Govt focusing on education reform to wipe out illiteracy

The government is concentrating on lifting enrolments at higher primary and lower secondary schools as it aims to wipe out illiteracy, according to a leading official.
Minister of Education and Sports, Mrs Sengdeuane Lachanthaboun spoke about the government’s determination to eradicate illiteracy at an event held on Saturday to mark the 54th anniversary of International Literacy Day, which falls on September 8.
The minister said the government is paying attention to supporting students who complete primary school to continue to secondary school with the aim for everyone aged 15-35 to achieve the equivalent of lower secondary schooling by 2020.
Under the ministry’s targeted programme in the 2018-2019 academic year, 5,924 students completed primary school education, including 3,029 females.
Some 30,065 people completed lower secondary school including 14,362 women and girls, while 2,336 completed upper secondary school, including 685 females.
The theme of this year’s International Literacy Day (ILD) is “Literacy and Multilingualism”.
Worldwide celebrations have aimed to promote literacy as part of the right to education, as well as a foundation for individuals’ empowerment and inclusive and sustainable development. ILD 2019 has provided an opportunity to rethink the fundamental importance of language and its diversity for both individuals and society.
It is also an occasion to reflect on policies, systems and practice required to promote literacy in contemporary multilingualism contexts.
Adopting the same theme, the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes, including the UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy (three awards), were presented at a global International Literacy Day event in Paris, France this week.

By Phomphong Laoin
(Latest Update September 11, 2019)