Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam | Merina Cahya Anggraeni: The SEA-PLM 2nd Regional Technical Workshop was successfully organized from 14 to 18 November 2022 in La Vela Saigon Hotel, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam. As a follow-up from the 1st Regional Technical Workshop in August, the 2nd regional workshop intensified the advancement of preparations for the Field Trial in 2023. The facilitators of the workshop were the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and cApStAn LQC. The workshop sessions also featured experts from the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation (KICE), the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), and the Ministry of Education, Thailand. 

The workshop focused on cognitive items, contextual questionnaire development,  translation and linguistic and quality control. National teams of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Philippines, Timor Leste, and Viet Nam participated in the five-day workshop.

Dr Tim Friedman, Contextual Questionnaire Expert, presented the SEA-PLM contextual framework structure

The workshop began with discussions on contextual questionnaires and global citizenship facilitated by Dr Claire Scoular and Dr Tim Friedman from ACER. The participants and experts discussed new constructs relevant in the post-pandemic context to be considered in the next set of contextual questionnaires for SEA-PLM 2024.

Dr Megan Yucel and Ms Jennifer Halliday, Reading and Mathematics Domain Experts, provided inputs on cognitive test items

The workshop proceeded with sessions on item review and panelling of Mathematics and Reading items facilitated by Dr Megan Yucel and Ms Jennifer Halliday from ACER.

Ms Grace DeLee, cApStAn Project Manager, discussed the translation and linguistic quality control model

The technical expert, cApStAn LQC, represented by Ms Grace DeLee, led the discussions on translation and linguistic quality control, emphasizing participating countries’ key role in the quality of translation and local adaptation. 

Experts from KICE, CUHK, ACER, and MOE Thailand shared their expertise on data utilization and dissemination of findings from learning assessments

Bilateral consultations between the SEA-PLM Secretariat and participating countries took place to provide support and address the specific needs of each participating country. Along with these consultations, the SEA-PLM Secretariat organized learning sessions on approaches and experiences for developing models to disseminate and build the capacities of local educators to generate insights from learning assessments and evaluations in general. Dr Jimin Cho and Dr Insuk Kim (KICE), Dr Esther Sui-Chu Ho (CUHK), Dr Arisara Roengsumran (MOE Thailand), and Dr Kathryn Richardson (ACER) shared their insights. They guided the excellent discussions for this session.

SEAMEO Secretariat, SEA-PLM Secretariat, and National Team Members during the closing session of the workshop

During the session remarks, Co-chairs of the SEA-PLM Secretariat, Dr Ethel Agnes Pascua-Valenzuela, SEAMEO Secretariat Director, and Ms Mitsue Uemura, UNICEF EAPRO Regional Education Advisor, emphasized in their remarks that the SEA-PLM Secretariat will continue to support participating countries with technical and operational assistance as preparation heightens for the SEA-PLM Field Trial scheduled to start in March 2023.

Bangkok, Thailand | Merina Cahya Anggraeni: Cambodia has officially agreed to participate in SEA-PLM's second assessment cycle—SEA-PLM 2024—adding to a series of agreements successfully initiated by the SEAMEO Secretariat. Subsequently, Dr Ethel Agnes Pascua Valenzuela, SEAMEO Secretariat Director, and H E Dr Hang Chuon Naron, Minister of Education, Youth and Sport, Cambodia, signed a Letter of Engagement (LoE) to cement Cambodia's support for the programme. The endorsement was materialised during the Transforming Education Summit on 18 September 2022 in New York City.

Cambodia has been a steadfast supporter since the first round of assessment in 2019 by taking a proactive role in supporting the program implementation. Cambodia also actively participated in the Annual Regional Technical Workshop, held from 22 to 26 August 2022. The signing of the LoE will certainly provide an additional buttress for the smooth operation of the programme at the country level, mainly in uplifting the mobilisation within the national team.

Cambodia's Country Report can be found here to learn more about its performance in SEA-PLM 2019.

Bangkok, Thailand | Merina Cahya Anggraeni: The Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) Programme was presented during the Thematic Solutions Forum on Accelerating the Learning Recovery and Transforming Education in Southeast Asia through Multi- stakeholder Partnerships (SDG 4) at the Global South-South Development (GSSD) Expo 2022. The annual global event organised by the United Nations for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) took place from 12-14 September in Bangkok. The member countries from the Global South addressed the development challenges and showcased national, regional, and global development solutions.

Mr Alejandro Sinon Ibanez, SEA-PLM Project Manager, spoke about the commitment among Southeast Asian countries to assess student learning, contributing to the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 through the SEA-PLM Programme. He highlighted that collaboration between SEA countries has successfully facilitated setting technical standards, capacity building, and conducting knowledge sharing and peer-to-peer learning to enable the overall national performance of participating countries.

The discussion also highlighted the transformation of learning recovery in Southeast Asia. Dr Ethel Agnes Pascua-Valenzuela, SEAMEO Secretariat Director, and Ms Mitsue Uemura, UNICEF EAPRO Regional Education Advisor, as moderators (both Co-Chairs of the SEA-PLM Secretariat) agreed to reinvigorate South-South cooperation towards achieving these meaningful objectives.

The partnership between SEAMEO Secretariat and UNICEF EAPRO has steered the SEA-PLM Programme to forge alliances with ASEAN Secretariat and ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund (AKCF) as our regional partners in advancing equitable and quality education for all children in the region.

Bangkok, Thailand | Merina Cahya Anggraeni: On 8 September, the Ministry of Education and Sports, Lao PDR, officially joined SEA-PLM 2024 through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the SEAMEO Secretariat. H E Dr Sisouk Vongvichith, Deputy Minister of Education and Sports, Lao PDR, and Dr Ethel Agnes Pascua-Valenzuela, Director of SEAMEO Secretariat, signed the MoU during the official ceremony held in Vientiane, Lao PDR.

The event, attended by distinguished officials from Lao PDR’s Ministry of Education and Sports, and UNICEF Lao PDR, indicates the wide-reaching impact of SEA-PLM in the country. Lao PDR’s participation in SEA-PLM 2019 has influenced specific education reforms in the country. Dr Sisouk Vongvichith corroborated SEA-PLM’s sphere of influence in assessing learning that has inspired dialogues among policy-makers to improve the learning quality of Laotian primary school students through evidence generated from SEA-PLM 2019.

In her speech, the SEAMES Director pointed out that cooperation was of utmost importance to achieving better learning outcomes —to guarantee the success of SEA-PLM 2024—and recover from the learning loss because of the pandemic shock.

During the first assessment cycle, Lao PDR received substantial assistance and capacity-building support from education policy and assessment experts. SEA-PLM 2024 will continue to provide more opportunities and support to participating countries through collaborative initiatives with regional and international partners to advance system and school-level policy and practices concerning basic education in Southeast Asia.

Bangkok, Thailand | Jolin Nguyen: SEA-PLM's Annual Regional Technical Workshop took place from 22-26 August—the first technical activity of the SEA-PLM programme—heralding the preparation for the second assessment cycle, SEA-PLM 2024. The workshop witnessed the collective commitment toward SEA-PLM 2024 with a common goal of attaining the UN's Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4. It underpins the program's three pillars, intending to strengthen and build the capacities of participating countries for cognitive test and questionnaire development.

The five-day workshop has set the momentum to coordinate and advance the preparation for SEA-PLM 2024 in alignment with agreements made during the Regional Steering Committee meeting earlier this year. Attendees of the hybrid workshop comprised honorary member countries, national project managers, team members, and domain experts from all six participating countries of SEA-PLM 2019.

Facilitators of the workshop were the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), Korean Educational Development Institute (KEDI), Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation (KICE), UNICEF Office of Research-Innocenti, and the SEA-PLM Secretariat. Technical experts shared essential insights and good practices on item and questionnaire development to help prepare for the trial-testing phase scheduled for 2023. National team members also reviewed the procedure and criteria for developing new instruments for the next assessment cycle.

Bilateral consultations between the SEA-PLM Secretariat and member countries took place to support and address the different needs of each participating country. Along with these consultations, KEDI and KICE, and UNICEF Innocenti provided country-specific advice on capacity-building activities and the Global Citizenship project, respectively.

During the closing remarks, the Director of the SEAMEO Secretariat, Dr. Ethel Agnes Pascua-Valenzuela, emphasized that effective collaboration is key to ensuring the field trial-testing phase materializes on time in preparation for the main regional survey. She also expressed appreciation to the project donors, namely, the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC) through the ASEAN-Republic of Korea Cooperation Fund (AKCF) and UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (UNICEF EAPRO) as Co-chairs of the SEA-PLM Secretariat.

Bangkok, Thailand | Merina Cahya Anggraeni: In another advancement of renewing partnerships, SEAMEO Secretariat Director, Dr Ethel Agnes Pascua-Valenzuela, and Dr Nguyen Huu Do, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), Viet Nam, signed a Letter of Engagement (LoE) agreeing to co-implement the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) 5-Year Strategic Plan, including the SEA-PLM 2024 Survey. The signing took place at the MOET premises in Hanoi, Vietnam, on 5 August 2022.

While commenting on Viet Nam's Grade 5 students' exceptional performance during the first round of assessment (SEA-PLM 2019), Dr Ethel Agnes Pascua-Valenzuela expressed the significance of SEA-PLM 2024, considering the rise in learning losses disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. She assured that through the programme's enhanced model and with the support of the implementing agencies, SEA-PLM can develop resilient education systems and foster equity in education in Southeast Asia.

Through SEA-PLM's first round of assessment, participating countries obtained robust evidence to answer critical questions regarding better learning outcomes. As a result, Dr Nguyen Huu Do expressed how these essential pieces of evidence caused educational innovation and influenced the implementation of new programs in Viet Nam. He also mentioned SEA-PLM's role in fostering regional education policy exchange as "a good opportunity for Viet Nam to integrate with other ASEAN countries." Assoc Prof Dr Pham Quoc Khanh, Deputy Director General, the Vietnam Education Quality Management Agency, Ministry of Education and Training, Viet Nam, shared vital suggestions to consider the application of information technology and digital databases, as well as improve knowledge exchange between participating countries.

Representatives from UNICEF Viet Nam also met the signing of the LoE with consensus. Chief of Education Officer, UNICEF Viet Nam, Ms Le Anh Lan, expressed the critical role of SEA-PLM in addressing the disparities in learning achievement and enhancing the development of foundational skills and competencies in the region.

Wednesday, 03 August 2022 | Merina Cahya Anggraeni

Bangkok, Thailand: The Southeast Asian Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) 2021-2025 Strategic Plan was launched during the Diplomatic Briefing on SEAMEO’s Strategic Plan and Action Agenda on 25 July 2022 in Bangkok, Thailand. This launch also marked the official commencement of SEA-PLM Main Survey 2024. Seventy-one representatives from SEAMEO regional centres, associate and affiliate SEAMEO members, international organisations, members of the diplomatic corps, and other regional partners attended the high-level diplomatic briefing.

The Director of the SEAMEO Secretariat, Dr Ethel Agnes Pascua-Valenzuela, underscored how the SEA-PLM 2019 Main Survey has created a marked effect as the first regional large-scale assessment in Southeast Asia and continuous commitment and active participation in SEA-PLM 2024 is vital to ensure educational equity in the region. Regional Education Advisor Ms Mitsue Uemura of UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (EAPRO) echoed Dr Ethel’s statement and reaffirmed that through the valued and strategic partnership between UNICEF EAPRO and SEAMEO, the former will continue its commitment to supporting educational priorities and the successful implementation of SEA-PLM 2024.

Mr Alejandro Sinon Ibanez, SEA-PLM Project Manager, shared the programme’s enhanced model with its three key pillars that will underpin learning equity and help attain the SDG 4 education agenda. The model of the new assessment cycle will help advance student learning outcomes, measure learning loss, strengthen peer learning and knowledge sharing, and improve technical capacity to use evidence. He also shared a provisional calendar of SEA-PLM 2024 with the first set of technical activities to begin in August during the first Annual Regional Technical Workshop. Field trial testing is projected to commence in 2023, and the main survey data collection in 2024.

Regional partner ASEAN-ROK Project Management Team (AKPMT) expressed the Republic of Korea’s commitment to supporting the SEA-PLM Programme through financial support from the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund (AKCF). Dr Roger Yap Chao Jr, Assistant Director and Head of the Education Youth and Sports Division of the ASEAN Secretariat, acknowledged the financial support of the ASEAN Secretariat and AKCF as pivotal to guaranteeing sustainable learning recovery in the region post-Covid-19 pandemic. Encouraging ASEAN countries to participate, benefit and build capacities through the SEA-PLM Programme is critical to achieving equitable and meaningful education in the region, Mr Myo-Zin Nyunt, Deputy Regional Director, UNICEF EAPRO, noted.

Wednesday, 03 August 2022 | Merina Cahya Anggraeni

Bangkok, Thailand: The second SEA-PLM Project Steering Committee (PSC) Meeting took place on 25 July 2022 in Bangkok, Thailand. Key members of the SEA-PLM programme attended the in-person meeting. Attendees included Dr Ethel Agnes Pascua-Valenzuela, Director and Dr Xayapheth Chaphichith, Deputy Director of Programme and Development of SEAMEO Secretariat, Dr Roger Yap Chao, Jr, Assistant Director and Head of Education, Youth, and Sports Division, and Ms Amalia M. Serrano, Senior Officer from the ASEAN Secretariat. The ASEAN-Republic of Korea Programme Management Team (AKPMT) was represented by Mr Jae Hwan Kwon, Team Leader, and Mr Anggiet Ariefianto, Manager.

Co-Chair of the SEA-PLM Secretariat, Dr Ethel Agnes Pascua-Valenzuela, articulated SEA-PLM’s continued contribution and monitoring of education quality in the region through the programme’s next assessment round, SEA-PLM 2024. Dr Xayapheth Chaphichith highlighted SEA-PLM’s support for CMLV (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam) towards building learning assessment capacities in the greater Mekong region. Dr Roger Yap Chao, Assistant Director and Head of Education, Youth, and Sports Division, ASEAN Secretariat, concurred on strengthening and building capabilities at institutional and individual levels as vital to increasing regional technical expertise in international assessment.

Mr Antoine Marivin, SEA-PLM Senior Project Manager, and Mr Alejandro Sinon Ibanez, SEA-PLM Project Manager, discussed the role of the SEA-PLM Secretariat and provided an overview of activities planned, challenges and opportunities for effective planning, and implementation of the SEA-PLM project. During this PSC Meeting, Mr Jae Hwan Kwon and Mr Anggiet Ariefianto from ASEAN-ROK Project Management Team provided strategic guidance on project implementation strategies. They emphasised the significance of continued dialogue and communication to ensure the smooth implementation of the SEA-PLM activities.

Friday, 01 July 2022 | Merina Cahya Anggraeni

SEA-PLM was featured in a virtual side event for the 2nd Asia-Pacific Regional Education Ministers’ Conference (APREMC-II) 2022 on 03 June 2022. The leading discussion during the virtual side event was accelerating learning recovery to tackle the learning losses in the region caused by prolonged school closures. International and regional education experts discussed key thematic areas concerning the pre-existing learning crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and how the findings of SEA-PLM and comparative regional learning assessments can inform decision-makers in the region to achieve learning recovery. 

In her opening remarks, Dr Ethel Agnes Pascua-Valenzuela, Director, SEAMEO Secretariat, and Co-Chair of the SEA-PLM Programme, asserted SEA-PLM's continued contribution to ensuring inclusive and quality education for sustainable development in the region. Ms. Mitsue Uemura, Regional Education Advisor, UNICEF EAPRO, spoke about the significant role of partnership in supporting the program's sustainability to help attain a resilient school policy and practice system. 

Education experts Mr Antoine Marivin, SEA-PLM Senior Project Manager, and Ms Jeaniene Spink, Research Director, Education and Development, Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), presented the SEA-PLM 2019 findings in response to the learning crisis and shared valuable insights and suggestions toward an effective learning recovery. Dr Benjamin Blevins, Education Researcher, and Ms Ghalia Ghawi, Education Research Manager from UNICEF Office of Research - Innocenti, shared new evidence from SEA-PLM 2019 secondary analysis on learning loss, global citizenship, and students’ wellbeing. Ms Ghalia recommended practices that facilitate students' resilience, motivation, engagement, and achievement. 

Regional experts Dr Hyowon Park (Korean Education Development Institute, KEDI), Dr Mikyung Kim (Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation, KICE), and Dr Richard DLC Gonzales (Inno-Change International Consultants, Inc., Philippines) offered further insights and guidance for transformative and sustainable education policies and practices in the region.

The SEAMEO Secretariat Director, Dr Ethel Agnes Pascua-Valenzuela, and the Secretary of Education, Philippines, H E Dr Leonor Magtolis Briones, signed the Memorandum of Understanding to spearhead the implementation of activities under the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) 5-Year Strategic Plan, including the SEA-PLM 2024 Survey. The MoU signing ceremony took place in the Office of the Secretary Building at the Department of Education in Manila on Monday, 02 May 2022.

“SEA-PLM 2024 will provide new opportunities for engagement with countries and partners, as well as promoting capacity building in the region,” explained Dr Ethel Agnes Pascua-Valenzuela in her remarks. “Through the support from our partners, ASEAN Secretariat, and ASEAN-Republic of Korea Cooperation Funds (AKCF), the programme’s implementation will proceed in 2022, and trial testing will be conducted in 2023,” she continued. Dr Ethel Agnes Pascua-Valenzuela further emphasized that the MoU will provide significant support for the programme’s implementation, both in the top-level commitment and for mobilizing national activities.

Meanwhile, the Department of Education, Philippines is committed to join the next SEA-PLM cycle, as learning assessment proves to be critical in assessing the learning loss among 5th grade students brought by the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. Furthemore, Dr Leonor Magtolis Briones expressed that the “involvement in SEA-PLM is an effort to continuously improve the quality of education in the country.” She hopes that the SEAMEO Secretariat, through the SEA-PLM Secretariat, will provide sufficient guidance to ensure the successful implementation in the country, especially to address challenges and recovery in the post COVID-19 pandemic era.

The momentous signing ceremony was held in the presence of key officials and partners such as the Assistant Secretary for Curriculum and Instruction, Undersecretary for Bureau of Human Resource and Organizational Development, Director of Bureau of Education Assessment, and Director of International Cooperation Office, Philippines, UNICEF Philippines Chief of Education, and SEA-PLM Secretariat Project Manager.