The UK recently co-hosted the ASEAN Ministerial Roundtable on Foundational Learning at the Education World Forum 2025. This event brought together education ministers and experts from Southeast Asia to discuss how to improve early literacy and numeracy skills for children. The Roundtable focused on sharing practical and evidence-based strategies to ensure every child, especially girls and marginalized groups, can learn the basics needed for future success.
Key Highlights from the ASEAN Ministerial Roundtable
The discussion emphasized the importance of building on Southeast Asia’s progress in education and finding ways to help all children master foundational learning skills. Sarah Tiffin, the UK Ambassador to ASEAN, highlighted the UK’s commitment to gender equality and inclusive development through partnerships with ASEAN countries. The UK supports initiatives like the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM), which helps assess and improve learning outcomes across the region.
Gordon Brown, former UK Prime Minister and UN Special Envoy for Global Education, praised ASEAN’s achievements but called for urgent action to help disadvantaged children. He stressed the need to use proven methods and innovative funding to reach more learners effectively.
Experts from organizations like the Gates Foundation, University of Oxford, and SEAMEO shared valuable insights on what works best in foundational learning. Representatives from ASEAN member states and the ASEAN Secretariat emphasized the role of peer learning and regional cooperation in improving education.
The ASEAN-UK SAGE Programme
This Roundtable was part of the ASEAN-UK Supporting the Advancement of Girls’ Education (SAGE) Programme. Funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the SAGE Programme runs from 2023 to 2028 with a budget of up to GBP 30 million. It focuses on increasing school attendance and improving basic learning skills, especially reading by age 10 or the end of primary school, with a special focus on girls and marginalized groups.
The programme supports ASEAN and Timor-Leste through three main pillars: foundational learning, helping out-of-school girls and marginalized groups, and removing gender barriers to digital skills and employment. Education technology is integrated across all these areas to improve learning outcomes.
Strengthening ASEAN-UK Cooperation
The event marks a step forward in the strong partnership between ASEAN and the UK. Since formalizing the UK’s Dialogue Partner status with ASEAN in 2021 and agreeing on a five-year Plan of Action in 2022, this programme is the first major ASEAN-UK cooperation project under that plan. It reflects the UK’s dedication to inclusive and high-quality education in Southeast Asia, aligned with shared health and education goals.
The ASEAN Ministerial Roundtable on Foundational Learning highlights the urgent need to improve early education in Southeast Asia. Through partnerships like the ASEAN-UK SAGE Programme, the UK and ASEAN are working together to make sure every child, especially girls and vulnerable groups, gains essential literacy and numeracy skills. This collaborative effort, backed by expert knowledge and strong regional cooperation, aims to build a brighter, more inclusive future for children across Southeast Asia.
