Lack of qualified teachers hindering Laos' education progress

In an attempt to raise standards, the ministry has created a master plan for 2011-2016 in cooperation with development partners, aimed at improving education standards and teacher training at all levels.

“Encouraging teachers to take up posts in rural areas is also part of the plan,” a ministry official said.

The official, who asked not to be named, told Vientiane Times recently the ministry has called on everyone working in the sector to join forces and follow the ministry's policy on education for the benefit of society.

Compared to improvements in infrastructure, the upgrade of teaching skills is a huge challenge and the standard of education in rural areas remains low, the official said.

Despite having undergone training, some teachers and staff have left the profession, and some students have dropped out of school after becoming addicted to drugs.

“However, assessments of administrative staff, teachers and students show there have been improvements in education in many districts and areas compared to past years,” he said.

Resources have improved at all levels in both quantity and quality. Education services have expanded, particularly in remote areas, which historically have low enrolment rates.

But investment in education is inadequate and there are problems with the appropriate use of funding, a recent report from an official in the Khammuan provincial Education and Sports Department noted.

The department is faced with many challenges. The overall quality of education remains low, and teachers are not trained to a level where they can properly teach their students and provide them with skills that meet the needs of the job market.

There is also misuse of money and insufficient funding for education, the official said. Progress is hindered by a lack of support for education among children's parents, and the public doesn't offer enough encouragement to teachers, parents and students.

The individual capabilities of teachers not only in Khammuan, but also in other provinces, are limited, and many of them have little sense of responsibility in their work, the department reported.

Improvements should primarily focus on the development of teachers' capacity, morality, and discipline. Incentives should be given to teachers to improve their standard of work, especially by raising the salary of rural teachers.

The ministry expects to send thousands of teachers to rural areas by the end of this year. There are more than 80,000 educators, including administrators, around the country but they still do not meet schools' needs as the number of students is continuously growing, according to the ministry.