IDEAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR ASEAN STUDENTS

In 2015, our south-east asia nations have come together to a consensus of founding ASEAN
Economic Community (AEC) which will develop the economy of 10 countries rapidly. However, in
education sector, the connection between our countries is not developed equivalent to other aspects. On
the other hand, if the education environment for ASEAN countries is established, the youth will have a
strong foundation of knowledge and skills for developing our region in the future.
At a first glance, the imbalance of learning environment between countries among ASEAN is a
reality recently. The education quality of each country is quite different from others, since there are many
differences between cultures and histories.
First is about our languages. If it had not been for the presence of English as a global language,
the ASEAN would not have a common language to communicate. For example, Singaporean and
Malaysian can speak Chinese (Mandarin) because it was taught in schools. On the other hand, Vietnamese
and Thailand, Cambodian, do not speak Chinese as a second language. Each country speaks its own
language, which has been developed through hundreds years. Therefore, the education systems between
our countries are quite different.
Because of this distinctive factor, knowledge taught at schools and universities is not the same,
although the diversity makes ASEAN different from other regions. This, combines with diversified
economy and different policies, leads to a fact that the growth speeds of knowledge and skills also reach
various peaks. For instance, students in Singapore top universities are equipped enough to create and
experiment the drone (flying-camera), which Vietnamese students yet do not have capabilities to conduct
these researches due to financial and technological problems. If Vietnamese future-engineers are brought
to Singapore to study, work and experiment, surely the outcomes also can be the same. Thus, because of
lacking the cooperative learning environment, the up-to-date rate of each education system is not at the
same level.
One more reality the ASEAN countries are facing is that the studying environment is unsimilar.
In developed countries, which Singapore is a huge symbol in ASEAN, the learning conditions of students
from kindergartens to universities are the top. This means Singaporean students can express theirselves in
the most suitable, comfortable way, and can absorb knowledge in the best way. However, in developing
countries such as Philippines, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, the learning conditions at the rural
areas are not as equal as those of the urban. The schools are usually lack of well-qualified sanitary system,
electric system or nutrition meals for the children and teenager best developments. I have a chance to
donate some money for building a new school in Ha Giang, a north province of Vietnam which is not yet
have full access to clean water and standard learning conditions. If the youth did not act, it would take a
lot of time for students at Ha Giang to have a new school. Hence, ASEAN countries now is in need of an
act for balancing and connecting the learning environment.
For establishing and enhancing the learning environment of ASEAN countries, many policies and
strategies need conducting. The large goal is to create common points for forming integration between
ASEAN students.

The common learning environment will be created if only all top universities of ASEAN
countries have a new major: ASEAN study. As same as the EUROPEAN, we should have a major, in
which students will be taught about ASEAN history, economy, social knowledge, to have deeper view
about our region. Of course, the subject must be taught in English for future communication and devote.
Moreover, the integration opportunities for students to exchange knowledge, cultures and ideas
need to be created as soon as possible. These will be the chances for a lot of young students, who want to
change our region for a better perspective. Recently, there are some exchange trips for seminars about
NGOs or leadership, but AEC government need to create more opportunities for more students to
networking and help each others. The chances should require volunteer activities, new-idea seminars,
so that good characters will be improved and spreaded thoroughly. I had an exciting chance to participate
in Our Generation Youth Summit 2016 for learning and creating new campaigns, new strategies for
achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs). Through the seminar, I found out that ASEAN
youth should have more connection and need to attend more activities to develop our society better day
by day.
Thank for the AEC, in the near future, ASEAN youth can work for another nation in the region
without barriers of policies and procedures. This also helps to enhance the studying environment, since
the learning period does not stop after graduating from universities. Every chance for working at another
country also improves ones skills vastly. For the integration between countries, the knowledge and
experience, the creativity, social standard living, will increase and racism, religion discrimination,
poverty, will decrease. It will help us to have a better learning environment in the future.
Conclusively, there are many obstacles that we, citizens of ASEAN countries must overcome to
build a better learning environment for our next generations. If the common knowledge and integration
opportunities are developed, soon the studying conditions for every ASEAN student will be improved and
enhanced.