As Southeast Asia accelerates its transition into a high-tech regional economy, foundational mathematical competency has become a critical prerequisite for high-skill careers and postsecondary success. Yet, recent findings from the 2024 Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) highlight a pressing challenge: approximately one-third of Grade 5 students across participating nations fail to meet minimum standards in mathematics (SEAMEO Secretariat & UNICEF EAPRO, 2024).
To address this pressing challenge, SEAMEO STEM-ED, together with six key education partners, has taken a significant step forward through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish the Consortium on Elevating Education Quality through an Instructional Leadership Ecosystem. The partnership brings together seven organisations committed to strengthening instructional leadership, building professional capacity, and advancing evidence-informed approaches to improve teaching and learning and enhance educational quality for learners.
Securing the region’s human capital pipeline requires educational leaders to act decisively. Proven policies and practices must be adopted to empower teachers with world-class professional development, high-quality pedagogical materials, and real-time technological support. Only through such synergy can Southeast Asia ensure that every student acquires the mathematical foundation necessary to thrive in a knowledge-driven economy.
A regional policy dialogue has been initiated to showcase success stories and highlight effective interventions. This dialogue invites policymakers and educational leaders to collectively commit to addressing this challenge—turning evidence into action, and ensuring that no student is left behind in the region’s journey toward inclusive growth.
This strategic dialogue convenes key educational policymakers, regional thought leaders, and corporate partners to:
Policy Dialogue Highlights | Empowering the Next Generation Through Mathematical Literacy
In an era of rapidly evolving digital transformation and artificial intelligence, how can we strengthen mathematical literacy?
On 16 July 2026, SEAMEO STEM-ED, in collaboration with the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA), convened the Policy Dialogue: Empowering the Next Generation Through Mathematical Literacy in Bangkok, Thailand. The event brought together policymakers, education leaders, researchers, teacher educators, development partners, universities, and education technology experts from across Southeast Asia and beyond.
In her opening remarks, Assoc. Prof. Dr Juri Vijit Watagan, Chairperson of NIDA, emphasised that advancing mathematical literacy requires more than adopting new technologies. She highlighted the importance of evidence-informed policymaking, strong teacher support, equitable learning opportunities, and nurturing critical thinking and ethical values alongside mathematical competence.
The dialogue featured four sessions exploring mathematics education from multiple perspectives:
Session 1: Reimagining Mathematics Education Beyond Procedures
Mr Lim Soon Jinn and Ms Leong Phooi Qwan from Marshall Cavendish Education highlighted the importance of moving beyond procedural fluency to develop reasoning, problem solving, creativity, communication, and mathematical thinking through purposeful Singaporean curriculum design and effective pedagogical practices.
Session 2: Harnessing AI and Learning Analytics to Personalise Learning
Mr Ashutosh Shukla (Explico) and Ms Suparat Chuechote (Naresuan University) demonstrated how AI-powered assessment and learning analytics can help teachers identify learning gaps, personalise instruction, and support students' confidence, self-directed learning, and mathematical growth while ensuring technology remains aligned with curriculum and classroom needs.
Session 3: High Touch, High Tech for Mathematics Learning
Ms Amy Bellinger and Ms Sattiya Langkhapin from Education Development Center (EDC) presented evidence from implementation across Uruguay, Vietnam, Cambodia, and the Philippines, demonstrating how adaptive technology, combined with strong teacher practices, coaching, and data-informed instruction, can improve learning outcomes, particularly for students who need the greatest support.
Session 4: Unplugged Computational Thinking in Mathematics Education
Representatives from SEAMEO STEM-ED, SEAMEO QITEP in Mathematics, SEAMEO SEAMOLEC, and SEAMEO RECSAM showcased a collaborative regional initiative integrating computational thinking into mathematics through unplugged, hands-on activities. The initiative demonstrated how contextualised learning, lesson study, and regional collaboration can strengthen mathematical reasoning, computational thinking, and STEM learning from the early grades.
Throughout the dialogue, Q&A sessions explored important issues including scaling successful innovations, ensuring sustainability beyond pilot projects, strengthening teacher capacity, supporting both in-service and pre-service teacher development, and creating the policy conditions needed to translate promising evidence into systemic educational improvement.
Led by Dr Kessara Amornvuthivorn, Centre Director of SEAMEO STEM-ED, the dialogue concluded with a productive exchange on future regional collaboration. Participants reaffirmed their shared commitment to advancing mathematical literacy across Southeast Asia through evidence-based innovation, strategic partnerships, and a dedicated pilot programme to drive meaningful change.
