Status of Education in Laos
The government of Laos is dedicated to improving the nation's educational indicators. Laos continues to face numerous challenges in achieving its goal of graduating from the list of least-developed countries by the year 2020, including the crucial areas of literacy and education. Recent measures indicate an adult literacy rate of 72.5% (79.6% of men and 65.7% of women) in this country of 6.67 million.
The school system consists of five years of primary education, three years of lower secondary school, and three to four years of upper secondary or technical education. University is generally a five-year program. The number of students enrolled in Lao higher education institutions has been growing steadily in recent years. In 1975, there were only 146 students in college level courses throughout the country. By 1995, this number grew to 7,270 students; and by the 2004-2005 school year, nearly 40,000 students were pursuing higher education. There are now approximately 30 colleges in Laos.
Though English is compulsory beginning in third grade, very few books are published in Laos, and institutions generally have very little money to purchase books from abroad. As Laos continues to increase its engagement with other nations in commerce, diplomacy, and all other sectors, the demand for up-to-date educational materials, including those in English, is increasing.
Current Focus
The Books for Asia program in Laos distributes about 17,000 new English-language books to Laos annually, and the program is growing in response to increasing requests from both educational and governmental institutions throughout the country. The types of books range from English language instruction and primary school textbooks and picture books, to higher education and professional materials in such topics as economic development, agriculture, management, and international relations. Books for Asia also places special emphasis on law books to complement The Asia Foundation's partnership with the National Assembly and Lao Bar Association.
Read more about The Asia Foundation's work in Laos.
Project and Partner Highlights
Supporting Environmental Education. Mongolia grapples with developing its large mineral wealth in an environmentally responsible manner. To complement The Asia Foundation’s projects in this area, Books for Asia donates books from environmental publishers such as Island Press to environmental centers and university programs across the country.
Khan Bank Foundation. The Asia Foundation and Khan Bank Foundation have jointly established Youth Discovery Resource Centers in Khovd, Dornod, and Dornogobi Aimag. Books for Asia has provided 5,000 books to each of the centers.
Librarian Training. In conjunction with the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science, the National Central Library, and the Children’s Book Palace, Books for Asia organizes librarian training sessions for school and soum libraries from across the country. In FY10, 122 school libraries and 60 soum libraries participated.
Resource Center for the Blind. Donations of elementary school books in large type are provided to the School for the Visually Impaired in Ulaanbaatar, the only school of its kind in Mongolia.
Major publisher donors: Island Press, McGraw-Hill, John Wiley & Sons, Pearson, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Lynne Rienner, W.W. Norton & Company, and Abrams.
Contact
Somphou Keomounmany
somphou@asiafound.org