Distance education broadcasts on TV, radio, social media

Broadcasts of educational programs for students of primary schools on television, radio, and government online social media pages have been designed to engage students in Laos during the school shutdown.

According to the Ministry of Education and Sports, the ministry began to produce online study programmes on March 23 for key subjects after the government ordered all schools and tertiary institutions to close temporarily from March 19 to April 21 in an attempt to prevent community transmission of the Covid-19 virus during the global pandemic.

The online learning content aims to provide learning opportunities and soften the impacts of school closures on affected students while lessening the risk of viral infection.
An official in charge said that online studies programmes include key subjects of mathematics, Lao language and English.

The programmes will be available on television, radio, official Facebook pages, and via YouTube.
Young learners can enjoy Math and Lao language subjects for Grade 1 and Grade 2 students. These two subjects plus English is the plan for students in Grade 3, Grade 4, and Grade 5.

These distance and online educational programmes are expected to be broadcast on Lao National Television Channel from 8:00 to 8:30 from April 7 and scheduled to be aired every day from Monday to Sunday.

The programmes also will be broadcast on Education Radio, AM 567 kHz, from 9:00 to 9:30 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and they are aired on FM 103 MHz from 14:30 to 15:00 on Saturday and Sunday.

Also, these online educational programs will appear on YouTube and Facebook page ‘Edu-sport TV’ and ‘Research Institute for Educational Sciences.’
Online educational television programmes for primary schools students are being produced by the Research Institute for Educational Sciences, Ministry of Education and Sports.

Some students have begun online studies in key subjects since the government ordered all schools and tertiary institutions to close temporarily from March 19 to April 21.

Teachers are using social media and messaging apps to contact students and support their studies and to provide and check homework.

The Ministry of Education and Sports and members of the National Taskforce Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control have cooperated to closely monitor state and private schools and educational institutions following the suspension of classes.

Education officials have visited schools and tertiary institutions in Vientiane to devise model lessons and homework ideas for teachers to offer their students while discussing curriculum management to ensure that teaching and learning goals are achieved.
The ministry has advised officials of the General Education Department, Research Institute for Educational Sciences and information and communications technology centres across the country to cooperate on assessing ways to manage the curriculum in the present circumstances.

By Keoviengkhone Bounviseth
(Latest Update April 6, 2020)