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SEA-PLM Gears for Evidence-to-Policy Initiative, Reinforces NSCs
Alejandro Ibanez, Anwari Nur Muttaqin, and Rizky Murdiono, SEA-PLM

The SEAMEO Secretariat is welcomed at the Cambodia Country-Level Planning.

Following the successful launch of the SEA-PLM 2024 Main Regional Report in December 2025, the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) programme is now working closely with participating countries to translate assessment results into meaningful system improvements through Initiative 2: Evidence-to-Policy programme strategy. Launched in 2025, this approach seeks to bring SEA-PLM evidence at the forefront of policy dialogues and interventions that address foundational learning challenges in the region.

A key mechanism for translating evidence into action has been the active engagement of each country’s National Steering Committee (NSC). The NSCs undertake dialogue on SEA-PLM data implications and policy recommendations to strengthen each ministries’ ongoing education reforms. They work to align SEA-PLM evidence with national education priorities, creating opportunities for policies to be more targeted and to address learning gaps.

NSCs Now in Session

Philippine NSC discusses approaches to implement foundational learning strategies.

Across participating countries, NSCs are now convening to adapting SEA-PLM data to their contexts and circumstances.

In the Philippines, SEA-PLM evidence has gained strong policy traction, notably through its citation in the final report of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), reflecting the recognition of comparative evidence in shaping education reforms, particularly in strengthening foundational learning and improving the quality of basic education. Building on this momentum, the SEA-PLM Country-Level Planning Meeting was held on 16–17 March 2026 to reinforce operationalisation of these insights.

Likewise in Cambodia, SEA-PLM 2024 findings actively guide national efforts and priorities, including strengthening early childhood education, enhancing early-grade literacy and numeracy, and improving teaching practices. The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport has also ensured wide dissemination of the findings and has utilised them to support the development of SEA-PLM-aligned assessment items, teaching manuals, and system-wide action plans implemented across government and learning institutios. These were highlighted during the SEA-PLM Country-Level Planning Meeting on 12–13 March 2026, where SEAMEO and the NSCs emphasised translating evidence into scalable interventions and strengthening coherence between assessment, curriculum, and classroom practices.

Mr Kou Hav presents the SEA-PLM Initiative 2 project proposal.

In Lao PDR, the Ministry of Education and Sports is leveraging SEA-PLM results to guide improvements in teaching and learning, including tutoring programmes for low-performing students, and the strengthening of formative assessment in primary education. The findings underpinned system reforms, such as enhancing teacher professional development through the CPD system, expanding early grade language initiatives, and improving equity for disadvantaged learners. Further, ongoing item-level analysis and curriculum mapping are being conducted to identify learning gaps and inform curriculum reform and teacher training. These efforts were reinforced at the SEA-PLM Country-Level Planning Meeting on 20 March 2026, where SEAMEO and the NSC explored ways to deepen the use of evidence in planning and implementation.

The Viet Nam NSC convenes with SEAMEO for the Planning Meeting at Ha Noi.

Further, the Lao PDR National Report Launch and Foundational Learning Forum held on 24 March 2026 featured SEA-PLM findings to stimulate dialogue on improving learning outcomes, align stakeholders, and to strengthen the implementation of Initiative 2 in the country.

In Viet Nam, discussions during the SEA-PLM Country-Level Planning Meeting on 19–20 March 2026 highlighted strong progress in the implementation plan of Initiative 2. Building on its formal adoption through Decision No 565 and alignment with the Viet Nam Education Strategy 2045, Initiative 2 focuses on strengthening the use of assessment data to inform policy and practice. SEAMEO and the NSC now gear to scaling up data analysis, curriculum alignment, teacher professional development, and ensuring support to Viet Nam’s vision of improving foundational learning outcomes.

Ms Pintip Iamnirath of SEAMEO with the Lao PDR delegation at the Policy Mapping Meeting

Complementing these efforts, the SEA-PLM Regional Secretariat organised a workshop on 26-27 March 2026 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Co-chaired by the SEAMEO Secretariat and UNICEF, these workshops demonstrated ways to interpret SEA-PLM data, facilitate peer learning across countries, and identify priority policy questions from the assessment results.

Sustaining Momentum Toward SEA-PLM 2029

As the SEA-PLM programme continues to deepen engagement with participating countries, Initiative 2 will remain a key driver of implementation with six countries currently having already formed and mobilised their NSCs.

These efforts contribute to preparations for the SEA-PLM 2029 cycle. Through sustained collaboration among ministries of education, regional partners, and technical experts, SEA-PLM continues to support Southeast Asian education systems in turning evidence into action and strengthening a collective commitment to improving foundational learning outcomes.

The 2024 Main Regional Report and 2024 Datasets may be accessed at www.seaplm.org.

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