REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - In a landmark development for ASEAN education, school students throughout the region are set to begin learning about ASEAN as a regular part of classroom lessons, cited in a press release from the US mission to ASEAN. The ASEAN Curriculum Sourcebook, a US supported toolkit for teachers to incorporate ASEAN themes into classes in all subject areas in primary and secondary schools, was launched in Thursday during the opening ceremony of the ASEAN Education Ministers Meeting.

“This Sourcebook gives us a foundational tool to teach our children about the political, social, economic, and cultural aspects of ASEAN, which will further strengthen us as an outward-looking, stable, peaceful and prosperous ASEAN Community” said Indonesian Minister of Education and Culture, M Nuh, who launched the sourcebook on behalf of the Member States.

This book is a manual friendly for the teacher. It incorporates existing curricula used by Member States and other existing ASEAN resources into chapters organizing five themes, which are Knowing ASEAN, Valuing Identity and Diversity, Connecting Global and Local, Promoting Equity and Justice, and Working Together for a Sustainable Future.

This book includes some topics, such as understanding rituals and holidays across the region to help students understand their neighbor’s cultures; how depletion of biodiversity affects ecosystems; or how the United Nation’s Declaration of Human Rights applies to ASEAN.

All chapters of the ASEAN Curriculum Sourcebook include sample lesson plans to help teachers design classes. Each lesson plan contains tools for teachers, such as suggested grade levels, time required, subject areas, lesson objectives, essential questions, learning outcomes, and a list of the materials and resources required.

US was also proud to have contributed to create the book, the US Ambassador to ASEAN, David L Carden, said. “ASEAN’s most important resource is its young people. As the region moves closer to integration, it is essential that ASEAN’s origin, history, objectives, and evolving role within Southeast Asia are present as part of every student’s education,” Carden said.

The ASEAN Curriculum Sourcebook was developed by the Senior Officials Meeting on Education (SOM-ED) and the Southeast Asian Ministries of Education Organization (SEAMEO), with support from the US Government-funded ASEAN-US Technical Assistance and Training Facility. The book will be distributed immediately to education centers and schools throughout the region immediately. The materials will also be uploaded to education websites as an open and free education resource.

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