The outputs and insights generated from the workshop will contribute to greater understanding of Vietnam’s education reform journey and accelerate evidence-based actions and practices. Later this year, the  SEA-PLM 2024 main regional report will be released, and Vietnam aims to support the launch with country-level actions and reforms.. As one SEA-PLM representative put it, the goal is to turn data into action and commitment into impactful outcomes for all children in the region.

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The UK supports SEA-PLM through the ASEAN-UK SAGE Programme, funded by UK International Development.