Bangkok, March 2026 - A series of SEA-PLM country planning meetings and National Steering Committee meetings in Cambodia, Lao PDR, the Philippines, and Viet Nam brought ministries, technical teams, and partners together to examine the 2024 results, reflect on Initiative 2, and map out what needs to happen next to strengthen foundational learning across the region. 

Across Cambodia, Lao PDR, the Philippines, and Viet Nam, SEA-PLM convened a series of country-level planning meetings and National Steering Committee discussions that brought the regional evidence much closer to national priorities. While each meeting had its own context, the direction was shared: review the 2024 findings, reflect on the progress of Initiative 2, and identify where policy, planning, and implementation need to move next.

SEA-PLM Country Planning meeting in VietNam, Cambodia, Lao PDR, and The Philippines

In the Philippines, discussions focused on how SEA-PLM evidence can continue to support national reforms, particularly through their Initiative 2 efforts in building teachers’ skills on assessments through capacity-building workshops and the curriculum mapping exercise.  The meeting also gave space for stakeholders to look closely at the country’s results and discuss its implications in relation to curriculum reforms, teaching and learning, and assessment practices.

In Lao PDR, the conversation centred on how SEA-PLM evidence can be systematically leveraged to support the national education reform currently underway, particularly within the framework of the 6+3+3 structure. Discussions focused on how findings from SEA-PLM can inform reform priorities through Initiative 2, with an emphasis on item-by-item analysis to generate more granular insights into student performance in reading and writing, and to identify specific learning gaps that can be addressed through curriculum refinement and targeted interventions. Participants highlighted the importance of aligning these insights with ongoing curriculum reforms and strengthening their translation into classroom practice, particularly through continuous professional development (CPD) for teachers to enhance pedagogical responses to identified learning needs. The meeting created an important bridge between technical review and policy reflection.

In Cambodia, the planning discussions were closely tied to questions of implementation. Participants reflected on writing instruction, school improvement, assessment practices, and the need to understand more clearly what is happening in classrooms and why. The discussion showed strong interest in turning SEA-PLM evidence into more practical guidance for teachers and schools, especially in areas where improvement depends not only on data, but on consistent support and shared understanding of how to respond.

In Viet Nam, the meeting looked strongly to the future. Discussions connected SEA-PLM evidence with the implementation of the 2018 curriculum, the shift toward student-centred learning, teacher training, digital transformation, and support for more inclusive education. Viet Nam also used the meeting to shape how Initiative 2 can respond to national priorities while preparing for the broader regional agenda ahead.

SEA-PLM Regional Secretariat and National Team during the discussions

At the same time, the regional discussion went beyond the countries that hosted meetings in March. SEA-PLM’s 2026 workplan, presented at the Philippine meeting, noted that the planning and National Steering Committee discussions in Cambodia, Lao PDR, the Philippines, and Viet Nam would be followed by consultations with Myanmar and Malaysia. The update also highlighted capacity building on Curriculum Mapping as part of the agenda. This shows that even when SEA-PLM was not holding an in-country meeting in March, the process continued through regional consultations and curriculum-focused work. These efforts help connect assessment results with curriculum improvement and classroom practice.

Country voices throughout the meetings reflected that practical focus. In Cambodia, participants spoke about the value of helping teachers “translate the band into teaching guidance and how to teach better,” pointing to the need to make assessment findings more useful in the classroom. In the Philippines, the discussion underscored the need to keep “moving the needle forward on foundational learning,” while in Lao PDR the concern returned to how training can be sustained and translated into practice over time. Viet Nam, meanwhile, pushed the conversation toward how evidence can better support curriculum reform, teacher development, and stronger learning outcomes.

Taken together, the country planning meetings made one thing clear: SEA-PLM is no longer only a platform for reporting results. It is becoming a stronger space for countries to reflect together, test ideas, and turn evidence into action.

As countries prepare for the next regional discussions and the road to SEA-PLM 2029 begins to take shape, the call from these meetings is clear. Keep the dialogue active, keep the evidence close to policy, and make sure the next steps lead all the way back to the classroom  where foundational learning is shaped every day. 

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

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