Minister of Education and Sports Dr Phankham Viphavanh has called education officials and all other relevant sectors to work hard to achieve the goal of education for all by 2015.

Dr Phankham made the call during an address at the 6^th annual meeting of national Committee on education reform , which began in Vientiane yesterday.

The two-day meeting aims to address pressing issues and challenges regarding education standard in Laos. The meeting participants will focus on the particular problem of improving the curriculum and teaching standards and incorporating information technology into the schooling system.

They will also look at the providing more incentives for teacher to work in rural areas to address shortages there, upgrading existing school facilities, and building new schools to expand education system to the more remote areas of the country.

Officials encouraged all participants to make every effort possible to reduce illiteracy rates by at least   3 or 4 percent each year, after seeing the productive outcomes from the first phase of education reforms.

The relevant stakeholders reviewed implementation and success of the first phase of the national Education reform strategic Development plan 2006-10, with meeting participants listening to an address on the matter senior education officials and academic staff.

To achieve  the goal of the second phase of the strategic reform plan, Dr Phankham said great efforts must be made to continues expanding access to education – especially in rural and remote areas. It was also essential to improve the curriculum in all areas of education, upgrade teachers’ qualifications, and strive to eliminate illiteracy.

He encouraged all participants to work together to restructure the higher education system by setting up  more universities and ensuring an adequate number of skilled graduates to satisfy the demands of the government sector and private companies wishing to invest in Laos.

Deputy Minister of education Ms Sengdeuane Lachanthaboun said the first phase of education reform project achieved  many objectives , including in school enrolment rate of children aged 3-5 , which rose form 21.5 percent to 24.5 percent.

The number of schools, classrooms, students and teachers also increased primary school attendance rate rose from 57 percent to 65 percent and are expected to increase to 85 percent in 2015.

The construction of model schools in 17 provinces that offer information and computer technology access and training for students is now 95 percent complete which is a significant achievement given the barriers to technology in remote parts of the country.

Commissions for Educational development were also establish at the Village, district and provincial levels to build education standards from the grass roots up, the ministry reported.

The second phase of education reform ( 2011-2015) also focuses on the continuing challenge of expanding access to schooling for populations in isolated and mountainous areas and training people in various ethnic groups to become administrators, managers, technical advisors and teachers in their communities.

Training and graduating the qualification of educational administrators and teachers in ethnic communities will ensure they are able to take more responsibility in their rules as educators and improve the standards of education in their village, the ministry said.

The government has placed a priority on the expansion of education in remote, rural, isolated and mountainous areas which are home to many different ethnic groups, with a particular focus on giving ethnic girls the chance to attend school.

by Phaisythong Chandara (Vientiane Times)