What does SEA-PLM 2019 tell us about child well-being and learning in six Southeast Asian countries?

Oct 15, 2026

Governments across Southeast Asia are encouraged to reshape education to build academic and socioemotional skills for children and adolescents. Using quantitative analysis of the SEA-PLM 2019 database, the report examines how children’s attitudes and values relate to well-being domains and learning in six countries. Higher reading, writing and mathematics link to supportive home environments, positive school feelings, physical activity opportunities, and WASH access, while lower scores link to school violence, learning-hindering work, and inadequate nutrition. Findings also highlight children’s strong environmental concern and its link with learning performance.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages64

Reading Time2 h 41 min

AccessFree to download

SUMMARY

Key findings and recommendations

INTRODUCTION

Link between well-being and learning outcomes

AREA 1: MENTAL WELL-BEING AND LEARNING

Household environment

Parental engagement

Learning resources at home

Social environment at school

Making friends and expressing opinions

Feelings, attitudes and safety

Violence at school

AREA 2: PHYSICAL WELL-BEING AND LEARNING

Children’s time use and activities

Household chores and responsibilities

School commutes and play

Health and nutrition

WASH in schools

Nutrition

AREA 3: SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT

Worries about the environment

Learning about the environment

POLICY IMPLICATIONS AND EXAMPLES OF PROMISING PRACTICES

Policy implications

Promising practices

FURTHER READING

REFERENCES

APPENDICES

Appendix 1: What is SEA-PLM?

Appendix 2: Statistical tables – pooled sample of the six participating countries

Appendix 3: Statistical tables – country level

What does SEA-PLM 2019 tell us about child well-being and learning in six Southeast Asian countries? Please source this publication as follows: UNICEF. (2022) . What does SEA-PLM 2019 tell us about child well-being and learning in six Southeast Asian countries? United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (EAPRO) and UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti. Developed by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Office of Research-Innocenti and published by UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (EAPRO) as its contribution to the SEA-PLM Secretariat. Authorship: Ximena Játiva and Michelle Mills, UNICEF Office of Research-Innocenti Technical review: Mathieu Brossard, UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti; Anindita Nugroho, UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti; Antoine Marivin, UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (EAPRO); Erin Tanner, UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (EAPRO); Gwang-Chol Chang, UNESCO and Jonathan Bradshaw, University of York Editor: Kate Manton Design: Parppim Pimmaratana, Sirinya Boonsit Cover photograph: ©UNICEF/UN061804/Brown What does SEA-PLM 2019 tell us about child well-being and learning in six Southeast Asian countries? Contents SUMMARY 5 INTRODUCTION 7 AREA 1: MENTAL WELL-BEING AND LEARNING 11 Household environment 11 Parental engagement 11 Learning resources at home 13 Social environment at school 14 Making friends and expressing opinions 14 Feelings, attitudes and safety 15 Violence at school 17 AREA 2: PHYSICAL WELL-BEING AND LEARNING21 Children’s time use and activities 21 Household chores and responsibilities 21 School commutes and play 22 Health and nutrition23 WASH in schools 23 Nutrition 24 AREA 3: SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT 27 Worries about the environment 27 Learning about the environment 28 POLICY IMPLICATIONS AND EXAMPLES OF PROMISING PRACTICES31 Policy implications31 National/system level 31 School level 32 Promising practices33 Area 1: Mental well-being and learning 33 Area 2: Physical well-being and learning 34 Area 3: Social and environmental context 35 FURTHER READING37 REFERENCES39 APPENDICES43 Appendix 1: What is SEA-PLM?45 Appendix 2: Statistical tables – pooled sample of the six participating countries46 Appendix 3: Statistical tables – country level 52 4 What does SEA-PLM 2019 tell us about child well-being and learning in six Southeast Asian countries? SUMMARY Governments across Southeast Asia have an opportunity to reshape their approach to education so that children and adolescents are equipped with the necessary academic and socioemotional skills to live a rewarding life. The recent COVID-19 pandemic created an opportunity for governments and school systems to rethink how to approach children’s learning and to create policies for more resilient and inclusive societies. This paper contributes to the evidence base by providing deeper insight into children’s attitudes and values in well-being domains, and the relationship between children’s well-being and academic learning in the region.1 The study can inform policymakers and practitioners about the support that children and adolescents need to excel now and in the future, through quantitative analysis of the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) 2019 database, along with investigation of policy implications and promising practices. Key findings and recommendations from this report are aligned with the conclusions of the SEA-PLM 2019 Main Regional Report (UNICEF & SEAMEO, 2020) . They include: • Higher reading, writing and mathematics scores are associated with: o a home environment that fosters learning through higher levels of parental engagement and access to books at home o positive feelings and attitudes towards school – having a sense of belonging, making friends with ease, feeling safe and learning useful things at school o opportunities to eng

FAQs

What is the main focus of SEA-PLM 2019 in relation to children’s learning?

The report examines the relationship between children’s well-being and academic learning across six Southeast Asian countries, using SEA-PLM 2019 data to connect attitudes and values with learning outcomes.

Which factors are associated with higher reading, writing, and mathematics scores?

Higher scores are associated with supportive home environments (including parental engagement and books at home), positive feelings and attitudes toward school, opportunities for physical activity in the community, and access to adequate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities.

What factors are associated with lower reading, writing, and mathematics scores?

Lower scores are linked to exposure to violence at school, involvement in work-related activities that hinder learning (such as farm work and commercial activities), and lack of adequate nutrition.

Oct 15, 2026

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