Vientiane: Throughout January, the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES), with support from the Australian government through the Basic Education Quality and Access in Lao PDR (BEQUAL) program, will conduct a fifth round of training for over 1,120 Internal Pedagogical Support (IPS) staff.
According to Lao News Agency, the IPS teams were established in March 2023 across 30 target districts in the provinces of Phongsaly, Luang Namtha, Bokeo, Houaphan, Xiengkhouang, Khammouane, and Savannakhet. These teams consist of primary teachers and principals selected for their teaching experience, subject knowledge, pedagogical skills, commitment to quality improvement, and motivation to assist fellow educators. The teams reflect the diversity of the teacher workforce, with 53% being female and 42% from non-Lao speaking backgrounds. IPS staff offer continuous support to teachers in their own and nearby schools through regular visits, video calls, and WhatsApp messages, employing various continuing professional development (CPD) approaches.
“This workshop is the fifth in a series designed to train IPS staff to carry out their roles in the new school-based continuing professional development system. During the workshop, the IPS teams will prepare teacher support plans for next semester, and they will be trained on techniques to support teachers with the key challenges they face such as teaching Lao Language, teaching non-Lao speaking students, and classroom management,” stated Ms. Vongdeuane Osay, acting Director General, Department of Teacher Education (DTE).
“Through the IPS system, the MoES supports over 8,000 primary teachers in disadvantaged areas. In the current context of declining enrolments and teacher shortages, this support is key to making a difference in teacher retention and teaching quality. Ultimately, this will contribute to better learning outcomes for students. Australia strongly believes that better teaching and learning builds the Lao PDR’s human capital, and we are honoured to work closely with the MoES towards this goal,” said Ms. Vanessa Hegarty, First Secretary, Australian Embassy.
The training sessions, lasting five days each, will be delivered by 165 technical team members from three target Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs) in Luang Namtha, Khang Khay, and Savannakhet. IPS staff utilize tablets to develop electronic teacher support plans stored in a shared online document library, enabling TTCs and District Education and Sports Bureaus to track plan implementation in real-time. The training places specific emphasis on the new Spoken Lao Program (SLP) introduced nationwide this school year, with IPS staff learning SLP teaching strategies to support teachers effectively.
One of the trainers noted, “In a very active session, we will use a language other than Lao for a full hour to facilitate some simple activities to help IPS understand what it’s like for students when the medium of instruction is not their first language. It is important that they experience the challenges faced by teachers and students to better understand them and provide quality support.”
During the training, IPS staff also learn to apply positive classroom management strategies, utilizing two new Teacher Development Videos on SLP and Classroom Management to demonstrate these techniques.
Throughout the 2023-2024 school year, IPS teams conducted 8,575 support visits to teachers. Data from 2,177 classroom observations by District Education and Sports Bureaus after one year of implementing the new school-based CPD system show positive changes in teaching practices, especially in supporting learning and student collaboration, and enhancing socio-emotional skills. “Teachers are better able to link curriculum content to the context of students’ daily lives,” said Ms. Vongdeuane Osay.
Ms. Vanessa Hegarty added, “Many teachers in the Lao PDR work in difficult and remote conditions. Australia is committed to providing teachers the support they need to respond to the challenges they face. The data shared by the MoES is very encouraging. I am expecting to see more positive changes this year thanks to the school-based CPD system.”
BEQUAL is a program led by the Ministry of Education and Sports with support from the Australian Government and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), focusing on enhancing educational outcomes for the nation’s youth, especially the vulnerable and disadvantaged, while ensuring gender equality and promoting inclusive education across all activities.