Teachers of Grade 1 in primary schools across Laos will be trained to teach the new national primary school curriculum, with will start with their grade in September
A national team of 60 master trainers and 18 provincial teams of 611 provincial trainers will train all Grade 1 teachers, primary school principals and pedagogical advisors in July and August.
More than 16,600 Grade 1 teachers are expected to be trained this year to teach the new curriculum. All primary school teachers will have access teaching and learning resources as part of the training.
The government announced the official launch of the new national primary school curriculum this month. The curriculum marks a significant reform and introduces an orientation week for Grade 1 students to familiarise children with school life.There will also be a new focus on active learning, enhancing inclusive teaching and learning and multigrade teaching, and a new student assessment methodology that will measure acquisition of positive attitudes, knowledge and skills.
According to an official report, for the last four years, the Ministry of Education and Sports of Lao has developed the new curriculum, new teaching and learning materials and a comprehensive in-service teacher training plan with support from Australia, the European Union, and USAID through the Basic Education Quality and Access in Laos (BEQUAL) programme.
The implementation of the new curriculum in classrooms will be progressive, with one new grade per year, beginning in September with Grade 1 and ending in 2023-2024 with Grade 5.
The Ministry of Education and Sports and its partners will implement the curriculum across the country. The curriculum is an important first step to improving education outcomes for Lao children, particularly for those experiencing disadvantage, such as girls, children with a disabilities and children from ethnic groups.
The success of the curriculum will require good quality teaching and commitment from stakeholders at all levels across the country.