Singapore, July 25, 2026 – The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) affirmed its commitment to strengthening educational transformation through regional collaboration at the 14th ASEAN Education Ministers Meeting (ASED) held in Singapore on Tuesday (22/7).
The high-level meeting of ASEAN education ministers resulted in a 15-point Joint Statement that sets the direction for regional education cooperation, from the launch of the ASEAN Work Plan on Education (AWPE) 2026–2030 to the appointment of Brunei Darussalam as host of the 15th ASEAN Ministers of Education Meeting (15th ASED).
Minister of Primary and Secondary Education (Mendikdasmen), Abdul Mu'ti, stated that the various agreements affirmed the strengthening of ASEAN collaboration in educational equity, inclusive education, and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in educational settings. He stated that the meeting's outcomes align with the Indonesian government's efforts, through the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, to further refine the integration of digitalization and technology into the national curriculum.
"ASEAN countries have agreed on various education issues, including inclusive education, educational equality, AI, and several programs that will be agreed upon at the next meeting," said Minister Abdul Mu'ti.
At the forum, Indonesia also encouraged the strengthening of AI and coding in education. Minister Abdul Mu'ti explained that the digitalization of education, as part of President Prabowo Subianto's directive, has begun to be implemented through coding and AI subjects and deep learning approaches.
Currently, AI and coding have been implemented as elective subjects starting in fifth grade of elementary school (SD). Going forward, the Ministry of Education and Culture will continue to strengthen teacher training and prepare infrastructure so that these two subjects can be implemented more widely. "AI and coding have been elective subjects in Indonesia starting in fifth grade of elementary school. In the future, when the human resources and infrastructure are ready, we will make AI a compulsory subject in Indonesian schools," the Minister of Education and Culture emphasized.
This commitment is not only directed at developing a generation with digital competencies, but also supports improving the quality of graduates, including Vocational High School (SMK) graduates, so that they are better prepared to face the ever-evolving needs of the workforce.
In addition to utilizing technology, the ASEAN Education Ministers also agreed on the importance of developing ethics in the use of AI. The Minister of Primary and Secondary Education emphasized that AI learning must be balanced with character education and civility in utilizing technology. "What was agreed upon was not only how to teach students to use AI, but also the ethics of using AI, and even how to develop thinking beyond AI so that technology can be used to strengthen our shared life," explained Abdul Mu'ti.
The 14th ASEAN Education Ministers' Meeting, themed " Strengthening ASEAN through Education ," was led by Singapore's Minister for Education, Desmond Lee. At the meeting, the ministers launched the ASEAN Work Plan on Education 2026–2030, which contains six key outcomes, 28 program objectives, and 145 activities to guide the development of the ASEAN education sector over the next five years.
In addition, the ministers agreed on the ASEAN Declaration on Foundational Learning, supported the establishment of the ASEAN Centre of Excellence for Teacher Education and Development (ACTED), strengthened AI-based higher education and digital transformation, increased cooperation in vocational education or Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), expanded student mobility through ASEAN GEMS Plus, strengthened STEM education, values education, mental health, climate education, and the handling of children and youth who dropped out of school.
The meeting also expressed appreciation to Singapore for its leadership as Chair of the ASEAN Education Sector for the 2026–2027 period and agreed on Brunei Darussalam as the host of the 15th ASEAN Ministers of Education Meeting in 2028.*** (Author & Documentation: Ministry of Education and Culture Team)
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