KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia continues to strengthen efforts to address the systemic and complex challenges faced by marginalised children and youth in the region through the Asean Out-of-School Children and Youth (OOSCY) Seminar held from Oct 28 to 30.
The Education Ministry said that the three-day seminar, themed "From Margin to Centre: Bridging OOSCY Intersectionalities through Innovative Solutions in Asean," follows the Langkawi Joint Statement, a result of the Asean Education Ministers' roundtable conference in June.
According to the ministry, one of the main focuses of the seminar was data- and evidence-based innovative strategies to address the issue of OOSCY.
"It also emphasised strengthening cooperation and integrating advanced technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, to improve data quality and support high-impact intervention programmes, while the Children's Co-Lab activities were implemented to empower students' voices and perspectives," the statement said.
The seminar, officiated by Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek, highlighted the commitment of all parties to address student dropout issues and ensure quality educational opportunities for all.
According to the ministry, the seminar, supported by Unicef Malaysia, brought together over 100 participants, including those from Asean member countries, Mongolia, China, and India.
Strategic partners such as Unicef, Unesco, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation (SEAMEO) also participated.
The statement noted that Fadhlina launched the ministry's Student Tracking System (SiPKPM), which uses predictive analytics to identify personalised learning and career pathways for at-risk or dropout students.
"It simultaneously reinforces Malaysia's commitment to data-driven retention and reintegration strategies," said the ministry. – Bernama
