The British Embassy and World Vision partner with the Ministry of Education and Sports to support children to continue education after primary school
Vientiane - 22 December 2021
Education systems in Lao PDR have been disrupted by COVID-19 for a major part of 2021. Classrooms have been closed and children stayed home, losing their primary source of learning. The pandemic has added to an already fragile situation for children in rural areas, who often struggle to transition from primary to secondary school. While almost all children complete primary school, only 82.8% of Lao children were enrolled in lower-secondary education systems in 2018-2019[1]. There are many reasons for this including a lack of financial resources, unsafe and tiring journeys to reach secondary school for children living far away, or the perception of caregivers of the low quality or irrelevance of education provided. In Pak Ou District, Luang Prabang Province, fewer than 70% of children transition from primary to lower-secondary school[2]. The reality is worse for girls, with fewer than two out of three in the district (65.8%) able to keep studying.
In the second half of 2021, the British Embassy in Vientiane and World Vision partnered with the Ministry of Education and Sports to support boys and girls from Pak Ou District transition from primary to secondary school. 120 vulnerable children moving into their first year of lower secondary school were selected to receive assistance for one year from the Funding Advancement for Secondary Transition (FAST) Project in Luang Prabang province. Earlier this month, World Vision teams handed over 675,000 kip per student to support the costs of going to school and a kit composed[3] of a blanket, school uniform, study materials, and hygiene kits including reusable menstrual pads to help girls stay in school. A safeguarding card with hotline contact numbers was also provided to help the children know their rights and how to report any violations or abuse they experience during their studies.
© World Vision International – 12-year-old Kariya, center of the picture, receives money and items that will support her secondary education. She says: “I will concentrate on my studies until I finish upper secondary school. I dream of being a nurse”
The children benefiting from the project were excited to attend the ceremony and receive their items. With this support, girls like 12-year-old Kariya can dream bigger: “I will concentrate on my studies until I finish upper secondary school. I dream of being a nurse” she says. Unlike her two older sisters, she will be able to continue studying.
© World Vision International – Mr. Toua and his daughter Yeng, recipient of the support
from the UK-funded FAST Project, led by World Vision in Pak Ou district
Parents and caregivers play a critical role in keeping children at school, and the project also raises awareness of the importance of pursuing secondary education for their children. Mr. Toua Lee, father of Yeng, who benefited from the initiative, is thankful and aware of his responsibility: “I am very happy that my daughter has been selected to receive the assistance from the FAST Project. Although the project is supporting my girl to continue studying this year, this encourages me to help her finish her studies in the next years” he says.
Equipped with these resources, and encouraged by their parents to begin their journey towards secondary school, the 120 children reached their new classrooms in early December, eager to learn new knowledge that will help them reach their full potential. World Vision teams and their Government counterparts from the Ministry of Education and Sports in Luang Prabang will closely monitor the progress of the pupils, and organize a second installment of 675,000 KIP to be distributed to the beneficiaries in the first quarter of 2022.
With access to a quality education, children can become lifelong learners, help transform their communities, protect themselves from violence, and experience life in all its fullness. For Kariya, Yeng and all the children supported by the FAST Project, World Vision and the British Embassy are committed to building a better future through education, and supporting the Lao Government to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4 by delivering inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong opportunities for all.
[1] Ministry of Education and Sport Lao PDR, Performance Annual report 2018-2019, development plan for 2019-2020
[2] EMIS data, Annual school census 2021-2022
[3] Based on the results of a survey conducted with primary and secondary school students from World Vision area programmes