Educators spotlight primary education in development plans 

Education officials, members of international organisations and development partners met on Thursday to endorse key policy recommendations for the next step of the Education and Sports Sector Development Plan (ESSDP) for 2021-2025.
The recommendations focus on primary education, aiming to improve the knowledge and pedagogical skills of primary school teachers.
The Education Sector Working Group Executive Level Meeting took place in Vientiane to present an update on the development process of the ESSDP.
The meeting also presented an update of the Global Partnership for Education grant application, and submission of expression of interest.
In addition, the meeting endorsed a report from the education sector for the Round Table Meeting 2019 and updated the revised focal group terms of reference as the mechanism for sector planning, implementation and monitoring.
The meeting was chaired by Minister of Education and Sports, Mrs Sengdeuane Lachanthaboun, and co-chaired by the Australian Ambassador to Laos, Jean-Bernard Carrasco, and European Union Ambassador to Laos, Léon Faber.
Meeting attendees included officials from the Ministry of Education and Sports and other line ministries. There was also participation from representatives of international organisations and other development partners in Laos.
Ambassador Faber said that improving the quality of education called for an increase in budget allocation to the education sector.
The meeting then listened to updates on the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) III grant application including the submission of Expression of Interests and the next step, which will be to design the GPE III project.
The World Bank, as grant agent, will lead the design, working closely with Australia, UNICEF and Japan as coordinating agencies and co-financers of GPE III.
Ambassador Carrasco emphasised the need for government and development partners to work collaboratively so that  girls and boys, especially those experiencing disadvantage, can complete primary education with literacy and numeracy skills and go on to contribute to Laos’ economic development.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update November 22, 2019)