ພາສາລາວ
Participants who joined the meeting to discuss CPD Guideline
Key education stakeholders gather to discuss the new draft Primary Teacher Continuing Professional Development Guidelines
The Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES), in collaboration with the Australian Government through the BEQUAL program, hosted a Consultation Workshop on new Primary Teacher Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Guidelines in Vientiane and across three Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs) on June 3-4. The two-day workshop brought together key education stakeholders to review and refine the draft guidelines, ensuring their effectiveness in strengthening professional development for teachers nationwide.
Opening the workshop, Dr. Daravone Kittiphanh, Vice Minister of Education and Sports, Lao PDR, emphasised the importance of CPD in enhancing education quality:
“This CPD Guidelines consultation workshop plays a vital role in advancing our efforts to improve teaching quality. Teachers are at the heart of education, and strengthening teaching is a top priority for the Ministry of Education. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the Government and people of Australia for their long-standing support in strengthening the quality of teaching. Their contribution is helping us improve student learning outcomes across the country, particularly in disadvantaged areas, and is promoting inclusive education to ensure that everyone has equal access to learning opportunities.”
The CPD Guidelines were developed with Australia’s support as part of MoES’ broader efforts to establish a nationwide CPD system for in-service teachers. The guidelines provide information to guide the functioning of the CPD system, including roles and responsibilities for key stakeholders. Over the past years, MoES, Department of Teacher Education, has made significant progress establishing and operating a system for school-based primary teacher CPD. This workshop aimed to seek feedback to ensure that the guidelines are fit for purpose to support all CPD system stakeholders to effectively undertake their responsibilities in the system.
Participants who joined the meeting to discuss CPD Guideline
Teachers have access to a range of CPD tools, including development videos and support packs
Dr. Daravone Kittiphanh explained the objective of the workshop and encourage participation of all: “There are many decrees and regulations related to CPD. Over the next two days, we will work to revise the CPD guidelines which were developed with support from Australia through the BEQUAL program. Our objective is to produce a comprehensive document that supports teaching quality and teacher training. The Department of Teacher Education will take the lead in implementing these guidelines.”
The participants of the workshop included over 50 representatives from the relevant departments of MoES, 7 target Provincial Education and Sports Services, 8 Teacher Training Colleges, three target District Education and Sports Bureaus, relevant Development Partners and NGOs.
Dr. Daravone Kittiphanh explained “DTE is working closely with BEQUAL to pilot a new CPD system in 30 target districts, with the aim of providing stronger and sustainable support for teachers at school level. We will monitor the outcomes, learn from the results, and then expand the system to other areas across the country. That is why we have invited other Development Partners to join this workshop. I encourage everyone to listen actively, participate fully, and share your experiences and insights on CPD, so that the guidelines we develop are clear, practical, and ready for implementation as well as suitable for Lao education context.”
Quality teaching forms the foundation of a strong education system
CPD guidelines clearly outline the roles and responsibilities of all education stakeholders
During the workshop DTE presented results and achievements on the implementation of school-based CPD to date and provided an overview of the CPD Guidelines’ purpose, structure and intended use. Participants engaged actively in offline group discussions to provide feedback on the guidelines and the approach for piloting them in 30 target districts. Participants were also informed of the process for further developing and finalising the guidelines, including focus group consultations with sub-national CPD system stakeholders. The second day of the workshop focused on collecting stakeholder feedback and agreeing on key revisions that will be made to the draft guidelines.
In an interview, Ms Vanessa Hegarty, First Secretary, Australian Embassy reaffirmed the Australia’s commitment to supporting teacher development in Laos: “Quality teaching is at the heart of a strong education system. We are proud to support MoES in strengthening professional development opportunities for teachers through these CPD Guidelines. Those guidelines are a milestone for teacher development.” She also highlighted the urgency of strengthening CPD in the face of current challenges in the education sector: “The education sector is facing a critical challenge with teacher shortages, making professional development more important than ever. By strengthening CPD, we ensure that existing teachers receive the support they need to be effective in the classroom. This is why Australia remains committed to investing in teacher professional development as a key strategy to improve education quality in Laos.“
The revised CPD Guidelines, incorporating stakeholder input, will be finalised for approval and nationwide use by December 2025, providing all CPD system stakeholders with the key information and guidance they need for success.
Dr Daravone concluded that “How can we progress in a world that is constantly changing? It means we must adapt as well. That’s why educators can never stop improving. If we stop learning, we stop developing ourselves, we stop growing”.