Across Southeast Asia, classrooms are changing, but sustaining that change requires leadership that understands what quality STEM learning looks like in practice. Responding to this regional need, SEAMEO STEM-ED, with support from Chevron, held the Kick-off Event for the STEM Education Leadership for Change Programme on 5 February 2026 at the Thaiyajarn Conference Room, Teachers’ Council of Thailand, Bangkok. More than a programme kick-off, the event signalled a new chapter of regional collaboration—one that places leadership at the heart of advancing STEM education systems.

The Kick-off Event brought together SEAMEO regional centres, national education agencies, and   universities to signal a shared commitment: moving beyond isolated classroom innovation toward coordinated, leadership-driven reform. The programme positions school leaders and policymakers not as observers of change, but as active partners in shaping instructional quality across schools and systems in Southeast Asia and Kazakhstan.

The initiative builds on lessons learned from the Southeast Asian Teacher Education Programme (SEA-TEP), which since 2023 has reached more than 1,800 educators in Cambodia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, and Thailand. SEA-TEP demonstrated that when teachers are supported with high-quality STEM learning units and evidence-based instructional practices aligned with the PISA framework, classrooms can meaningfully support enhancing students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills, alongside measurable improvements in teaching practice.

Yet experience from SEA-TEP also revealed a clear message: classroom-level progress cannot be sustained or scaled without the active engagement of school leaders and education authorities. Leadership plays a pivotal role in shaping professional learning, aligning instructional priorities, and creating the conditions in which teachers can succeed. The STEM Education Leadership for Change Programme directly responds to this insight by shifting the focus toward leadership capacity as a driver of lasting impact.

Implemented by SEAMEO STEM-ED in collaboration with SEAMOLEC, RECSAM, INNOTECH, Caravan of Knowledge, Michigan State University (MSU), and national partners, the programme aims to strengthen leadership practices, align instructional improvement with quality assurance frameworks, and promote evidence-informed decision-making through a whole-school approach.

The programme is further reinforced by strong national-level support from the Teachers’ Council of Thailand (TCT) and the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC), within the Ministry of Education of Thailand, whose involvement is critical to engaging schools and supporting implementation at scale.

By linking proven classroom practices with leadership development and regional collaboration, the STEM Education Leadership for Change Programme represents a strategic investment in the future of STEM education—one that moves the region closer to sustainable, scalable, and inclusive reform, and strengthens collective efforts to prepare learners for the demands of an increasingly complex world.

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