Save the Child Norway has donated over 123,281,000 kip for improving the learning and teaching facilities, as part of the aid group’s support for the attempt of Luang Prabang province to improve the quality of its teachers.
The donation was made for improving the learning and teaching facilities for population study, reproductive study and sexual study.
Training courses were organized for 147 teachers at Pak-Ou district, Xang district, Ngoy district and Phonsay district. Save the Child Norway has also joined hands with the Apostolic organisation to send 155 low quality teachers to a nurture course at Pak-Ou district and Pakhouy teacher nurture centre.
In Lao, education in every province is now regarded as an important part of the social development plan. Luang Prabang has put this into practice by improving the quality of its teachers.
Although the province saw fewer new teachers entering the profession than those resigned last year, officials say the quality of the new teachers is much higher than before.
Last year 93 teachers who graduated from the Luang Prabang Teacher Training School now have permanent positions. These included ethnic teachers, elementary school teachers (who completed 8+3 years of study) and middle school teachers (11+1). Some students are teaching as part of their study courses.
There are now 3,306 teachers in the province, including some holding university degrees and diplomas. In 2002 to 2003 the province received approval to employ 90 new teachers. Seven also transferred from another province and five are finishing their study, to bring the total to 102. During the year 171 teachers resigned.
Graduates to complete their studies at Luang Prabang Teacher Training School included 73 people completing 11+1; 46 people completing 11+3; four kindergarten teachers; four sports teachers; and two fine arts teachers.
The finance sector authority also supported 96 ethnic teachers to achieve qualifications for 8+1 and 11+1.
The Luang Prabang Teacher Training School is the most important school of its kind in the northern part of Laos. In the academic year 2002 to 2003, 1,783 students studied natural science, 163 studied social science, 272, 328 studied English language, 725 studied a special English course, and 195 studied for system 11+1.
The school is also training its teachers, students and official staff to learn the guideline of the government, including drug controls.
Teachers are the ones who mould children’s lives and consequently the future of the nation. The development of teachers has, therefore, become a very important sector in Luang Prabang. The province continues to work hard on improving its teacher-training programme and is trying to elicit more aid from local businesses and foreign countries to continue its development programme.
