Inclusivity in Asean: (From left) Star Media Group deputy executive editor Christina Chin moderating the panel discussion featuring Mustapha, Mohammad Iskandar and Sacklokham. —ONG SOON HIN/The Star
From Malaysia to Brunei and Laos, governments across South-East Asia are racing to ensure technology serves every learner – not just those with access and privilege.
In Malaysia, Covid-19 transformed the way students engage with education, said Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapha Sakmud.
“The pandemic may have been a disaster, but it gave us insight. Suddenly, open and distance learning became the norm,” he said.
Through online and hybrid learning models offered by both public and private universities, more Malaysians, especially working adults, now have flexible access to education, he said, adding that the national higher education open learning platform has enabled universities to deliver programmes nationwide.
“When we launched it in 2023, some 95 bachelor’s degree programmes across 19 public universities were offered online. This opens the door for lifelong learning.
“Meanwhile, at the school level, the Education Ministry’s Digital Educational Learning Initiative Malaysia (Delima) platform focuses on digital teaching and learning for teachers and students,” he said, sharing how nationwide efforts under the National Digital Network (Jendela) will improve digital connectivity and reduce the digital divide between urban and rural regions.
Mustapha was speaking at the Bett Asia 2025 “Ministerial perspectives: Learning to innovate” panel session on Oct 1. The other panellists were Brunei Education Ministry Policy and Corporate acting deputy permanent secretary Pengiran Dr Mohd Iskandar Pg Petra and Laos Education and Sports Ministry International Cooperation Department director general Assoc Prof Dr Silinthone Sacklokham.
Brunei, said Mohd Iskandar, has introduced smart classrooms in 16 government schools, alongside smart TVs and chromebooks.
“It is a small number but Brunei is a small nation.
“Under the Education Ministry, there are only about 150 schools directly reporting to us, so I think 16 smart classrooms is a good start.
“We also set up an Education Ministry TV channel and a central digital library where teachers can upload lesson plans, worksheets and videos,” he shared.
Beyond infrastructure, Mohd Iskandar, who previously served as an assistant vice-chancellor and associate professor at Universiti Brunei Darussalam, said the country places strong emphasis on teacher readiness.
“All school leaders are required to attend artificial intelligence (AI) guidance workshops, whether they’re in urban or rural districts, which are conducted bilingually to ensure inclusivity,” he said, adding that this has helped teachers and students co-create songs, stories and lesson plans with AI.
Educational technology, he said, widens access, but only if every teacher and learner can use it confidently.
The focus in Laos, said Sacklokham, is on contextual innovation, which is to adapt technology to bridge gaps between rural and urban education.
“Educational technology is a bridge to equity,” she said, sharing how the ministry has introduced pre-loaded tablets and local servers that store educational contents in rural areas with low Internet connectivity.
“During the pandemic, we even turned to radio and television lessons to reach students without Internet access, ensuring no learners were left behind.
“The ministry is now piloting digital classrooms in selected schools that combine traditional and online learning, enabling blended learning.
“These initiatives show that technology can be adapted to our context through high-tech or low-tech solutions to make education more inclusive and accessible,” said Sacklokham, who represents Lao People’s Democratic Republic as the Asean senior official for education. — By SAMANTHA SO
