SE Asian education makes strides President Sang hopes to build on successes in vocational training President Truong Tan Sang attends the 47th conference of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation (SEAMEO), which opened in Ha Noi yesterday. -VNA/VNS Photo Nguyen Khang HA NOI (VNS)- President Truong Tan Sang addressed the opening ceremony of the 47th conference of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation (SEAMEO), outlining his view of a future with improved education, training and development. He declared that the organisation has been contributing to the development of well-qualified human resources in its member countries and co-operating with the wider global community to make strides in the development of education, science and culture. At the conference, education ministers and experts from around the region will discuss new initiatives to further improve educational infrastructures and promote lifelong learning in society. A special focus will be concentrated on training development projects and enhancing the quality of human resources. Participants are also expected to agree to the implementation of programmes first set out in the SEAMEO 10-year Strategic Plan (2011-20). Viet Nam's Minister of Education and Training Pham Vu Luan, as the newly elected president of the SEAMEO Council, said, "This is an important occasion to promote co-operation on education in the region – a priority for not only the countries of Southeast Asia, but also for the whole world." The SEAMEO Council will address common regional and country-specific issues concerning the innovation and development of education to satisfy the increasing need for human resource advancement and improve quality of life, he added. During the opening ceremony, the eleven Southeast Asian Ministers of Education emphasised their desire to work together to achieve national and regional goals by unveiling the SEAMEO Strategic Collaboration towards Regional Development statement. Yesterday, the conference witnessed an admission ceremony welcoming the United Kingdom as the 8th Associate Member to SEAMEO and officially celebrated the establishment of the HCM City-based SEAMEO Regional Centre for Lifelong Learning. Since its establishment in 1965, SEAMEO now has 11 member countries, eight associate member countries, three affiliate members and 20 regional centres. Luan said that as a dedicated member of SEAMEO, Viet Nam is making efforts to comprehensively raise its education quality and ensure social justice in education and lifelong learning opportunities for all. By 2020 at least 30 per cent of kindergarten-age children and 80 per cent of early-childhood children will participate in preschool educational institutions. The net enrollment rate in elementary education will be 99 per cent and in secondary education it will be 95 per cent. It is targeted that 80 per cent of adolescents will reach high school education or equivalent and 70 per cent of children with disabilities will be provided with access to education. Further education programmes will be strengthened to ensure the continued development of a learning society. -VN