ASEAN Education Cooperation Girds Up for COVID-19 Response and 4th Industrial Revolution
Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones (left) and Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary of ASEAN Affairs Junever M. Mahilum-West (right) during the 15th Senior Officials’ Meeting on Education. (Photos by DepEd and DFA)
PASAY CITY 23 November 2020 – The Philippines, led by the Department of Education (DepEd), hosted the 15th Senior Officials’ Meeting on Education (SOM-ED) and 11th ASEAN Ministers Meeting on Education (ASED) virtually on 18 and 20 November, respectively.
Anchored on the theme, Transforming Education the ASEAN Way: Forging Partnerships in the Age of Global Disruptions, Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones noted that “the global disruption is not just about the current health crisis but also the inevitable rise of the 4th Industrial Revolution and the shifting demands of the labor market.”
Director-General of the ASEAN-Philippines National Secretariat and Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary of ASEAN Affairs Junever M. Mahilum-West underscored that enhanced partnerships within and beyond the ASEAN region can open doors and make students more competitive, gain valuable skills, and be ready for the demands of the changing world of work.
ASEAN Member States shared their responses, lessons learned, and best practices in addressing the impact of COVID-19 on the education sector, and committed to work together to build a more resilient education system for the region. They provided updates on education projects under the 2016-2020 ASEAN Work Plan on Education, and discussed the next steps of the Post-2020 ASEAN Work Plan on Education.
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Secretary Isidro Lapeña, who represented Secretary Briones as ASED Chair, sought the AMS’ continued support for the Philippine Chairmanship of the ASEAN TVET Council (ATC) from 2020-2022. The ATC will serve as TVET’s cross-pillar and cross-sectoral coordination mechanism, serving as a platform for all regional programmes advancing TVET in ASEAN. The Philippines intends to host an inaugural meeting with all the ATC focal points within the first quarter of 2021. END