About the ASEAN-UK SAGE Programme
The ASEAN–UK Supporting the Advancement of Girls’ Education Programme (ASEAN-UK SAGE) is a five-year initiative launched in May 2023 by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). It aims to develop effective policies and programmes that improve foundational learning outcomes and tackle constraints limiting the achievement of girls and marginalised groups across Southeast Asia by generating evidence, building capacity, and supporting regional collaboration.
Co-led by the British Council and the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation (SEAMEO) and implemented in partnership with EdTech Hub and the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), the programme supports ASEAN Member States to strengthen inclusive education systems. It focuses on three thematic areas: foundational learning, education for out-of-school girls and marginalised groups, and gender barriers to digital skills and employment. Education technology cuts across all areas of the programme’s work.
The ASEAN–UK SAGE Programme is the first formal education cooperation initiative under the ASEAN–UK Dialogue Partnership, and directly contributes to regional priorities on gender equality, digital transformation, and inclusive growth.
EdTech Hub contributes evidence and expertise to support a stronger EdTech ecosystem in Southeast Asia, particularly in foundational learning, addressing the needs of girls and marginalised learners, and gender barriers to employment. Working alongside our partners, we provide research, technical input, and policy support to help ensure EdTech implementation and design are inclusive, effective, and responsive to local needs.
The Big Challenge and How EdTech Hub Contributes
The challenge
Girls and marginalised learners across Southeast Asia continue to face persistent barriers to quality education, especially in low-resource settings and in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.
How we contribute to ASEAN–UK SAGE
EdTech Hub is proud to contribute to the ASEAN–UK SAGE programme by providing technical assistance through synthesising research, innovation support, and policy guidance that promote more inclusive, technology-enabled education systems.
We offer our on-demand services through a Helpdesk that is available to SEAMEO centres across the region, as well as country-specific EdTech support to Ministries of Education in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand. Through this avenue, we collaborate with stakeholders on requests, including topics such as EdTech strategy development, AI in education, and EdTech implementation in low-resource settings.
Our year-one research is already shaping policy discussions and programme planning. Country-level scans include:
- EdTech in Cambodia
- EdTech in Lao People’s Democratic Republic
- EdTech in Timor-Leste
- EdTech in Vietnam
Alongside regional studies, we provide clearer insights into how EdTech is being used and highlight key barriers. In partnership with SEAMEO, we are also launching research focused on out-of-school children and youth (OOSCY) in Southeast Asia, following on from an earlier regional scoping study on OOSCY (2024).
Focus areas
- Girls
- Out-of-School Children and Youth (OOSCY)
- Marginalised learners
- Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
Key Activities at a Glance
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Developing country scans that map EdTech use and challenges across ASEAN member states and producing Rapid Evidence Reviews (RERs) and regional studies to inform policy and programme design, including:
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Conducting a rapid scoping study on out-of-school children and youth (OOSCY) in Southeast Asia in partnership with the SEAMEO Secretariat. While our RER on OOSCY showed that there is a limited evidence base for EdTech in the region, our rapid scoping study indicated that there is an appetite for EdTech in programming for OOSCY. This highlighted a need for a deeper dive into existing EdTech programmes for OOSCY. We have built on this work by developing a synthesis of cross-cutting themes in EdTech in the region and are diving deeper through a thematic study on the use of EdTech for OOSCY in the region.
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Conducting a regional EdTech landscape analysis, interviewing six funders and 20 providers from across Southeast Asia. This led to a webinar launch, inviting policymakers and EdTech providers to discuss what an equitable and inclusive future in the education sector could look like in a digital world.
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At a national level, we work closely with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE) in Indonesia and the Department of Education (DepEd) in the Philippines. By combining research with sandbox support, we support evidence-based processes to develop and enhance policy and programme design.
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At a regional level, we provide on-demand support to SEAMEO centres. This support varies depending on need, but often includes policy or design advisory support, underpinned by rapid evidence scans on topics including AI in education, supporting EdTech implementation in low-resource settings, and collaborating on thought leadership.
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The regional breadth and national depth of our work allow us to actively support knowledge exchange between Ministries of Education and share insights and evidence that align with Southeast Asia’s ambition towards resilient digital transformation that supports education.
Our Support Model
Evidence and research
We conduct research, including country scans and thematic rapid evidence reviews, to identify gaps in evidence on EdTech design and implementation. We address these evidence gaps through more targeted primary research, for example, on out-of-school children and youth in partnership with the SEAMEO Secretariat and in our Southeast Asia EdTech landscape analysis.
Helpdesk support
Providing on-demand support through the Ministry of Education (MoE) and SEAMEO Helpdesk on topics including EdTech strategy, AI in education, and implementation in low-resource settings.
Technical assistance and engagements
Contributing technical expertise to shape more inclusive and sustainable digital learning systems across the region. Through this offering, we synthesise EdTech Hub’s research and innovation approaches to inform improvements to design and implementation.
Knowledge sharing, workshops, and events
In all our collaborations, we build in opportunities for knowledge sharing. We also support regional dialogue by sharing insights and evidence at key regional events and convenings.
Building Equitable EdTech Ecosystems in Southeast Asia
Explore key insights from our webinar Building Equitable EdTech Ecosystems in Southeast Asia, with the discussion grounded in our new Landscape Analysis. Learn more about how governments, providers, and funders are working together to make digital learning more inclusive.
As an Expert Staff to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education for Educational Technology, I am more than happy with the support from EdTech Hub through the ASEAN-UK SAGE programme on developing our national educational technology strategy. They have provided important input and support through global best practices, and particularly on cross-country learning. They were very collaborative in ensuring their inputs were relevant to Indonesia’s context. As a part of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, we look forward to continued collaboration with them.
Ministry Official
Blogs, Insights and Quick Reads
Publications
Timeline of Support
November 2023 – March 2024
Building evidence-based foundations
- Conducted formative research, including four country scans that mapped EdTech use and challenges across Cambodia, Laos, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam, and four rapid evidence reviews on the use of EdTech for education for out-of-school children and youth, girls, students with socio-cognitive disabilities, and students with physical disabilities. Through this formative research, we learned that while the region had a strong appetite for digital education, there were several gaps in evidence on effectiveness, particularly regarding the use of EdTech for marginalised learners.
- Launched our Helpdesk to regional SEAMEO centres. We completed several requests that contributed to the development of some SEAMEO regional centres’ five-year plans, creating opportunities to scope deeper partnerships on the use of EdTech.
April 2024- March 2025
Deepening the regional evidence-base on EdTech and AI
- Deepening the regional evidence base on EdTech: In partnership with the SEAMEO Secretariat, EdTech Hub conducted an out-of-school children and youth (OOSCY) Scoping Study for Southeast Asia. To better understand the scale, scope, and design of Southeast Asia’s EdTech ecosystem, we conducted a landscape analysis for the region, which highlighted the challenges and opportunities in scaling EdTech for marginalised learners.
- Gaining value as a technical partner on EdTech and AI: Building on our existing Helpdesk offer to SEAMEO regional centres, we received several requests to scope the use of EdTech for marginalised learners (for example, in the Thai border region), requests to explore how technology could support evidence-based decision-making, and several requests regarding the use of AI for teaching and learning.
April 2025 – March 2026
Supporting evidence-based policy-making on EdTech and AI
- Evidence-based policy-making: Through launching a Helpdesk to Ministry officials in Indonesia and the Philippines, we are responding to deep requests on evidence-based policy-making. After conducting rapid evidence scans, we have gone deeper through testing new approaches and innovations through Sandboxes that are aligned with upcoming policy priorities.
- Responding to regional policy-needs on AI and EdTech: Through our landscape analysis and upcoming topic briefs on AI in the region, our research is tightly aligned with an upcoming regional framework on. With the use of EdTech for OOSCY being a high priority for the region, we collaborate with key regional stakeholders to imagine the opportunities and challenges on the use of EdTech for OOSCY through our thematic case study on the use of EdTech.
