To share policy innovations and effective partnerships and cooperation models relating to new learning paradigms in the Southeast region, the Department of Education (DepEd) and various key education stakeholders in SEA region virtually met at the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education (SEAMEO) Congress 2021.
With theme, “Transforming Southeast Asian Education, Science and Culture in the Digital Age,” SEAMEO highlighted the sustainable and social development of education in the region amidst digital transformation during the two-day virtual event on April 28 to 29.
Education Secretary Leonor Briones delivered a message during the ministerial panel on April 29 while Undersecretary Diosdado San Antonio served as a panelist for Parallel Session 2 sub-theme A on Eradicating Barriers of Learning: Coping and Addressing Inequality on April 28.
DepEd-International Cooperation Office (ICO) Director Margarita Ballesteros served as moderator for Session C: Research on Digital Learning during the first day of the Conference.
Ballesteros said that the SEAMEO Congress 2021 aims to “bring together a diverse set of actors from government organizations, educational institutions, development agencies, and industries to discuss perspectives on how to transform education, science, and culture amidst new challenges of the digital age.”
As such, a regional plan of action for transformative education pillars will be defined through extensive discussions among partners, co-organizers, resource persons, experts, and participants during the event.
The regional action plan is expected to contribute to the new decade of the SEAMEO Strategic Plan (2021-2030) to prepare teachers and learners to thrive in the digital era and to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) in 2030.
As of April 20, the Congress has more than 15,000 participants, composed of policymakers, presidents/directors of educational institutions, researchers, teachers, and students from 65 countries.
The event was organized by SEAMEO, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Malaysia, and the Ministry of Education, Thailand. DepEd is a Bronze Partner to the event to support the participation of DepEd personnel in the Congress.