EDUCATION AT THE MARGINS ASSESSING ASEAN’S LIMITED PROGRESS ON SDG 4 IN 2025

Published on 19 Dec 2025

In “Education at the Margins: Assessing ASEAN’s Limited Progress on SDG 4 in 2025,” Nadya Liew argues that despite Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship being framed around “Inclusivity and Sustainability,” education—specifically SDG 4 on Quality Education—remained largely sidelined in regional discourse. While ASEAN advanced discussions on climate action, digital transformation, and economic resilience, the article highlights how weak political prioritisation of education, fragmented national approaches, data gaps, and under-resourced regional mechanisms have stalled meaningful progress. Liew contends that education is the foundation upon which all other SDGs depend, warning that persistent inequalities in access, quality, and awareness undermine ASEAN’s long-term resilience and human capital development. The article calls for stronger regional coordination through shared funding mechanisms, improved data and accountability, and cross-border teacher mobility, urging ASEAN to treat education as a strategic regional investment rather than a domestic afterthought if it is to build a truly inclusive and future-ready community.