Yogyakarta, 20 October 2026 — Strengthening education through empowered teachers and meaningful regional collaboration took centre stage as the SEAMEO Regional Centre for QITEP in Mathematics (SEAQiM) welcomed a delegation from the Government of Lima Puluh Kota Regency, West Sumatra, for an audience and strategic discussion on improving education quality. Held at SEAQiM’s Conference Room in Yogyakarta, the meeting brought together SEAQiM’s leadership and representatives of the regency government to explore opportunities for collaborative teacher training, capacity building, and the development of sustainable education programmes tailored to local needs.
During the discussion, SEAQiM Director Dr. Sri Wulandari Danoebroto emphasised that one of SEAQiM’s important contributions to Indonesia is delivering collaborative professional development programmes for teachers, both nationally and across Southeast Asia. She highlighted the potential of in-country training, in which SEAQiM brings its expertise directly to regions throughout Indonesia. To ensure these programmes are relevant and impactful, she underscored the importance of strong synergy with local governments, enabling training initiatives to respond to the actual needs of teachers, the local education context, and the specific challenges faced by each region. Dr. Wulan also stressed that the impact of training should extend beyond individual participants. Through a training-of-trainers approach and other differentiated professional development schemes, teachers are expected to share their knowledge with colleagues, strengthen their teaching practices, and ultimately improve learning experiences and outcomes for students. She further reaffirmed SEAQiM’s commitment to supporting SEAMEO’s regional education initiatives, including the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM), which goes beyond assessment to contribute to a broader regional understanding of foundational learning, particularly literacy and numeracy.
Representing the Government of Lima Puluh Kota Regency, Regional Secretary Herman Azmar, AP., M.Si., expressed his hope that the meeting would provide a clear picture of the programmes and expertise SEAQiM could bring to the regency. He emphasised the importance of building teachers’ confidence and encouraging them to continuously develop their professional capabilities. “We are committed to not remaining idle, but to rising, motivating our teachers, and working towards improving the quality of education,” he conveyed, highlighting the local government’s determination to pursue meaningful progress. He also looked forward to learning more about the range of training opportunities available through SEAQiM, while acknowledging the important role of the Head of the Education and Culture Office in identifying the professional development needs of teachers across the regency. Antoni, S.Pd., M.Pd.T., Head of the Education and Culture Office of Lima Puluh Kota Regency, shared an ambitious vision that teachers in Lima Puluh Kota would have opportunities to participate in training programmes offered by all SEAMEO Centres, opening broader pathways for professional growth and international learning. He emphasised a fundamental belief that captures the heart of the initiative: “Great teachers will produce great children.” With this vision in mind, he expressed the regency’s readiness to become a pilot project for collaborative teacher training, demonstrating its commitment to taking the necessary steps to strengthen teacher capacity and improve educational quality.
The audience marked an important opportunity to translate shared aspirations into practical action. By bringing together SEAQiM’s regional expertise in mathematics education and professional development with the local government’s understanding of its teachers’ needs, the discussion laid the groundwork for potential programmes that are context-responsive, sustainable, and capable of generating wider educational benefits. The proposed collaboration also reflects the importance of connecting regional education expertise with local implementation, ensuring that professional development opportunities reach teachers where they are needed most. For SEAQiM, the commitment to working with local governments reinforces its mission to contribute to education quality not only through regional programmes, but also through partnerships that create tangible benefits at the grassroots level. For Lima Puluh Kota Regency, the meeting represents an opportunity to open new horizons for its educators and build a stronger foundation for student learning.
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