Songmuang village: The handover ceremony for the Lao-Vietnam Friendship Model Secondary-Vocational School construction project was held in Songmuang Village, Nongbok District, Khammuan Province. The project was officially transferred from the Department of Technical and Vocational Education of the Ministry of Education and Sports to the Khammuan Provincial Department of Education and Sports.
According to Lao News Agency, the ceremony was co-chaired by Mr. Somlane Phankavong, Deputy Minister of Education and Sports, Mr. Keooudon Budsingkhon, Deputy Governor of Khammuan Province, and Mr. Saengsaden Bunlawong, Acting Head of the Office of the Ministry of Education and Sports. Teachers, instructors, and local officials also participated in the event.
Reports presented during the ceremony highlighted the project’s achievements, which included the completion of school facilities and premises, provision of teaching and learning equipment, teacher training in both theory and practice, study tours and lesson exchanges with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and guidance visits. Participants also reviewed outstanding issues, procurement plans for final equipment, and steps toward the formal closure of the project, while noting ongoing challenges in organizing teaching and learning activities.
The Lao-Vietnam Friendship Model Secondary-Vocational School is a gift from the former President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to the Government of the Lao PDR, with the Ministry of Education and Sports responsible for its implementation. Construction began in November 2022 and was completed in December 2024 at a total cost of USD 5 million. The project included building classrooms, laboratories, and vocational workshops, as well as procuring training equipment across eight professional fields. It also supported human resource development through teacher training in both general and technical-vocational education.
Although the construction has only recently been completed, the school has already been operating since the 2021-2022 academic year. It currently offers training in eight professional fields: crop cultivation, animal husbandry, electrical installation, general maintenance, motorcycle repair, food preparation, beauty enhancement, and tailoring.