ພາສາລາວ
Participants from the Training of Trainers DESB CPD management workshop
More than 380 staff from 30 districts participate in continuing professional development management training
Throughout October 2025, the Ministry of Education and Sports of Lao PDR (MoES), with the support of the Australian Government through the Basic Education Quality and Access in Lao PDR (BEQUAL) program, is delivering a series of workshops on “Continuing Professional Development (CPD)” Management for District Education and Sports Bureau (DESB) staff.
Ms. Khampat Xayalinkham, Deputy Director General, Department of Teacher Education (DTE), said “These workshops are part of a series of capacity building inputs designed to equip DESB staff with the skills and knowledge they need to effectively plan and manage teacher CPD in their schools. This workshop consolidates and extends learning from previous technical inputs organised with the support of Australia through BEQUAL.”
Ms Vanessa Hegarty, First Secretary, Australian Embassy, said “Australia is working closely with the Ministry of Education and Sports of Lao PDR to strengthen the teacher CPD system and increase the support provided to teachers. In the current context of teacher shortages, we believe this support is vital for keeping teachers motivated and improving teaching quality. Ultimately, this will contribute to better learning outcomes for students.”
Over 380 participants from 30 target DESBs from seven provinces (Phongsaly, Luang Namtha, Bokeo, Houaphan, Xiangkhouang, Khammouane and Savannakhet) will join one of the thirteen workshop groups. The key participants are directors, deputy directors, pedagogical support staff, and monitoring and evaluation staff from each DESB. The workshops are being led by DTE, and facilitators come from the seven target Provincial Education and Sports Services and the three target Teacher Training Colleges of Luang Namtha, Khang Khai, and Savannakhet.
Ms. Khampat Xayalinkham Deputy Director of Teacher Education Department opened the Training of Trainers workshop
Trainers from PESS, TTC and DESB of the target provinces will cascade down their training in their location throughout October
The workshops last five days and cover various topics to help DESBs strengthen their role and responsibilities in planning and managing CPD activities in their district. Participants identify ways to use monitoring data to determine teacher support needs and address these through CPD planning. The participants also identify strategies they can apply to support school principals in creating an enabling environment for teachers to engage in professional development. The workshops also facilitate discussion about how gender, age and hierarchical dynamics between staff at schools impact on motivation and engagement in CPD.
Ms. Khampat said “Several sessions will include gender, inclusive education, and child protection topics. The objective is to give district staff a better understanding of what inclusive education is and its importance in the context of primary schools in Lao PDR. They will also learn about child protection and how this links to inclusive education. They will identify the roles and responsibilities of DESB and school-level staff in the implementation of inclusive education. By the end of the training, each district will have an action plan with practical steps their leadership teams and technical staff can take to ensure safe and inclusive teaching and learning in their districts”.
Ms Vanessa added “I am very pleased to see that inclusive education and child protection approaches are strongly emphasised in this workshop. Teachers play a vital role in safeguarding all students, particularly those experiencing disadvantage. Equipping DESB staff who support teachers with the necessary tools and skills to ensure they can promote and practice child protection and safeguarding inside and outside of the classroom is key. Australia is proud to support the Ministry of Education with this training.”
Following the workshop, DESB staff will be supported and encouraged to apply what they have learned in the workshop to their ongoing management of school-based teacher CPD, with BEQUAL working in collaboration with central and subnational MoES staff to undertake monitoring and support visits to DESBs during the 2025-26 academic year. It is expected that DESBs will begin to apply different elements explored in this workshop and other capacity building inputs to their planning and management of school-based CPD to contribute to strengthened teaching quality and ultimately improved student learning outcomes.
