ພາສາລາວ
Script writers reflect on the Do’s and Don’ts of Child Protection
Teams from across the Ministry collaborate in a four-day script writing workshop to produce a video about child protection for teachers
The Ministry of Education and Sports of Lao PDR (MoES) and the Australian Government, through the Basic Education Quality and Access in Lao PDR (BEQUAL) Program, are holding a four-day “Child Protection and Safeguarding Script Writing” workshop from 16th to 19th February 2026. The workshop brings together teams from the media and video production units of the Research Institute for Educational Sciences (RIES), MoES Division for the Advancement of Women, Mothers and Children (MDAW), Department of Teacher Education, Inclusive Education Division (IED) of the Department of General Education (DGE), and representatives from the Australian Embassy to co‑produce a short video designed to raise awareness and give teachers clear, practical guidance for protecting children in school.
The video project builds on MoES’ Child Protection and Safeguarding Guidelines for Educators developed with the support of Australian Government and launched in July 2024. A one‑and‑a‑half day training for MoES media teams conducted last year provided a practical foundation on the ‘Do’s and Don’ts’ of child protection and informed the script writing workshop’s design.
Mr Michael Currie, First Secretary, Australian Embassy and Ms Manoly Dongvan opened the workshop
Ms Manoly Dongvan, Deputy Director General of RIES said “Last year, the Research Institute of Educational Sciences and the Department of Women’s Advancement collaborated for the first time to create a video: “Gender Equality in the Classroom”. The collaboration was successful and well-received. Therefore, to continue the collaboration, the Department of Women’s Advancement proposed to create a second video based on the “Child Protection and Safety Guidelines for Education Workers” of the Department of Education and Sport in July 2024 with support from the Australian Government. We will share the final video through Education TV, the Khang Panya Lao platform, the Teacher Development YouTube channel and social media to reach teachers across the country.
Mr. Michael Currie, First Secretary, Australian Embassy said “Teachers do far more than deliver lessons, they create the safe learning environments in which children can thrive. They are the frontline protectors of children’s wellbeing in school. Australia is proud to have supported MoES to develop official ‘Child Protection and Safeguarding Guidelines’ for education sector staff, and we are pleased to continue the partnership through this video project. Australia is committed to upholding children’s rights and takes proactive measures to prevent, identify and respond to safeguarding risks. The Australian Government implemented its first child protection policy in 2008 and updated it last year to strengthen our commitment to safeguarding and emphasise our zero-tolerance approach to child exploitation, abuse and harm. With this video, our shared goal is to centre children’s rights and give teachers clear, actionable strategies to protect them.”
The video is based on the Child Protection and Safeguarding guidelines launched by MoES in July 2024
When children feel safe, they learn better and thrive
The workshop will open with refresher training on the Child Protection and Safeguarding Guidelines for Educators, led by MDAW and the Gender Training experts to ensure technical accuracy and alignment with the new guidance. The refresher will cover key topics such as what safeguarding means in a school context, respecting children’s rights to safety, identifying and preventing child sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment, managing children’s behaviour, appropriate communication with children online and in-person, the risks associated with alcohol and drug use, and how to manage and report suspected harm.
The BEQUAL communications team will take participants through a strategic communications brief and guide the script‑writing process, helping transform technical guidance into accessible scenes, messaging and practical examples for primary teachers. The video is designed to model straightforward actions teachers can take to ensure child protection in school. The aim is behaviour change: to clarify what is acceptable, what must never happen and how to act and report when a child’s safety is at risk.
The workshop’s hands-on exercises will include scenario development, role play to prepare for directing actors, consent and privacy protocols for filming, and decisions about format, combining live action and animation so sensitive topics are handled respectfully. Trainers will emphasise culturally appropriate, non‑graphic portrayals and ways to encourage positive, protective action rather than blame.
Ms Manoly explained “Because safeguarding is inherently sensitive, our production approach will protect children’s dignity and safety at every step: we will avoid re‑enactments of harmful behaviour, secure informed consent from legal guardians, and ensure imagery does not expose a child’s identity or location. With Australia’s support through BEQUAL, we are strengthening our media teams’ skills in ethical filming, scenario scripting and animation design so the content is effective, culturally appropriate and responsible.”
Mr. Michael Currie added “I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Ministry of Education and Sports, particularly the media team, on their commitment to ensuring child protection in all aspects of their work. All BEQUAL‑supported productions follow robust child protection protocols aligned with Australian Government standards: briefings for production teams before entering schools, documented informed consent from guardians, and careful decisions about how children are portrayed. These measures, together with health and safety precautions during filming, ensure children’s wellbeing is paramount throughout production. We value the media teams’ role in promoting safeguarding and are pleased to support this cross‑Ministry collaboration that will benefit the most vulnerable children.”
BEQUAL is a program led by the Lao Government with support from the Australian Government and the United States Government. The program focuses on enhancing educational outcomes for the nation’s youth, especially the vulnerable and disadvantaged. BEQUAL is focused on ensuring gender equality and promoting inclusive education across all activities.