Philippines Education Funding: Education Secretary Sonny Angara warned DepEd’s private education voucher program may reach fewer students after a P3 billion cut in next year’s budget for senior high trade-track vouchers and junior high education service contracting. Philippines Anti-Bullying Push: DepEd fast-tracked hiring of school counselors to curb rising bullying, shortening the counselor-associate hiring pipeline to 30 days and adding teacher training plus stronger child-protection steps. Malaysia Haze Rules: Malaysia’s education ministry said parents can keep children home if haze concerns persist, with outdoor activities suspended when the Air Pollutant Index exceeds 100 and schools closed when it tops 200. Vietnam Higher-Education Links: Vietnam encouraged universities to form small consortia in strategic fields to strengthen expertise-sharing, student mobility, and institutional collaboration. Pakistan School Outsourcing Debate: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s plan to outsource 500 low-performing primary schools to private partners drew calls for scrutiny over whether management changes can fix deeper issues like teacher shortages and weak supervision. Ghana Skills Recognition: Abrantie College won “Best Catering School of the Year,” highlighting practical, industry-focused training for hospitality careers. Sri Lanka Term Resumes: Government schools reopened for the second phase of the third term, running until Dec. 4 ahead of O/L exams in December.