Bangkok, July 2026 - Held in hybrid format at the Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort in Bangkok, Thailand, on 17 July 2026, the SEAMEO Diplomatic Briefing and Policy Roundtable brought together 76 participants from Ministries of Education, diplomatic missions, SEAMEO Regional Centres and Network, and regional and international partner organisations. The gathering strengthened regional commitment to advancing foundational learning, reinforcing collective action to translate SEA-PLM evidence into policies and programmes that improve children’s learning outcomes across Southeast Asia. It also marked the official launch of the SEA-PLM Pluriannual Strategic Framework 2026–2031, which places greater emphasis on the use of SEA-PLM 2024 results, and signalled the beginning of the programme’s third cycle, SEA-PLM 2029. The event is part of the SEA-PLM Phase 2 project supported by the Government of the Republic of Korea through the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund (AKCF)

At the Diplomatic Briefing and Policy Roundtable, participants reaffirmed the importance of sustained regional cooperation to strengthen foundational learning and ensure that evidence leads to meaningful improvements for children. The newly launched five-year SEA-PLM Pluriannual Strategic Framework 2026–2031 provides a shared direction for turning this commitment into action. Through the SEA-PLM 2029 assessment and stronger Evidence-to-Policy Linkages, the programme will help countries track progress, make greater use of SEA-PLM 2024 findings and other evidence, strengthen national capacity, and translate learning data into policies and classroom practices that improve opportunities for every child.

Datuk Dr Habibah binti Abdul Rahim (SEAMEO Secretariat) and Ms Julianna (UNICEF) opened the diplomatic briefing session

Opening the briefing, Datuk Dr Habibah Abdul Rahim, Director of the SEAMEO Secretariat and SEA-PLM Co-Chair, called for deliberate action to address learning disparities and reinforce education systems. Ms Julianna Lindsey, UNICEF Deputy Regional Director forAsia and the Pacific and SEA-PLM Co-Chair representative, underlined the same challenge: learning data must be translated into reforms that improve foundational learning for every child. In his keynote address, H.E. San Lwin, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, encouraged stronger cooperation between governments and partners to build inclusive, resilient, and future-ready education systems.

Mr Sanjay Wijesekera, UNICEF Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, and Datuk Dr Habibah Abdul Rahim, Director of the SEAMEO Secretariat signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen their collaboration through the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM).

The launch was also backed by a renewed five-year partnership between the SEAMEO Secretariat and UNICEF to jointly guide the programme. 

The country's responses showed that SEA-PLM is already influencing decisions beyond the assessment itself. Cambodia plans to use the evidence to strengthen early-grade reading and mathematics, curriculum implementation, pedagogy, and support for underperforming schools. Lao PDR confirmed its participation in SEA-PLM 2029 and intends to use the results in developing its education sector plan for 2030-2035.

Malaysia is embedding foundational learning in its Education Blueprint 2026-2035, with action on early identification of learning gaps, preschool access, new learning progress metrics, and AI-supported assessment development. Myanmar highlighted curriculum reform, specialised teacher guides, and stronger in-service training. The Philippines plans to use the 2029 evidence to examine national initiatives including the ARAL programme and the MATATAG curriculum, while Viet Nam is using SEA-PLM insights to inform its competency-based curriculum and differentiated professional development for teachers.

These responses reflected a common result of the discussion: countries value regional comparability, but they also need evidence that can be used within their own policy context. SEA-PLM 2029 is therefore expected to serve as a platform for national capacity development and education reform, while serving as a mechanism for regional monitoring and peer learning.

Policy roundtable puts teachers and classroom realities at the centre

 Group photo of ministries of education, diplomatic missions, SEAMEO bodies, and regional and international partner organisations during SEAMEO Diplomatic Briefing.

The afternoon Policy Roundtable Discussion on SEA-PLM 2024 Reflections on Teachers and Teaching Practices in Southeast Asia moved the conversation from systems to classrooms. Participants considered what teachers need as they work with increasingly diverse learning levels, administrative pressures, limited resources, and changing expectations. As Mr Matt Brossard, UNICEF Senior Adviser for Education and SEA-PLM Co-Chair, asserted, every ambition for education ultimately depends on what happens between a teacher and a child.

SEA-PLM 2024 evidence points to four interconnected challenges: wide differences in learner proficiency within the same classroom; heavy administrative workloads; uncertainty about whether professional development changes teaching practice; and a gap between assessment data and day-to-day instruction. The roundtable translated these challenges into four priorities for action.

Target support to high-need classrooms. Schools and teachers facing the greatest concentration of low-performing learners need differentiated resources, coaching, mentoring, and stronger leadership support. A single model of intervention will not meet the region's varied classroom realities.

Protect time for teaching and create enabling conditions. Reducing unnecessary administrative work, improving school safety and inclusion, and strengthening school leadership are essential if teachers are to focus on learning rather than compliance.

Make professional development practical and continuous. Participants called for training that responds to real classroom needs and is followed by coaching, mentoring, professional learning communities, and local support. The measure of success should not be attendance or credits alone, but whether teachers can apply new approaches and whether students learn more.

Use assessment as a tool for improvement. Regional, national, and classroom evidence has the greatest value when it helps teachers identify learning gaps, adapt instruction, and give targeted feedback, while also helping leaders direct resources where they are needed most.

SEA-PLM Partner share their perspective on teacher and classroom realities during roundtable discussion

Country experiences made these priorities tangible. Cambodia highlighted Teaching at the Right Level for learners who are falling behind. Indonesia’s Toba Regency highlighted the role of Guru Penggerak (Teacher Leaders), local teacher working groups such as KKG and MGMP, and continuous mentoring in strengthening teachers’ professional development and classroom practices.. Lao PDR shared a decentralised model of pedagogical support, while Malaysia presented its AI-supported Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Expertise Programme. The Philippines stressed the need to protect teaching time and expand remedial support. Viet Nam and Thailand both emphasised sustained, school-based professional learning that teachers can apply in their own classrooms.

Partners broadened the discussion further. SEAMEO INNOTECH stressed the importance of supporting teachers with effective evidence and data. Global School Leaders highlighted the role of principals in turning evidence into school-level action, and the Association of Southeast Asian Teacher Education Network (ASTEN) called for stronger links between assessment evidence and the preparation of future teachers.

The roundtable produced practical directions for the next phase of work. Inputs from participants will help shape the forthcoming SEA-PLM policy brief on teachers. The Regional Secretariat also plans further analysis on primary schools and teachers, gender, early childhood education, social-emotional learning, and citizenship, together with country-tailored school card reports. Suggested refinements for the 2029 cycle include closer links between teachers, classes, and subjects; greater attention to instructional quality, teacher motivation, and the application of professional development; and more useful feedback for schools.

Closing the roundtable, Datuk Dr Habibah reminded participants that behind every percentage point are real children. The shared ambition is bold: for Southeast Asia to become the world's fastest-improving region in foundational learning within five years. Reaching it will require continued investment in teachers, earlier support for struggling learners, and the courage to use evidence not only to describe learning gaps, but to close them.

Join SEA-PLM 2029

SEA-PLM 2029 welcomes Southeast Asian countries, subnational education authorities, and regional and international partners to help strengthen foundational learning and evidence-informed education systems. Participation offers opportunities to benchmark learning, build assessment capacity, exchange knowledge, and turn evidence into policy and practice. 

Learn more about the programme, participation, and partnership opportunities in SEA-PLM 2029

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The Phase 2: monitoring and Developing ASEAN Basic Education: The Southeast Asia primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) Programme 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 the AKCF.