SEAMEO Secretariat

The Inequality We Cannot Ignore: What SEA-PLM Reveals About Learning Gaps in Southeast Asia

Thursday, 22 January 2026 |

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Education in Southeast Asia

The Inequality We Cannot Ignore:
What SEA-PLM Reveals About Learning Gaps in Southeast Asia
Chunkan Benchaporn, Programme Assistant, SEAMEO Secretariat

The education systems of Southeast Asia are navigating a complex landscape of global disruption—from economic shifts to the lingering effects of the recent pandemic. Against this backdrop, the SEA-PLM 2024 Main Regional Report offers a vital diagnostic map of where the region stands on foundational learning. Unlike broader international assessments, SEA-PLM is a regionally tailored instrument, specifically designed to measure the Grade 5 competencies most critical for Southeast Asian children to progress successfully to secondary education and become productive citizens. This report reveals deep, systemic fault lines of inequality that we must, collectively, address.

The SEA-PLM 2024 Main Regional Report offers a regional lens on foundational learning—one that moves the conversation beyond individual country comparisons towards shared patterns, progress, and persistent challenges across Southeast Asia. Looking at regional averages between 2019 and 2024, the data suggests a mixed but instructive picture: stability in reading outcomes alongside modest improvement in mathematics, set against continued disparities in learning proficiency.

What Regional Averages Tell Us About Progress and Gaps in Foundational Learning

Figure 1: 2019 and 2024 Reading and Mathematics Regional Average Score

(Figure 1) At the regional level, average reading scores have remained largely unchanged since 2019, signalling resilience but also highlighting the difficulty of accelerating gains in literacy following the pandemic period. Mathematics, by contrast, shows a gradual upward trend, suggesting that targeted recovery efforts and instructional adjustments may be beginning to take effect. While these shifts are modest, they indicate that progress is possible when systems focus on foundational competencies.

However, regional averages alone do not tell the full story. A closer look at the distribution of learners across proficiency bands reveals enduring inequality within education systems.

Figure 2: Regional Reading and Mathematics Proficiency Bands

(Figure 2) In reading, a significant proportion of learners continue to cluster at the lower proficiency levels, with only limited movement towards higher bands since 2019. In mathematics, although there is a broader spread across proficiency levels, a notable share of students remains at the lowest levels of achievement. These patterns suggest that improvements at the average level may coexist with persistent gaps affecting the most vulnerable learners.

Importantly, these findings should not be read as a measure of national success or failure. Rather, they provide a shared evidence base for Ministries of Education to reflect on system-level challenges common across the region—particularly the need to address uneven learning outcomes within countries. The SEA-PLM data underscores that raising averages is not enough; sustained attention to equity is essential if progress is to be felt by all learners.

By focusing on regional trends, SEA-PLM supports constructive dialogue among Member Countries—shifting the narrative from comparison to collaboration. The data highlights where collective efforts can be strengthened, where learning recovery remains fragile, and where targeted support is most urgently needed. In this sense, the regional picture is not a verdict, but an invitation: to learn from shared experience, refine policy responses, and advance foundational learning together.

From Diagnosis to Action: Policy Blueprints

The value of this SEA-PLM data lies not only in identifying gaps, but in guiding Ministries of Education to act with precision. The inequalities highlighted are not fixed; they point to barriers that can be removed through targeted, equity-focused reforms.

Targeted Resource Allocation:

Countries need to move beyond one-size-fits-all approaches and direct resources to disadvantaged schools and the lowest-performing learners—especially the 15 per cent in Reading and 9 per cent in Mathematics who remain at ‘very low proficiency’.

Investing in What Works:

Scaling up proven practices and strengthening continuous, practice-based teacher development—particularly in differentiated and inclusive pedagogy—can narrow learning gaps.

Using Data for System Reform:

SEA-PLM provides the indicators needed to track equity and system performance over time. Institutionalising data-driven decision-making is essential for more effective and equitable education investment.

Inequality remains the region’s greatest obstacle to quality learning. By prioritising vulnerable learners and building systems around equity, Southeast Asia can ensure all children gain the foundational skills needed for the future.