Hanoi, May 2026 - Following the 16th SEA-PLM Regional Steering Committee Meeting in Hanoi, Ministries of Education, regional organizations and education partners gathered for the International Scientific Workshop on Policy Trajectory for International Large-Scale Assessments in Southeast Asia: Improving Assessment to Improve Learning for Advancing ASEAN Basic Education.

Organized by the Ministry of Education and Training of Viet Nam in collaboration with the SEA-PLM Regional Secretariat with the support of the Government of the Republic of Korea, through the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund, the workshop aimed to deepen regional cooperation on the development, implementation, and use of national and international large-scale assessments. More importantly, it created a space for countries to consider how assessment findings can be translated into practical education reform, from curriculum improvement and teacher support to more evidence-based decisions for children who are most at risk of being left behind.

The workshop was guided by three shared goals, which are to exchange lessons on how large-scale assessment can strengthen national assessment systems, to explore how assessment results can inform curriculum reform and teacher support, and to promote peer learning through the sharing of country experiences, technical expertise and innovations in evidence-based decision-making. 

A regional dialogue focused on assessment utilization

Across Southeast Asia, learning data continue to point to urgent challenges. SEA-PLM 2024 evidence shows that only around half of grade 5 children meet minimum proficiency levels in reading, while approximately one-third meet this level in mathematics. Progress among students at the lowest proficiency levels remains slow, and learning gaps continue to be shaped by factors such as socioeconomic disadvantage, gender, language and access to supportive learning environments.

The workshop therefore focused not only on what the results show, but on what education systems can do next. Rather than presenting one regional solution, countries shared different pathways for turning evidence into action, from strengthening national assessment architecture and improving classroom materials to building long-term monitoring mechanisms and teacher support systems.

The Philippines highlighted how participation in international large-scale assessments can contribute to the improvement of national assessment systems. Its experience showed the importance of establishing a strong policy foundation, a clear national coordination mechanism and consistent technical standards for test administration, data management and reporting. The Philippines also shared lessons that have been integrated into national assessment practice, including the use of field trials to improve assessment items, the application of international assessment frameworks, improved reporting practices and the use of modern measurement approaches to better understand learner performance. 

Thailand presented a complementary perspective through its use of PISA evidence. Rather than focusing only on performance trends, Thailand has drawn attention to the learning conditions behind the results, including student well-being, self-directed learning, parental engagement, the balanced use of digital devices and equitable access to teachers and learning resources. Thailand’s experience also demonstrated how assessment evidence can be translated into practical support, including an online test practice system, a literacy development package and an online professional development programme on formative assessment. These initiatives show how evidence can be brought closer to teachers and learners. 

Dr Khanh Pham Quoc - Deputy Director General Viet Nam Quality Management Agency of Ministry of Education and Training Viet Nam, Dr. Nor Saidatul Rajeah Zamzam Amin - Director of Educational Planning and Research Division Ministry of Education Malaysia, Dr Puttoei Talawat - Director, Educational Assessment Unit of The Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology (IPST), Ms Gretchen Cordero - Chief Education Program Specialist of the Department of Education Philippines

Cambodia’s contribution focused on using SEA-PLM 2024 evidence to strengthen foundational learning. The country reported improvements in both reading and mathematics between 2019 and 2024, while also recognising that result must lead to sustained support for schools and teachers. Cambodia is connecting SEA-PLM findings with early-grade learning and the Primary Learning Programme, including work to develop standardised assessment items and learning content based on SEA-PLM technical frameworks. Its approach also places importance on teacher capacity, classroom assessment, teaching manuals and school-level action planning.

Lao PDR, meanwhile, demonstrated how item-level analysis and curriculum mapping can identify the precise learning difficulties faced by children. Its analysis pointed to challenges in basic vocabulary, reading comprehension, mathematical concepts and the use of learning materials that are responsive to local contexts. This evidence is informing a roadmap to review curriculum and foundational literacy outcomes, improve teaching and learning materials and strengthen teacher preparation and classroom support.

Malaysia presented an approach centred on institutional coordination and long-term follow-through. Through its International Benchmarking Committee, Malaysia is building a mechanism to connect evidence from SEA-PLM, PISA and TIMSS with national planning, curriculum, pedagogy, teacher training, monitoring and state-level implementation. This work is further supported through its Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Expertise Programme pathway, which aims to move from identifying learning gaps to developing better diagnostic tools, supporting teachers and monitoring progress.

As the host country, Viet Nam shared how national and international large-scale assessments are being incorporated within its national planning for education improvement. Through its national master plan for large-scale assessment to 2030, Viet Nam is using evidence from SEA-PLM, PISA, TALIS and national assessments to inform the implementation of its general education curriculum and identify equity-related priorities. SEA-PLM 2024 findings in Viet Nam point to the need to provide targeted support for students below minimum proficiency levels, expand reading materials for boys and children in remote areas, monitor widening socioeconomic gaps and strengthen higher-order thinking skills.

A gallery walk that turned country experiences into shared regional learning

Participants during gallery walk in the ASEAN Forum

Beyond presentations and discussion sessions, the workshop included a gallery walk where country delegations showcased evidence-based reforms and strategies to improve learning outcomes. Participants moved between country stations, exchanged information, and discussed the lessons behind different approaches. 

The gallery walk provided an important space for more open and practical dialogue. Countries were not only reporting what they had done, representatives from the ministries were learning from one another about the choices, challenges and tools involved in making evidence useful. A teacher-support mechanism in one country, a curriculum-mapping approach in another, or a national coordination structure elsewhere could offer valuable insights for adaptation in different contexts.

This peer exchange reflected the broader value of regional cooperation in education. While each country faces its own priorities and system realities, the workshop demonstrated that countries can learn together about how to strengthen assessment quality, make results more understandable and translate evidence into action for children.

Held after the Regional Steering Committee Meeting, the workshop reinforced a practical next step for SEA-PLM and served as a bridge between evidence and implementation. The country experiences shared in Hanoi showed that this work is already taking shape in different forms across the region. Together, the representatives of the ministries point toward a common direction to strengthening the assessment system not simply to measure learning but to improve it.

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SEA-PLM is supported by the  Government of the Republic of Korea through the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund (AKCF). Its content is the sole responsibility of the SEA-PLM Regional Secretariat and does not necessarily reflect the views of AKCF.”