Japan provides grant to strengthen teacher training

The Japanese government has agreed to provide a grant of US$18 million (1.91 billion yen) to improve the quality of the training environment of teachers in pre-primary, primary and secondary education in Laos.
The grant agreement for the project titled “Improvement of Teacher Training Colleges in Laos” was signed in Vientiane on Thursday.

Copies of the agreement were signed and exchanged by the Director General of the International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Planning and Investment, Mrs Sisomboun Ounavong, and the Chief Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to Laos, Mr Yoshiharu Yoneyama. The project will run from 2020 to 2026 and will be implemented by JICA and the Ministry of Education and Sports. Mrs Sisomboun said “The objective of the project is to improve the quality of the training environment of teachers in pre-primary, primary and secondary education in Laos by constructing educational facilities at eight teacher training colleges in target areas.”
Trainees at Ban Kern and Dongkhamxang teacher training colleges in Vientiane and other colleges in the provinces of Xieng Khuang, Luang Namtha, Luang Prabang, Savannakhet, Saravan and Champassak will benefit from the project.
“This project is in line with the 9th five-year National Socio-Economic Development Plan for 2021-2025 and will help fulfill the unmet Millennium Development Goal activities under the 8th five-year National Socio-Economic Development Plan for 2016-2020. It is also in keeping with the government’s policy on the development of education,” Mrs Sisomboun said.
The project will also enhance the special relationship and friendship between Laos and Japan.
Japan’s Official Development Assistance is a major form of assistance among other bilateral cooperation support from development partners driving Laos’ socio-economic development. The education sector is being improved, including through enhanced teacher training, thereby helping to raise the overall standard of education in Laos.

By Keoviengkhone Bounviseth
(Latest Update September 11, 2020)