LANGKAWI, 19 June 2025 — Education Ministers from ASEAN Member States convened in Langkawi, Malaysia, on 19 June for two high-level events which focused on addressing educational challenges around Out-of-School Children and Youth as well as advancing regional higher education cooperation: the ASEAN Ministers of Education Roundtable: “Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Mitigating Out-of-School Children and Youth (OOSCY) Challenges” and its preceding Forum, and the ASEAN Higher Education Ministers’ Roundtable: “Envisioning the Next Decade and Beyond.”
The Roundtables and Forum were held back-to-back and brought together ASEAN education and higher education ministers and representatives, senior officials, development partners, educational regional stakeholders and experts to discuss strategic and innovative approaches to strengthening educational inclusion and quality across the region.
A key outcome of the deliberations is the adoption of the Langkawi Joint Statement on ASEAN Out-of-School Children and Youth (OOSCY): Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Mitigating Out-of-School Children and Youth Challenges by the ASEAN Education Ministers.
The Statement outlines a collective commitment to address the challenges faced by out-of-school children and youth through technology-enabled learning solutions, inclusive policies, strengthened data systems, alternative and flexible learning pathways, and regional collaboration, among others. The Langkawi Joint Statement marks another milestone in the region’s efforts to address educational disparities and ensure that no child is left behind.
Fadhlina Sidek, Minister of Education of Malaysia stated that to respond effectively and equitably to this challenge, ASEAN must adopt a comprehensive, cross-sectoral approach—embodied in the triple nexus of humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding efforts. This approach ensures that foundational learning is safeguarded during crises, prioritised as a long-term development goal, and promoted as a catalyst for inclusion and social cohesion.
San Lwin, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, said: “The Langkawi Joint Statement reflects our continued commitment to accelerate efforts and ensure that every child and youth has the opportunity to learn and to thrive.”
Meanwhile, at the Higher Education Roundtable, ASEAN Higher Education Ministers deliberated on the future direction of higher education in the region and endorsed the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Higher Education: Towards an Inclusive, Sustainable and Prosperous ASEAN. The Declaration, slated for adoption by the ASEAN Leaders at the 47th ASEAN Summit in October 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, reflects a shared vision of fostering connectivity, innovation, and equity in higher education across the region.
Further affirming ASEAN’s commitment to academic exchange and talent mobility, the Ministers endorsed and launched the ASEAN GEMS (Global Exchange for Mobility & Scholarship) platform, a regional initiative that will promote inclusive mobility opportunities for students, faculty, and researchers throughout Southeast Asia and beyond.
Zambry Abdul Kadir, Minister of Higher Education of Malaysia indicated Ministry of Higher Education of Malaysia’s readiness to work with all stakeholders in the region to ensure the successful implementation of the ASEAN GEMS, and to translate its vision into meaningful, lasting impact for the youth of ASEAN.
The outcomes of the events reinforce ASEAN’s collective aspiration to build a people-centred, inclusive, and resilient region through education, in line with the ASEAN Community Vision 2045. The Roundtables and Forum in Langkawi also underscore Malaysia’s 2025 ASEAN Chairmanship theme, “Inclusivity and Sustainability.”
