Asean ministers agree to Langkawi joint statement on overcoming school dropouts, says Fadhlina

LANGKAWI: The Langkawi Joint Statement on Out-of-School Children and Youth (OOSCY) has been agreed upon by Asean Education Ministers as a framework to address the challenges of access to education.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
"We went through a long process to reach consensus on this commitment. Thankfully, no amendments were needed, and national leaders have shared their views on how Asean can act as a united community to implement interventions and address this issue seriously.
"Malaysia will bring this commitment to life through the organisation of a seminar in October, and we hope it can be translated into action after being agreed upon by all Education Ministers as a joint commitment," she said at a press conference following the Asean Education Ministers and Higher Education Ministers Roundtable (#EduRoundtables2025) here on Thursday (June 19).
Fadhlina also emphasised that the issues of student dropout rates and the levels of numeracy and literacy are closely tied to poverty and must receive serious attention.
In Malaysia, for example, several interventions have been implemented, including leading the foundational learning issue by expanding access to preschool education, establishing a special committee to strengthen the curriculum, and examining the need for digital technology reforms, including AI-powered classrooms.
Langkawi's Joint Statement on OOSCY acknowledges that crises and challenges in the Asean region, including climate change, conflict situations, deepening poverty, income inequality, and the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, have exacerbated educational inequality.
"We emphasise the urgent need to address educational disparities to ensure inclusive, accessible, and high-quality education for OOSCY as highlighted in the Asean Declaration on Strengthening Education for OOSCY, adopted in 2016.
"We underscore the necessity for Asean Member States to accelerate the implementation of innovative, targeted, and meaningful strategies within and across Asean to reduce the number of OOSCY.
"We hereby call upon Asean Member States, in collaboration with development partners, civil society, and the private sector, to accelerate the adoption of innovative, technology-enabled, and inclusive education strategies that ensure equitable learning opportunities for OOSCY, thus fostering a resilient and future-ready Asean Community," the document stated.
Among the strategies highlighted to address OOSCY issues are Technology-Enabled Learning Solutions, AI-powered predictive analytics and data utilisation, capacity-building programmes, Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), and collaboration with NGOs and civil society organisations.
Other strategies include Alternative and Flexible Learning Pathways, Crisis-Responsive Education Policies, Inclusive Education Initiatives, Skills Development and Workforce Readiness, and Cross-Border Collaboration and Data-Driven Decision-Making.
This year marks the fifth time Malaysia has served as Asean chairman, having held the position in 1977, 1997, 2005, and 2015. – Bernama

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