Home > Media Centre > Press Releases Printer-friendly page

21 March 2006

Southeast Asian Education Ministers to Meet in Singapore on 21 – 23 March 2006

ASEAN Education Ministers Meeting (21 March 2006)

1.           ASEAN Education Ministers will gather for the inaugural ASEAN Education Ministers Meeting in Singapore on 21 March 2006.  The ASEAN Education Ministers Meeting was instituted as a regular ASEAN Meeting by the ASEAN Leaders at the 11th ASEAN Summit held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in December 2005. 

2.           The ASEAN Education Ministers will discuss, among other issues, ways to promote the ASEAN identity and Socio-Cultural Community.  They will also address ways to build on the strengths of the region’s multi-ethnic societies and meet the challenges of achieving social cohesion through education. 

Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation (SEAMEO) Council Conference (22 – 23 March 2006)

3.           This first ASEAN Education Ministers Meeting will be held back-to-back with the 41st Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation (SEAMEO)[1] Council Conference in Singapore.

4.           Professor S Jayakumar, Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Law, will open the 41st SEAMEO Council Conference on 22 March 2006.

5.           The ASEAN Ministers will be joined at the SEAMEO conference by the Education Minister of the Democratic Republic of Timor Leste, which will be proclaimed the 11th member of SEAMEO at the opening of the conference.  They will also be joined by senior education officials and representatives from the SEAMEO Associate Member Countries[2], the SEAMEO Regional Centres and Observers for the 41st SEAMEO Council Conference.  In all, more than 150 Education Ministers and officials will attend the conference.

6.           Apart from reviewing the programmes spearheaded by SEAMEO and its Regional Centres, the SEAMEO conference will discuss the role of education in fostering national development at a Policy Forum as part of the conference.

7.           In conjunction with the 41st SEAMEO Council Conference, the Singapore Ministry of Education will also be holding an Art and Design Exhibition on “Colours of Southeast Asia” from 23 – 25 March 2006.  The Exhibition at Suntec City will feature works of students from all SEAMEO member countries.  As part of the conference programme, SEAMEO delegates will visit the Exhibition and also schools and educational institutions in Singapore.

8.           Singapore’s Minister for Education, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, will assume the presidency of SEAMEO for one year during the 41st SEAMEO Council Conference.

                                                                                                                Annex A

BRIEF ON SOUTHEAST ASIAN MINISTERS OF EDUCATION ORGANISATION (SEAMEO)

BACKGROUND ON SEAMEO

1.           SEAMEO was formed in 1965 to promote co-operation among the Southeast Asian nations through education, science and culture.  It has 10 Member Countries (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam), 7 Associate Member Countries (Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand and Norway), and 1 Affiliate Member (International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE)).  Timor Leste will be inaugurated as the 11th Member of SEAMEO at the 41st SEAMEO Council Conference in Singapore.

STRUCTURE OF SEAMEO

SEAMEO Council

2.            The SEAMEO Council is the policy making body of SEAMEO.  It comprises the Education Ministers of the 10 SEAMEO Member Countries.  The Council meets once a year to formulate policies for SEAMEO.  It approves all SEAMEO programmes, budgets and makes all decisions that will bind the Organisation into commitments.  The Council’s binding acts are in the form of Council resolutions.

SEAMEO Secretariat

3.            The SEAMEO Secretariat is based in Bangkok, Thailand.  It is headed by a Director who is the chief administrative officer and legal representative of the Organisation.  The current Director is Dr Edilberto C de Jesus.  He is supported by professional staff recruited from SEAMEO Member Countries and general service staff recruited from Thailand.

SEAMEO Regional Centres

4.            The programmes and activities of SEAMEO are organised and conducted through its Regional Centres.  There are 15 Regional Centres and networks under SEAMEO, each specialising in its own areas of competence.  Details of the Centres and networks are in Annex A1.

ANNUAL SEAMEO COUNCIL CONFERENCE

5.            The annual SEAMEO Council Conference is attended by Ministers of Education and officials of Member Countries, representatives of Associate Member Countries, Centre Directors, SEAMEO Secretariat officials and observers from donor governments and international organisations.  The hosting of the Conference is rotated among Member Countries and the Education Minister from the host country is elected the President of the SEAMEO Council.  Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Minister for Education, Singapore, will take over as President of the SEAMEO Council at the 41st SEAMEO Council Conference in Singapore.
 

Annex A1

SEAMEO REGIONAL CENTRES AND NETWORKS