Bangkok, September 2025 - The Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) reconvened its Technical Experts Network (TEN) on 1–2 September 2025, bringing together leading specialists from across the region to strengthen the technical foundations of the programme and chart pathways from new data to actionable policy recommendations. The meeting was made possible with the generous support of the UK Government through the ASEAN-UK SAGE programme

The TEN was established in 2024 to serve as a technical advisory body to the SEA-PLM Regional Secretariat and provide independent, scientific guidance on methodology, survey design, and research priorities. Members – drawn from across Southeast Asia for their expertise in assessment, pedagogy, psychometrics, and policy research – serve for the full SEA-PLM 2024 cycle.

Ms Mitsue Uemura (UNICEF EAPRO) & Mr John Siena (SEAMEO Secretariat) delivered opening remarks as SEA-PLM Co-Chairs

The network’s first gathering laid the groundwork for collaborative technical work. Over the past year, some TEN members have supported national teams in completing the System-Level Questionnaire Module 2 and providing few insights on country responses. These inputs now form a shared knowledge base that contextualises SEA-PLM 2024 results, informs policy dialogue, and underpins upcoming rounds of capacity building.

Mr Alejandro Ibanez Representing SEA-PLM Secretariat facilitate the discussion

The second meeting in Bangkok built on that momentum. Day 1 opened with programme updates and a first look at preliminary regional findings from SEA-PLM 2024. Participants exchanged views on insights emerging from Modules 1 and 2, before turning to policy reflections, including a session on the 2019 impact evaluation by KEDI (Korean Educational Development Institute). These perspectives helped frame how countries might translate assessment evidence into school- and system-level reforms.

Experts and SEA-PLM partners during Technical Experts Network Meeting during the discussion session.

Day 2 focused on shaping Module 3 and drafting an initial frame for regional policy insights and implications to be embedded in the 2024 Main Regional Report.

Prof. Andres Sandoval Hernandez (University of Bath) underlined underscored the importance of the SEA-PLM TEN network in promoting technical rigor: “Strengthening the foundations of large-scale assessment means countries trust the evidence and act with more confidence”. Dr Eun Yong Kim, Director at KEDI, added that the network helps bridge research and practice: “TEN ensures that microdata and system-level insights translate into concrete steps that Ministries of Education can act on”.  

SEA-PLM’s broader mission is to generate reliable comparative data, help countries interpret it, and support the use of evidence to inform policy. The TEN sits at the center of this process. After two days in Bangkok, members left with a refined Module 3, a sharper plan for regional recommendations, and renewed momentum to ensure data-driven insights reach decision-makers and ultimately benefit learners across Southeast Asia.

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SEA-PLM is supported by the UK Mission to ASEAN under the ASEAN-UK ASEAN-UK Supporting the Advancement of Girls’s Education (SAGE) Programme. Its content is the sole responsibility of the SEA-PLM Regional Secretariat and does not necessarily reflect the views of ASEAN-UK SAGE.