ASEAN plans forum for 'neglected' education<\/p>\n
Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Bangkok<\/p>\n
Education ministers in the region are planning to form a forum
\nto discuss education as a part of concerted efforts to make the
\nAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) a more integrated
\nsociety.<\/p>\n
\"Education is still one of the neglected fields in cooperation
\namong ASEAN nations, together with defense and women's issues,\"
\nMinister of National Education Bambang Sudibyo told Indonesian
\nstudents at the Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok on Saturday
\nmorning.<\/p>\n
\"ASEAN has been reluctant to display its geopolitical face
\nwith defense issues, thus fostering cooperation in economic
\nfields. But I believe sooner or later there will also be a
\ndefense pact of some sort,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Bambang was in Bangkok for Friday's first-ever meeting of
\nASEAN education ministers -- minus Myanmar -- to start a regional
\nforum. He said the meeting as \"more of an informal retreat
\nwithout a clear agenda yet.\"<\/p>\n
The minister pointed out that in the October 2003 summit in
\nBali ASEAN leaders had agreed on three pillars of a more
\nintegrated, solid ASEAN community: the ASEAN Economic Community
\n(AEC), the ASEAN Security Community (ASC), and the ASEAN Socio-
\nCultural Community (ASCC).<\/p>\n
Currently, there is already an annual meeting within the
\nSoutheast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO)
\nwhich also includes seven associate members of Australia, Canada,
\nFrance, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Norway as well
\nJapan as a donor country in addition to the 10 ASEAN members.<\/p>\n
According to an Indonesian diplomat who joined the meeting,
\nthere were concerns that the new forum would overlap with
\nexisting cooperation within SEAMEO.<\/p>\n
The ministers agreed that the ASEAN meeting would be done
\nback-to-back with the SEAMEO meeting.<\/p>\n
The next SEAMEO meeting is scheduled to be held in Singapore
\nnext March.<\/p>\n
The ministers outlined on Friday initial plans to promote the
\nrole of education in building a strong regional community. They
\ndiscussed various regional education topics in the day-long
\ninformal retreat at the Four Seasons Hotel in Bangkok.<\/p>\n
\"We discussed strategies for strengthening ASEAN identity
\nthrough education,\" Thai Minister of Education Chaturon Chaisang,
\nchairman of the meeting told a press conference afterwards, as
\nreported by The Nation newspaper on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Chaturon noted that the ministers had agreed that such
\nstrategies would involve an ASEAN identity while ensuring that
\nour peoples are prepared for globalization and technological
\nadvancement.<\/p>\n
Other strategies included identifying ASEAN's international
\nniche, enriching the ASEAN brand for education, and promoting
\nASEAN studies to enhance multicultural and multireligious
\nunderstanding among the group's peoples, he added.<\/p>\n
Exchanges among teachers, staff and students in the region
\nwill also be an integral part of the capacity-building process of
\nthe region's human resources. Development in English, mathematics
\nand science will be the key areas for such cooperation, said
\nChaturon.<\/p>\n
ASEAN Secretary-General Ong Keng Yong said the ministers
\nplanned to put together information about the social and cultural
\ncharacteristics of each member country that would be posted on
\nwebsites for student school projects and that later they would
\ndevelop textbooks and learning materials to promote better
\nunderstanding among ASEAN citizens.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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