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 Organization (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
- OOSCY
- Marginalised learners
- SEND
Key activities at a glance
- Delivering country scans that map EdTech use and challenges across ASEAN member states.
- Producing Rapid Evidence Reviews (RERs) and regional studies to inform policy and programme design.
- Conducting a rapid scoping study on out-of-school children and youth (OOSCY) in Southeast Asia in partnership with the SEAMEO Secretariat.
- Contributing evidence-backed technical expertise to shape more inclusive and sustainable digital learning systems across the region. This is primarily achieved through providing on-demand support via the Helpdesk to SEAMEO regional centres and Ministries of Education on topics related to data-driven decision-making, utilising EdTech to support girls’ education, and addressing the needs of marginalised learners (including students with special educational needs, and out–of-school children and youth). More specifically, this includes EdTech strategy, AI in education, and EdTech implementation in low-resource settings.
- Supporting knowledge exchange and regional dialogue by sharing insights and evidence at key regional events and convenings.
- Conducted a regional EdTech landscape analysis, interviewing 6 funders and 20 providers from across Southeast Asia. This led to a webinar launch, inviting policymakers and EdTech providers to have a discussion on what an equitable and inclusive future in the education sector could look like in a digital world.
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
