Bangkok, 30 November 2021 – Today, the SEAMEO Secretariat successfully convened the 44th SEAMEO High Officials Meeting (HOM) through WebEx platform from 09.00 to 16.00 hrs (GMT+7/Bangkok Time).  A total of 146 participants consisting of High Officials and delegates from 9 SEAMEO Member Countries, 2 Associate Member Countries, 6 Affiliate Members, 26 SEAMEO Regional Centres Directors and Secretary-General/Coordinator, and 13 SEAMEO Partners participated in the meeting.

Her Excellency Ms Treenuch Thienthong, the Minister of Education of Thailand welcomed all participants and expressed a sincere gratitude to Dr Ethel Agnes Pascua-Valenzuela, Director of SEAMEO Secretariat and the team for organising this virtual meeting. Her Excellency highlighted in her opening remarks that the number of out-of-school children during the pandemic should be reduced by utilizing educational technologies to enable students learning remotely, adopting competency-based curriculum, and developing teachers’ digital literacy to fulfill common purposes in acquiring students’ learning outcomes at the higher level, address the digital gap issues, and enhance effectiveness in teaching and learning. Her Excellency strongly believed that the SEAMEO Secretariat, SEAMEO Regional Centres, and Networks would extend supports to the Member States to reshape education in Southeast Asian countries and be well prepared for any other unpredictable situations that may arise in years to come.

Her Excellency Ms Treenuch Thienthong
Minister of Education of Thailand
delivered opening speech

After opening ceremony, Mr Lai Chung Han, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education Singapore, as a Chairperson of the 44th HOM called the meeting to order. A total of 10 working papers and 39 working papers were tabled in the In-Camera session and Plenary session respectively.

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Dr Ethel Agnes Pascua Valenzuela Director of SEAMEO Secretariat delivered Welcome Message		Mr Lai Chung Han Permanent Secretary (Education) Ministry of Education (Singapore) Chaired the 44th HOM

The following highlighted among meeting agenda that were endorsed for further process in the planning and implementation of the initiatives.

• the 9th SEAMEO Integrated Operational Plan (SIOP) 2021-2025
• the High-Level Forum on Teacher Competencies in the Digital Revolution: Reaching the Unreached
• the 6th High Officials Meeting on SEA-TVET
• Virtual SEAMEO-Singapore Youth Camp and Challenges (SSYCC) 2022
• the establishment of the Space Science and Technology Education Centre within the SEAMEO RECSAM campus.
• The establishment of a Southeast Asian Food and Nutrition Experts Hub and Learning Opportunities through Volunteer Engagements (LOVE) for Graduate Students and Young Professionals by SEAMEO RECFON

At the end of the meeting, the High Officials of 9 SEAMEO Member Countries, excluding Myanmar and Timor-Leste, presented the country report regarding updates on the implementation of 7-Priority Areas/Education Agenda: towards post-COVID-19 recovery phase. 

Further, 2 SEAMEO Associate Members – Australia and Spain, and 6 SEAMEO Affiliate Members – British Columbia Council for International Education (BCCIE), British Council; China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE); International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE); UNESCO Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCIEU); and University of Tsukuba presented proposals of collaboration with SEAMEO Secretariat and SEAMEO Regional Centres in 2022.

At the beginning of the plenary session, a video presentation on awarding ceremony comprising 2021 SEAMEO-Japan ESD Award, SEAMEO-Jasper Research Award 2021/2022, and 3rd Ki Hajar Dewantara Award were showcased to honor their great achievements. 

The High Officials Meeting is convened annually by the SEAMEO Secretariat and is attended by the High Officials such as the Secretary General and the Director General of the Ministries of Education of the 11 SEAMEO Member countries, delegates from SEAMEO Associate Members, SEAMEO Affiliate Members, SEAMEO Regional Centres/Network, and SEAMEO Partners. The proposed programmes, finances, legal aspects and other important matters concerning the administration and operation of the SEAMEO Organization are scrutinized at the meeting, and recommendations are also made for further consideration at the SEAMEO Council Conference.

The 45th HOM will be held in Bangkok, Thailand tentatively on 28-30 November 2022 via face-to-face platform.