"Enhancing Educational Collaboration for a Strong and Resilient ASEAN Community and Better Quality of Life for the Peoples in ASEAN Member Countries"
1. The 42nd SEAMEO Council Conference was held on 13-15 March 2007 in Bali, Indonesia. The Conference was attended by Ministers of SEAMEO Members, Associate Members, Observers and Partners. The Secretary-General and Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN were in attendance.
2. Following this, the 2nd ASEAN Education Ministers Meeting was convened on 16 March 2007 in Bali, Indonesia, preceded by a preparatory Senior Officials Meeting on 15 March 2007. The Meeting was attended by ASEAN Ministers responsible for education. The Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN and the Director of SEAMEO were also in attendance.
3. Amongst other issues concerned, the SEAMEO Members discussed cooperation on improving quality and access to education, quality assurance in higher education, poverty alleviation and education’s role in promoting ASEAN identity. The SEAMEO members also agreed to intensify exchange of information and knowledge on ICT application in education.
The ASEAN Charter
4. The Ministers welcomed the recommendations from the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) on the ASEAN Charter that have implications on the education sector. The Ministers noted the key role played by education in preparing ASEAN citizens in all aspects of life.
5. The Ministers affirmed the role of education in realising the vision of the ASEAN Charter. In particular, the Ministers affirmed the critical role of education in promoting an ASEAN identity, a competitive ASEAN Economic Community, and the spirit of diversity and multi-culturalism among the peoples of ASEAN.
6. The Ministers agreed to an action plan to raise awareness of the ASEAN identity, enhance people-to-people interactions, and enable the young people of ASEAN with a culture of science and technology to bring their countries forward through training and skills development. To this end, issues such as broadening access to and improving equity and quality in education should be addressed.
Student Exchanges
7. Currently, there is an existing ASEAN Student Exchange Programme (ASEP). The programme was successfully conducted every year from 2000 to 2005 on a rotation basis among some ASEAN countries. Given the importance of this programme in building stronger educational linkages and people-people interactions, the Ministers agreed to re-start the ASEP in 2008. Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam agreed to host the programme in turn, with other ASEAN Countries, hosting in subsequent years.
Network of Maths and Science High Schools
8. Recognising the importance of Science and Technology in human resource development, the Education Ministers will set up a network of Maths and Science High Schools across ASEAN Member Countries. This network would help to bring about greater sharing of experiences in the development of Science and Technology talents among ASEAN Member Countries.
Collaboration between ASEAN and SEAMEO
9. The Ministers acknowledged the strengthened collaboration with ASEAN and SEAMEO through a work planning exercise that was held in February 2007. The Ministers acknowledged the expertise, experience and extensive network of SEAMEO in the region and are pleased to develop the partnership between ASEAN and SEAMEO, including collaborative work between ASEAN and SEAMEO centres.
10. Promoting ASEANness among the students in ASEAN, building ASEAN human resources in the field of education and strengthening ASEAN university networking would be the three priority areas that ASEAN and SEAMEO would work together on.
Broadening Collaboration between ASEAN and Partner Countries
11. The East Asian Summit (EAS) has included education as a key priority area for ASEAN and EAS partner countries. In response to this call, the Ministers agreed to explore possible collaborations with EAS partner countries in the following areas:
43rd SEAMEO Council Conference and 3rd ASED
12. The Ministers expressed their appreciation to Indonesia for her hospitality as host of the 42nd SEAMEO Council Conference, the Preparatory Senior Officials Meeting (PrepSOM) of the 2nd ASEAN Education Ministers Meeting and the 2nd ASEAN Education Ministers Meeting (ASED).
13. The 3rd ASED will be held in conjunction with the 43rd SEAMEO Council Conference in Malaysia in 2008.
14. There will be also a meeting of ICT experts in education held back-to-back with the 3rd ASED and the 43rd SEAMEO Council Conference in Malaysia.