The Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation (SEAMEO) has launched the 2013 SEAMEO-Japan Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Award themed "Values Education".

The first winning school will receive a cash prize of 1,500 USD (47,900 THB) and a four-day study tour to Japan for four to six students.

All winning schools will be sponsored to participate in the award presentation ceremony which will be held at the SEAMEO High Officials Meeting in November in Thailand, The Nation newspaper reported.

In addition to the SEAMEO, organisations sponsoring the award include the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan (MEXT); the UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education; and the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ.

Held since 2012 in schools across Southeast Asia , the award aims to select schools with the best practices that promote student understanding and knowledge through an effective school policy, management plan, activities, curricular, and teaching strategies.

All public, private and community schools in the 11 SEAMEO member-countries, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam, are invited to submit information about their school programmes related to the theme.

The deadline for submission of entries will be September 16.-VNA