Early Learning Across Six Southeast Asian Countries in the SEA-PLM 2019 Programme
Exploring the impact of early childhood education on children’s academic performance
Highlights
High-quality and inclusive early childhood education (ECE) brings many important benefits for young children. Decades of research show that ECE helps children build strong foundations in learning that last through primary school and beyond. These proven benefits have led to more investment and attention toward improving and expanding ECE around the world. Global efforts like the Sustainable Development Goals have helped keep early learning high on the agenda. In Southeast Asia, key statements like the Bangkok Statement and the Tashkent Declaration (both from 2022) show a strong commitment to supporting early learning, especially in areas like literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional development.
This paper aims to analyze the associations between ECE and grade school academic performance using data from the 2019 Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) program. Provision of ECE, which refers to organized learning programs for children before they enter primary school, varies widely, as shown by the six countries that took part in the 2019 SEA-PLM program: Cambodia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Viet Nam. The findings highlight two key points: first, that access to ECE needs to be fair and inclusive for all children; and second, that quality is just as important as access. On average, attending ECE for at least one year was associated with children achieving higher scores in reading, writing and mathematics compared with children who had not attended ECE. However, when socioeconomic status is accounted for, the effects of ECE across countries tend to vary, indicating that the design and quality of ECE programs matter. These results also show why it is important to collect detailed data that reflects children’s different backgrounds and experiences.
The report concludes with reflections for the participating countries—and others with similar initiatives—to help guide future conversations and actions. The goal is to support early education systems that are stronger, more inclusive, and better at meeting the needs of all young children.
