When global evidence and regional practice converge

Around the world, education systems are grappling with how to address learning poverty and improve learning outcomes, especially in the foundational years. Global evidence syntheses, such as the Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel’s (GEEAP) Smart Buys report, reflect growing consensus on the importance of cost‑effective interventions that strengthen learning, teaching quality and system coherence. 

These themes are also clearly visible in education reform efforts across Southeast Asia, where governments, practitioners and development partners are working to strengthen foundational learning through context‑responsive, evidence‑informed approaches. Together, global evidence and regional experience are reinforcing a shared set of priorities for education reform. 

These shared priorities were evident at the inaugural Development and Education (DevEd) 2025 conference held in Melbourne in November, under the theme, Reimagining the future of education in the Asia-Pacific. DevEd 2025 is an initiative of the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). 

DevEd 2025 brought together ministers, senior officials, educators, researchers and development partners to reflect on how evidence – global, regional and national – can inform policy and practice. The conference provided a forum for sharing experiences, exploring common challenges and identifying where evidence is pointing in similar directions across different education systems. 

Used as reference point at DevEd, the GEEAP Smart Buys report has become a practical, accessible framework for identifying cost-effective education interventions, an increasingly vital priority in an era of constrained financing and shifting aid landscapes. Its focus on value for money and evidence-based decision-making resonated strongly with policymakers across the Asia-Pacific.  

The Smart Buys offer a shared language for discussing what works and what does not work. It highlights where more evidence is needed and how to scale impact effectively, particularly for foundational learning.  

These ideas are reflected in regional initiatives such as the ASEAN–UK Supporting the Advancement of Girls’ Education (ASEAN-UK SAGE) Programme, which has drawn on available regional and global evidence since its inception to support effective policy and practice.  

ACER’s work through the ASEAN-SAGE Programme has placed a strong emphasis on strengthening foundational learning, reflecting regional priorities around early learning, equity and classroom practice.  

In 2024, ACER conducted a regional study examining approaches to improving foundational learning across the ASEAN region. Drawing on regional data and system experience, the study highlighted the importance of early intervention initiatives focused on foundational literacy and language development, particularly for the most marginalised children.  

The study highlighted high potential initiatives, including structured pedagogy programs and approaches that strengthen teachers’ pedagogical practices, such as their understanding of learning progressions at the foundational level and their capacity to detect and respond to students who are struggling to meet minimum learning requirements. These findings helped inform the design of pilot projects for the ASEAN-UK SAGE Programme in Cambodia. 

Working alongside counterparts in Cambodia, ACER has played a central role in helping to design an innovative approach to monitoring and evaluation of Cambodia’s structured pedagogy program, the Early Grade Learning (EGL) Package for Grades 1–3. The study was conducted in close collaboration with officials from the Cambodia Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS) to ensure national relevance, technical accuracy and shared ownership of the findings. 

Adopting a GEEAP ‘Great Buy’, structured pedagogy, the pilot program focused on better understanding how teaching and learning are experienced in classrooms, and how evidence can be used to strengthen implementation over time as Cambodia expands its Early Grade Learning (EGL) Package. 

Three new tools were developed to support this work: a time-event classroom observation​ tool, a materials evaluation tool​ and a lexical computing analysis examining high-frequency words in learning materials. These tools were accompanied by capacity-building activities.  

Early insights from the use of these tools have highlighted several important areas for strengthening early grade Khmer literacy. These include prioritising instructional guidance and materials that focus on oral language and interactive teaching, and strengthening lexical progression and fluency through systematic recycling of high‑frequency Khmer vocabulary. Findings also show that clearer guidance on inclusive practices – especially for learners with disabilities and non-Khmer first languages – must be embedded into teaching and learning materials, and supported by sustained professional learning. 

The ASEAN-UK SAGE Programme and DevEd 2025, demonstrate how global evidence and regional practice are increasingly aligned around common directions for education reform. ACER’s engagement across research, policy dialogue and implementation also highlights the value of connecting global knowledge with regional evidence and system‑level learning.  

The path ahead is promising, and the region is well-positioned to build on this foundation and expand the impact of evidence-driven reform. 

About the ASEAN-UK SAGE Programme  

The ASEAN-UK SAGE Programme is the first project to be implemented under the ASEAN-UK Plan of Action (2022-26). The 5-year programme aims to support ASEAN member states to develop effective policies and programmes that improve foundational learning and tackle constraints limiting the achievement of girls, women and marginalised groups. The ASEAN-UK SAGE programme is delivered by British Council and SEAMEO Secretariat, in partnership with EdTech Hub and the Australian Council for Educational Research. ASEAN-UK SAGE is an ASEAN cooperation programme funded by the UK.