Innovative Strategies To Reduce OOSCY Take Centre Stage At ASEAN EduRountables2025

By R. Vikneswaran

LANGKAWI, June 18 (Bernama) -- Innovative strategies aimed at continuous adaptation and improvement in reducing the number of Out-of-School Children and Youth (OOSCY) are the main focus of the ASEAN Education Ministers’ Roundtable (#EduRoundtables2025), which commenced today.

Ministry of Education (MOE) secretary-general Datuk Dr Aminuddin Hassim said one of the key objectives of the two-day session is to adopt a Joint Statement on ASEAN OOSCY as an outcome document reflecting a shared understanding among ASEAN Ministers.

“The Joint Statement is proposed as a guiding framework to advance collective action in addressing critical challenges that have hindered progress in ensuring access to education.

“The Joint Statement would serve as a foundational commitment to strengthen education in the region over the next decade, focusing on issues such as the digital divide and limited access to technology; economic challenges and rising poverty; climate change, conflict and displacement; and inclusive policies for marginalised groups.

“For Malaysia, this will enhance collaboration with ASEAN countries and non-governmental organisations (NGO), especially in leveraging local knowledge, expertise, and networks to address OOSCY needs,” he told Bernama, here today.

Aminuddin also expressed hope that the collaboration would improve educational cooperation within ASEAN to enhance access and ensure sustainable, context-appropriate interventions.

Besides ASEAN member states and Timor Leste as an observer, the forum includes representatives from international organisations such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO).

“The forum provides a dynamic platform for sharing innovative frameworks to tackle the critical issues faced by OOSCY, with an emphasis on equitable access to quality education and learning opportunities for marginalised groups, as highlighted in the SDG4-Education 2030 Agenda,” he said.

In his closing remarks at the ASEAN Education Forum earlier today, Aminuddin also thanked all panellists and participants for their contributions towards building a brighter, more inclusive future for ASEAN’s children and youth.

“As policymakers, we acknowledge the importance not only of being accessible to education, but also being accessible to technology, funding it, putting the right technology, and at what right time to do that. Together, their (the panellists') perspectives reinforce the vital role education plays in shaping a prosperous and inclusive future for our region,” he said.

Aminuddin also noted Malaysia’s leadership in cross-sector collaboration and its emphasis on data-driven, technology-enabled education solutions.

“Again, our Malaysian representatives demonstrated how cross-sector collaboration can also open new opportunities to reach every learner, while Malaysia underscored the importance of data-driven and technology-enabled solutions in education,” he said.

The forum, held over two sessions titled “Mobilising Resources, Advancing Efforts on OOSCY” and “Innovative and Technology-Driven Solutions: An Enabler for Inclusion,” explored ways to improve educational access for disadvantaged and marginalised groups.

MOE Deputy Director of the Education Policy Planning and Research Division Dr Wan Raisuha Wan Ali presented the proposed draft of the Langkawi Joint Statement on OOSCY, which will be further deliberated by ASEAN Education Ministers tomorrow.

Malaysia assumes the ASEAN Chairmanship this year with the theme ‘Inclusivity and Sustainability’, marking its fifth time holding the position, having previously chaired in 1977, 1997, 2005 and 2015.

-- BERNAMA