Seoul: ASEAN Education Ministers have recently agreed upon the Langkawi Joint Statement on Out-of-School Children and Youth (OOSCY) as a framework to address the challenges of access to education. The ministers underwent an extensive process to reach a consensus on this significant commitment.
According to Lao News Agency, the Langkawi Joint Statement on OOSCY highlights that various crises and challenges in the ASEAN region, such as climate change, conflict situations, deepening poverty, income inequality, and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, have intensified educational inequality.
Fadhlina also emphasized that the issues of student dropout rates and the levels of numeracy and literacy are closely tied to poverty and must receive serious attention. The collaborative effort marks a pivotal step towards ensuring that educational opportunities are accessible to all children and youth within the ASEAN region.