Background
Southeast Asia is a
region of Asia with distinctive feature of cultural diversity from the ten
independent countries:
- Brunei Darussalam,
- Cambodia,
- Indonesia,
- Lao PDR,
- Malaysia,
- Myanmar,
- Singapore,
- Thailand,
- The Philippines, and
- Vietnam
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| Figure 1. Map of Southeast Asia |
The ten countries reach from
eastern India to China and are generally divided into ‘mainland’ and ‘island’
zones. The ‘mainland’ zone consists of Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and
Vietnam, while the ‘island’ zone consists of Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia,
the Philippines, and Brunei.
Virtually all of Southeast Asia
lies between the tropics, and so there are similarities in climate as well as
plant and animal life throughout the region. Temperatures are generally warm,
although it is cooler in highland areas. Much of Southeast Asia is rainforest
and the climate is very wet. The wet weather makes the area prime for rice
patty agriculture making rice the main staple food in the Southeast
Asia. Southeast Asia is rich in wildlife with animals such as orangutans,
leopards, elephants, water buffalo and rhinos. There is also significant diversity
in culture, language, and religion.
Challenges in Southeast Asia
As a developing region, Southeast
Asia got many challenges, among others;
1.
Environmental challenges: Southeast Asia is
covered with dense jungle, beautiful beaches, and has so many incredible
wildlife. The local environment should be at the top of priorities for
Southeast Asian countries to be preserved as the natural resources is
fundamental for the region, because most of the countries are heavily rely on
tourism for their economies. Some of the environmental problems are: endangered
species conservation, polluted air, destruction of coral reefs, deforestation,
water security, and many more.
2.
Economic challenges: According to Christian Vits
(2014) in one of his article being published on
http://www.focus-asean.com, entitled “Clear
and Present Danger”, the lights are coming up on Southeast Asia’s last decade
growth party. While global growth is gradually strengthening with brighter
growth prospects in the US and Europe, emerging markets such as those in ASEAN
face unaccustomed challenges. However, as time goes by, ASEAN leaders should
think about their growth strategy rather than simply observe global economic
developments
.
3.
Educational challenges: in one of his paper
entitled “Challenges in Education in Southeast Asia”, Prof. Arief S. Sadiman
(2004) mentioned that inequality access to education in the region is one of
many educational challenges for Southeast Asia. The problem exists due to some conditions
that result to disparities in the delivery of quality learning opportunities.
The following factors are the main contributor to the problem: (1) Lack of
available school building and classroom with all required facilities, (2) shortage
of teachers, especially in remote areas, (3) uneven spread of population, (4) lack
of good textbooks and other learning materials, (5) geographical
location, (6) student’s and parent’s low appreciation toward education, (7)
level of socio-economic condition of the family, (8) lack of budget for
building more schools, classrooms, learning facilities.
4.
Food safety challenges: Noraini Mohd Othman
(2007) in her research entitled “Food Safety in Southeast Asia: Challenges
Facing the Region” stated that food safety is the assurance that food will not
cause harm to the consumer when it is prepared and/or eaten according to its
intended use. It presents unique challenges in food safety, especially problems
related to hygiene and sanitation. National food safety programs in Southeast
Asia generally lack the following critical elements, namely: (1) an
appreciation of the nature and extent of national food safety problems, (2) an
awareness of the consequences of contaminated food on the nation’s health
status and economic development, and (3) a sense of urgency for the need to
investigate and do research. Food safety can no longer be the luxury of the
rich since all people should have the right to an adequate supply of safe and
nutritious food.
There are more challenges faced by Southeast Asian region,
but in this paper I will look deeper on educational challenges.
Educational Challenges
Southeast Asian countries must
together develop education system which is forward-looking, future oriented,
and strategic. Not only individual countries, but as community of nations
together developing joint strategies and programs in order to overcome
educational problems within the region.
The Strategic Dialogue for
Education Ministers (SEDM) held in Vientiane, Lao PDR on 13 September 2014,
agreed to focus collaboration and interactions in the next two decades in the
following priority areas to address the issues and challenges:
- Promoting
early childhood care and education
Early childhood
care and education will be one of the main concerns of the region towards
achieving universal pre-primary education by 2030. This includes giving special
attention to disadvantaged groups who can benefit most from such programs,
including children from poor families, those living in remote areas and of
marginalized ethnic and linguistic communities, and children with disabilities
and special learning needs.
- Addressing
barriers to inclusion and access to basic learning opportunities of all
learners (out‐of‐school and over‐aged children, people with disabilities, etc.)
Concerning the
idea of education for all, the barriers in education should be addressed
through the development of innovations in delivery and management in order to
reach more people to education and support as many communities as possible.
Everyone should be able to have basic learning opportunities, with particular
attention to over-aged children in primary schools, those belonging to
linguistic and ethnic minority groups, people with special learning needs, and
other related causes of exclusion.
- Preparing
schools leaders, teachers, students and local communities towards
resiliency in the face of emergencies
For example during
conflicts, extreme weather, and natural disasters.
- Promoting technical and vocational education and
training among learners and their
parents
TVET could be seen
as a more visible investment in the field as well as demonstrating a more
visible employability of graduates. To promote TVET in the region, all governments
should show more support by enhancing it through the development of a regional
policy framework for labor, skill, and learner mobility.
- Reforming
teacher education and make teaching profession a first choice
Teacher’s quality
improvement should also get attention from the government, as good teachers
will produce better graduates. The quality improvement of teachers could be
reached through the comprehensive, strategic, and practice-based reform of the
teacher management and development systems, this is also in order to make them
more professional.
- Harmonizing
higher education and research
This could be an
effort to strengthen the higher education institutions within the region
through an institution-to-institution approach rather than Government-to
Government agreements. This, as with
TVET, can be enhanced through the development of a regional policy framework
for labor, skill and learner mobility.
- Adopting
a truly 21st century curriculum
A dramatic shift
is sweeping through our school system. Students that we have today are not the
same 21st century learners we came to know over the first decade of the new
millennium. These new 21st century learners are highly
relational and demand quick access to new knowledge. More than that,
they are capable of engaging in learning at a whole new level. With the world
literally at their fingertips, today’s students need teachers and
administrators to re-envision the role of technology in the classroom. This
phenomenon has changed the way of study, work and implementation in the field
of learning, which is marked by the emergence of new terms such as e-Book,
e-learning, ubiquitous learning, cyber/virtual campus, and mobile learning.
Answering the Challenge
We are now living in the era of
globalization where most of the things in life are handled by utilizing
technology. The children living in the world today are for sure having
different characteristics with those living in the earlier time. They are
growing up with a highly sophisticated media and computer environment and will
be more internet savvy and expert than the previous generation. In order to
produce the future generation with high quality, educators should pay more
attention and carefully prepare the education system for this generation.
The term that is currently used by
educators and education commentators for this generation is ‘digital natives’
or the ‘Net generation’. These young people are said to have been immersed in
technology all their lives since they were born which impacted on their sophisticated
technical skills and learning preferences for which traditional education is
unprepared. It is calling for urgent necessity for educational reform as a
response.
Meanwhile, the teachers or
educators of this generation are coming from the previous generation which also
known with the term of ‘digital immigrant’ or “Generation X and Y’. There will
come a time and a possibility where the students are more skillful in term of
technology compare to the teachers. At this point we should prepare the teachers
to act as facilitators for the students to come to the learning resources,
rather than acting as the smartest person in the class like it used to be.
Early childhood, the first five
years of life, is a time of rapid cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional and
motor development, and the most important period of development in a child’s
life. The development of a child’s brain depends on environmental
stimulation, especially on the quality of care and interaction that the child
receives. According to an article in the official website of UNICEF
Thailand (
http://www.unicef.org/thailand/)
A baby who is hugged, cooed to, comforted and visually stimulated has an
essential advantage. Children who are nurtured and well cared for are
more likely to fully develop cognitive, language, emotional and social skills;
to grow up healthier; and to have higher self-esteem. Each of these areas is
crucial to our well-being as adults, as our experiences in early childhood shape
who we ultimately become. While home is the most important environment
during early childhood, it is crucial that children are exposed to some form of
quality early childhood services, such as those provided at early childhood
development centres.
According to a survey on the
situation of children and women in Thailand conducted by the National
Statistical Office in 2012 with support from UNICEF, about 84 per cent of
children aged 3-5 attended some form of organized early childhood education
program. However, the rate is lower in municipal areas. In respect to their
development, 94 per cent of children aged 3-5 who attend early childhood
learning program are developmentally on track, while only 77 per cent of the
same age group who are not attending early childhood learning program are on
track.
Developed countries like USA or
most of European countries are already giving proper attention to the early
childhood education from birth to age eight. It covers from curriculum, child
care programs, family-school relationships, equity issues, multicultural units,
health nutrition, facilities, special needs, infant/toddler programs, to child
development. This could be the standard for Southeast Asian countries to set
the educational system for the early childhood education within the region.
Hopefully by 2020 we, ASEAN member countries, could produce a better prepared
generation to enter their next phase in education.
As stated in the official website
of The United Nations (
http://www.un.org/), education
is a right, like the right to have proper food or a roof over your head. It is
so important for all people to have access to education as it beats poverty,
promotes gender equality, reduces child mortality, contributes to improved maternal
health, helps combat preventable diseases, encourages environmental
sustainability, and helps global development. The ultimate aim of Education for
All (EFA) is sustainable development.
The term EFA stresses that everyone
should benefit from basic education, from young children, to adolescents,
people with disabilities, those belonging to linguistic and ethnic minority
groups, people with special learning needs, and other related causes of
exclusion. Be it through formal secondary, technical and vocational education
or non-formal adult education and learning, including skills training. Learning
does not always happen in formal situations as it is in schools. It begins well
before primary school and continues throughout life. Families and communities
must be encouraged not only to create environments that encourage education but
get involved at all stages so as to ensure its relevance and quality.
Education for all are literally
means education for all individuals, including the victims of natural disasters,
extreme weather, and in conflict area. Southeast Asia region got hammered by
many natural disasters, like volcano eruptions, tsunamis, typhoons, earthquakes,
and many more. Millions of people have been affected by all these disasters,
including kids who are still studying. Their schools and houses are also got
stroke by the disasters, making them lose their opportunity to continue their
study. These kids should be taken into serious attention by all parties,
especially by the Government and society. Besides providing food, water and
shelter for the victims, volunteers should also provide teaching and learning
activities for these kids, ensuring their study still continues.
In relation to ASEAN Economic
Community 2015, where all ASEAN nations will relatively have mobility in term
of labors, products, services, and investments through the agreement, all ASEAN
nations will have to pay more attention in preparing the education development
especially in improving the quality and relevance of graduates to meet the
challenges of an increasingly competitive world of work.
Technical Vocational Education and Training
(TVET) would be the best areas to be explored for cooperation within the
countries as it provides skills acquisition. Skill is considered to be very
vital to the growth of developing country’s economy, especially in this era of
technological integration. It would be needed by many life sectors, not only in
a modern environment, but also in agricultural and other informal sectors. It
is through technical vocational education and training a more relevant graduate
could be produced to meet the evolving needs of industry or employer.
Paryono (2013) in his research
entitled “Mapping National and Regional TVET Initiatives in Southeast Asia and
beyond in Response to Students and Labour Mobility” was exposing the fact that
Southeast Asian countries are positioning Technical and Vocational Education
and Training (TVET) in the mainstream of education system and setting it as a
priority in their education agenda. This is simply due to the fact that TVET
plays an important role in the socio-economic development of a nation, not to
mention that it helps a lot in preparing the current and future labour
forces. At regional and global levels,
the issue of students and labour mobility are also very prevalent particularly
in anticipation of full ASEAN integration in 2015.
His research was basically about
the national and regional initiatives in TVET to be used as a reference and
stimulate ideas and collaboration for improving TVET policies and practices. He
used qualitative research as the methodology and found out these following
initiatives;
1.
National initiatives
The most vital
initiative is the creation of the National Qualification Framework (NQF) to be
used as a means for promoting the development, implementation and facilitation
of a transparent mechanism used in the assessment, certification, and
recognition of skills. It requires intensive preparation and strong
commitments. Even in countries that have successfully developed the framework,
it does not always translate into successful implementation. Communication is
required between the various Ministries, education and training providers, and
industries for successful implementation.
2.
Regional initiatives
a.
East Asia Summit on TVET Quality
Assurance Framework
All countries have their own way of assuring TVET
Quality. The development of a Regional TVET Quality Assurance Framework will
facilitate in promoting continuous improvement of TVET within the country and
enhance cooperation and mutual understanding between member countries. To
support this initiative, it is vital to establish a smaller TVET quality
assurance, such as focusing o teacher quality standard.
b.
Regional Qualification Framework
(RQF)
There
have been several attempts by various organizations to develop ASEAN Regional
Qualification Framework in Southeast Asia. Many hold that an RQF will provide a
reference point and translation grid for all qualifications throughout
Southeast Asia and that it will be benefit employers, education providers, and
job seekers to recognize qualification issued within the region. Others feel
that the RQF will only function if all member countries recognize the benefits
of it and support the initiation and the implementation whole-heartedly.
In order to produce high quality
graduates, it is imperative that excellent teachers be recruited, prepared, and
supported in every school. According to an article posted on Centre for
Education Policy Analysis of Stanford University (
http://cepa.stanford.edu), research
evidence is persuasive that students benefit from high quality instruction, and
that for students who have had good teachers several years in a row, the effect
is cumulative. There are not enough numbers of teachers who are effective,
especially in the schools that serve large numbers of poor and minority
children. High qualified teachers are not always those who have earned a degree
or completed a training program. Instead, as a region we need policies and
programs that bring academically talented and diverse recruits into teaching
and help them to succeed. And, we need policies and programs to retain and
reward effective early career teachers.
As recommendations, Governments of
each ASEAN nation should continue to experiment with various kinds of teacher
recruitment programs, and keep collecting data of teachers who are still need
improvement or those who are promising, and end those that are not. The
respective Governments should also fund experiments the full range of
possibilities designed to increase teacher retention, including salary
incentives for successful teachers, improvements in working conditions and
school culture, and mentoring and professional development.
A paper entitled “ASEAN Economic
Community (AEC) A Potential Game Changer for ASEAN Countries” written by
Hansakul (2013) highlighted that the AEC’s envisaged launch at the end of 2015
will not only be an integration milestone but a potential game changer for
ASEAN. The region’s diversity, ranging from advanced economies like Singapore
to developing countries like Myanmar, could be a source of synergy, bringing
the capital and more mature economies together with the competitive costs and
abundant labor and resources of the less-developed member countries.
Harmonizing higher education among
the 10 ASEAN nations would be a great idea to develop a more harmonious
curriculum within the region. Therefore ASEAN will have same standards of
higher education graduates to be hired in the shared industry. A regional
policy framework for labor, skill and learner mobility should also be developed
by the Governments.
The era has changed, we are now
entering the world with the new paradigm that happens in teaching and learning
in the 21st century. A new innovation and initiatives should be
taken by educators to engage students in a more interesting and fun way of
learning. Because, like it or not, this phenomenon has changed the way of
study, work and implementation in the field of learning. Considering these
situations above, there is a need to foster not only for students but also for
teachers to use new way of teaching and learning. This can be done by taking
the benefit of a Social Learning Network (SLN), and starting to use the digital
book (e-book) as one of the learning resources as well as presenting the idea
through video lecturing.
SLN is a social media platform that
has interesting features for teachers and students similar to social media like
Facebook, but actually there is greater value in this platform. SLN was
designed by educators, that is quite safe to be used by teachers as well as by
students. SLN is very comprehensive similar with some features and function
that could be access faster and easier. It can be just an online platform to
promote the new way of teaching or can become more creative ways to engage
students in collaborative learning and distributed cognition.
Digital book or also known as e
book was firstly being introduced in 1990. It allows publishers and software
developers to use a format that can be read on any device and use a variety of
digital book reader software.Epub (electronic publication) is a digital book
format which is standardized, introduced by the International Digital
Publishing Forum (IDPF) in October 2011. These books are so practical usually
for students not to carry heavy books to schools and it is also effective that they
can access the materials at anytime and anywhere using their gadgets. The use
of e book is definitely unavoidable due to the changes of era. Teachers must be
able to develop their own materials using this format of technology to assist
students in learning process.
Another technology that can be used
to improve the quality of teaching and learning process is a video lesson or video
lecture, a video which presents educational material for a topic to be learnt.
Such videos might then be uploaded onto the Internet to be used as online
lectures. This way student at home could replay the explanation from their
teacher during the face to face learning process in class. Teachers can utilize
video camera equipment that are already owned by them, for example handycam, or
laptop camera, they will not need high end video camera to make simple video
presentation. As long as the nature of the video is descriptive, communicated
in a logical order, and have clear explanation, the video would be presentable.
The launch of AEC was initially set for 2020 and
subsequently moved forward to January 1, 2015. In November 2012 ASEAN leaders
agreed to move the launch date again to December 31, 2015 in order to give
member states more time to prepare for necessary regulatory changes. Some of
the findings stated on the article are the AEC Blueprint’s vision and goals,
where the Economic Community would be focus on 4 characteristics;
1.
A single market and production base, where flows
of investment, capital, and skilled labor will be facilitated and cooperation
in sectors designated as priority integration sectors will be promoted.
2.
A competitive economic region which requires a
regional standard in trade policy and for the business operating environment.
3.
Equitable economic development. ASEAN member
states will strive to level the playing field as much as possible.
4.
Integration into the global economy. ASEAN strives
to integrate itself better as a region into the global supply chain.
I hope this paper could at least
give an educated guess of what can be expected to happen within the Southeast
Asia region, particularly in the field of education. From that point the
countries would have a clearer perspective on mapping the role, the benefits
and the challenges of AEC to the member countries. The graduates in Southeast
Asia are expected to be better human resources who will affected the supply and
demand of labor when Southeast Asia enters the AEC at the end of 2015.
References
Joint Statement
of the Ministers of Education of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education
Organization (SEAMEO) on Education Agenda for Southeast Asia (2015-2035)
Paryono. (2013).
Mapping National and Regional TVET Initiatives in Southeast Asia and
Beyond in Response to Students and Labour Mobility. TVET Asia Online
Journal Issue 1: Collaboration in TVET. Retrieved from
http://www.tvet-online.asia/issue/1/paryono_tvet1
Sadiman, Arief S. (2004).
Challenges in Southeast Asia. Paper
presented at the International Seminar on “Towards Cross Border Cooperation
between South and Southeast Asia: The Importance of India’s North East Playing
Bridge and Buffer Role”, Kaziranga, India, 16-19 November 2004. Retrieved from
http://www.seameo.org/vl/library/dlwelcome/publications/paper/india04.htm
