- UK co-hosted ASEAN Ministerial Roundtable on Foundational Learning with Education World Forum 2025
- Former PM Gordon Brown & experts from Oxford, Gates Foundation urged urgent action on early literacy & numeracy
- Event held under ASEAN-UK SAGE Programme to boost girls’ education & regional collaboration in Southeast Asia
The UK co-hosted the ASEAN Ministerial Roundtable on Foundational Learning with the Education World Forum 2025, gathering education ministers and specialists from Southeast Asia for a discussion on the pressing issues of foundational learning.
Participants exchanged on-the-ground, evidence-based practices to enhance early literacy and numeracy. The Rt Hon Gordon Brown, former UK Prime Minister and UN Special Envoy for Global Education, commended the achievements of ASEAN but urged immediate action to act against the problem which continues to persist, particularly among poor children. He emphasized the need to apply tested methods and creative finance to reach scale.
The conference saw experts from the Gates Foundation, University of Oxford, SEAMEO, and other international organizations provide insights on what works in foundational learning. The conference also saw participation from representatives of ASEAN Member States and ASEAN Secretariat, who emphasized the significance of peer learning and regional collaboration.
The Roundtable was convened by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the What Works Hub for Global Education, and the Global Coalition for Foundational Learning-on behalf of UNICEF and the Gates Foundation. It took place under the ASEAN-UK Supporting the Advancement of Girl's Education (SAGE) Programme, which empowers foundational learning for girls and vulnerable groups in ASEAN and Timor-Leste.
The UK has assisted, through the ASEAN-UK SAGE programme, to get more children, in particular girls and the poorest, into school and learning the basics - particularly reading at age 10 or end of primary school.
This event represents another milestone in ASEAN-UK cooperation under the ASEAN-UK Plan of Action pillars of health and education, upholding the UK's commitment as an ASEAN Dialogue Partner to inclusive and high-quality education for everyone.
