The SEA-PLM Regional Secretariat and the Lao PDR National team hosted the 1st SEA-PLM country-level strategic workshop under Initiative 2: Evidence-to-policy linkages on March 18 - 20, 2025 effectively advancing the use of evidence to inform policies and practices in basic education. This workshop signified an essential step forward in the country’s commitment to improving foundational learning outcomes. One of the workshop’s notable moments was the high-level dialogue between SEA-PLM representatives and Dr. Dalavone Kitiphanh, Vice Minister of Education and Sports. The meaningful dialogue centered around Lao PDRs’ dedication to leveraging assessment data for informed policy decisions to enhance educational quality and the use of SEA-PLM through Initiative 2 in contributing to this commitment.
Group photo of SEA-PLM representatives, partners, and Ministry Officials led by Dr. Dalavone Kitiphanh, Vice Minister of Education and Sports Lao PDR
Mrs. Manoly Dongvan, Deputy Director General, Research Institute of Educational Sciences, Ministry of Education and Sport, in her opening remarks, expressed Lao PDR’s steadfast commitment to foundational learning. By participating in the SEA-PLM assessments conducted in 2019 and 2024, Lao PDR demonstrates its dedication to evaluating and improving educational outcomes. Through its active involvement in SEA-PLM, Lao PDR reaffirms its commitment to foundational learning and emphasizes the importance of sustained investment in children’s education, ensuring quality education for future generations. During the session, the SEAMEO Secretariat represented by Datuk Dr Habibah expressed gratitude for Lao’s successful completion of the SEA-PLM 2024 Main Survey, emphasizing the critical role of the 2024 data in assessing learning recovery post Covid-19 and developing targeted interventions.
Throughout the first day, participants from various units within the Ministry and other partners actively engaged in a robust discussion on strengthening reforms through leveraging data insights and evidence from SEA-PLM and other sources. This boosted the country’s national action plan to focus on post-2024 activities of data analysis, dissemination, and formulation of effective interventions informed by the upcoming results of the 2024 survey.
Mr Alejandro Ibanez, Programme Manager SEA-PLM Programme. facilitated the discussion with the participants during the workshop
On the second day, Dr. Wong Yew Leong from the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, guided participants through an interactive session focused on the completion of Module 2 of the SEA-PLM System-Level Questionnaire, centered on curriculum and quality assurance in primary education. This insightful session unpacked complex themes such as teacher training, differentiated curriculum strategies, and effective resource allocation, highlighting how teacher motivation, cultural contexts, and school leadership profoundly influence learning outcomes. Participants enthusiastically exchange insights and perspectives, exploring comprehensive strategies to align curriculum standards with quality assurance practices.
Dr Wong facilitated the discussion on module 2 of the SEA-PLM System-Level Questionnaire
The workshop concluded with a productive bilateral meeting between Lao PDR’s national team and the SEA-PLM Regional Secretariat, mapping out clear, actionable plans for sustained collaboration and policy action.
This workshop not only strengthened Lao PDR’s capacity to harness SEA-PLM data effectively but also to amplify ongoing regional efforts to ensure that every child attains foundational skills essential for lifelong learning and development.
