The Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) is proud to announce Vasana Chinvarakorn as winner of the first SEAMEO-Australian Press Award.

After deliberation over ten submissions by writers from six countries the jury has chosen one award winner and selected a jury citation.

The jury selected Vasana Chinvarakorn as the award winner.  Vasana submitted two articles from The Bangkok Post newspaper of Thailand. The jury highlighted the quality of her research, writing and reporting in a submission that included an article entitled Dawn of a New Age. The article described an experimental school programme to raise environmental awareness and raised the issue of reforming school curricula in order to include environmental issues. The jury cited the topic as having a broad relevance for Southeast Asia.

Ms Vasana Chinvarakorn and Mr Tony Mitchener, Counsellor (Education and Training), Australian Embassy, Bangkok at the launching ceremony of SEAMEO Journal on 10 July 2000 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Ng Su-Ann was chosen for special jury recognition for the high quality of the articles she submitted.  Ms Su-Ann's two submissions from The Star Newspaper of Malaysia included Kindy for Parents and Children which described a programme that encourage involvement of parents in a kindergarten programme. The jury praised Ms Su-Ann's ability to report on difficult and sensitive issues in a responsible manner.  A Certificate of Recognition was presented to her representative at the 23^rd SEAMEO High Officials Meeting, 20 November 2000, Bangkok, Thailand.

The Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization SEAMEO-AUSTRALIA Press Award recognizes a journalist whose work has exhibited an exceptional contribution to the coverage of education in Southeast Asia.

Any journalist from a SEAMEO Member Country may submit an original article or short series of articles that were published in general interest publications and deal with issues in improving education. The original article may have appeared in any language, but submissions must include an English translation.

Winners are selected on the basis of excellence in journalism as defined by impact, originality, investigative effort and a broader relevance to Southeast Asia.

Applications can be submitted through any SEAMEO Centre in Member Countries or sent directly to the SEAMEO Secretariat in Bangkok.

For further information on the award, please contact  the SEAMEO Secretariat at Tel (66 2) 3910144, or Fax (66 2) 3812587 or email: secretariat@seameo.org

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