Briones calls for regional cooperation on educational development

MANILA, Philippines — Education Secretary Leonor Briones has called on senior education officials of other countries in Southeast Asia to share best practices to further improve the education sector in the region.

Speaking during the recent governing board meeting of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization-Regional Center for Educational Innovation and Technology (SEAMEO Innotech), Briones stressed the need to share knowledge and experience in the different priority areas for education development.

SEAMEO Innotech, which is based in the country, has significantly contributed to the Philippine government’s efforts to address issues in the education sector.

Briones cited the partnership of the organization with the Department of Education (DepEd) to develop materials in support of the alternative learning system (ALS), which provides a viable alternative to the existing formal education instruction.

“Education must continue no matter what,” she said, citing her agency’s mandate to ensure the continuity of education despite challenges such as natural disasters and conflicts.

ALS is one of Briones’ four priorities as education chief, along with strengthening preventive drug education, gender and development in relation to reproductive health, and environmental awareness and disaster preparedness.

SEAMEO Innotech is composed of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Timor-Leste, Thailand and Vietnam.