The SEAMEO Secretariat Director, Dr Ethel Agnes Pascua-Valenzuela, and the Secretary of Education, Philippines, H E Dr Leonor Magtolis Briones, signed the Memorandum of Understanding to spearhead the implementation of activities under the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) 5-Year Strategic Plan, including the SEA-PLM 2024 Survey. The MoU signing ceremony took place in the Office of the Secretary Building at the Department of Education in Manila on Monday, 02 May 2022.
“SEA-PLM 2024 will provide new opportunities for engagement with countries and partners, as well as promoting capacity building in the region,” explained Dr Ethel Agnes Pascua-Valenzuela in her remarks. “Through the support from our partners, ASEAN Secretariat, and ASEAN-Republic of Korea Cooperation Funds (AKCF), the programme’s implementation will proceed in 2022, and trial testing will be conducted in 2023,” she continued. Dr Ethel Agnes Pascua-Valenzuela further emphasized that the MoU will provide significant support for the programme’s implementation, both in the top-level commitment and for mobilizing national activities.
Meanwhile, the Department of Education, Philippines is committed to join the next SEA-PLM cycle, as learning assessment proves to be critical in assessing the learning loss among 5th grade students brought by the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. Furthemore, Dr Leonor Magtolis Briones expressed that the “involvement in SEA-PLM is an effort to continuously improve the quality of education in the country.” She hopes that the SEAMEO Secretariat, through the SEA-PLM Secretariat, will provide sufficient guidance to ensure the successful implementation in the country, especially to address challenges and recovery in the post COVID-19 pandemic era.
The momentous signing ceremony was held in the presence of key officials and partners such as the Assistant Secretary for Curriculum and Instruction, Undersecretary for Bureau of Human Resource and Organizational Development, Director of Bureau of Education Assessment, and Director of International Cooperation Office, Philippines, UNICEF Philippines Chief of Education, and SEA-PLM Secretariat Project Manager.
