ພາສາລາວ
Over 80 delegates from the target PESS, TTC and relevant MoES departments participated in the bi-annual meeting
During the two day bi annual meeting, partners shared lessons from implementing continuing professional development (CPD) activities for teachers
The Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES), in collaboration with the Australian Government through the BEQUAL program, hosted the “TTC‑PESS Bi‑Annual Meeting” in Vientiane on March 31 and April 1st. 86 delegates attended, including representatives from the Department of Teacher Education (DTE), Department of General Education (DGE), Department of Planning (DOP), MoES Division for the Advancement of Women, Mothers and Children (MDAW), the Australian Embassy, development partners, Provincial Education and Sports Services (PESS), Teacher Training Colleges (TTC) and the BEQUAL team. The meeting focused on the school‑based CPD system, with participants sharing lessons from recent implementation, and preparing detailed plans for the next two and a half years as BEQUAL moves into its Phase 2 extension.
Mr Phetmany Silathmina, Deputy Director General of DTE, remarked during the opening of the workshop “With the support of the Australian Government, we have established a school‑based CPD system that is relevant to teachers’ needs, systematic, flexible, and inclusive of stakeholders at all levels. The first Internal Pedagogical support (IPS) teams were selected in March 2023 to provide teachers with regular, classroom‑focused support across 30 target districts in seven provinces. Under the leadership of DTE, TTCs have provided capacity building, while DESBs lead on needs assessment and monitoring. This meeting brings all partners together to review progress, share lessons from semester 1 of school-year 2025-26, and agree practical steps to scale up and strengthen implementation over the next two and a half years.”
Ms Rebecca McHugh, Team Leader of BEQUAL representing the Australian Embassy reinforced the partnership approach “In the face of teacher shortages and declining enrolment in some areas, sustained professional support is key to upskilling teachers and improving learning. Through the CPD system, the Ministry and partners are supporting thousands of teachers in disadvantaged areas with regular advice, classroom visits, co-teaching, feedback, and follow-up guidance. The model emphasises local relevance: training and resources are adjusted to match the challenges teachers actually face in their classrooms, including multilingual settings and diverse learner needs. Australia values the close collaboration with MoES to make this happen.”
Mr Phetmany Silathmina, Deputy Director General of DTE chaired the opening of the meeting
All IPS received tablets and ICT training to monitor and support teachers
Presentations and reports at the meeting showed clear, practical results: teachers report greater confidence, classroom observations indicate improved teaching practices, and schools are seeing stronger student participation and socio‑emotional learning after regular CPD activities. The new MoES CPD system has helped expand professional learning: In the first semester of 2025-26, across the 30 BEQUAL target districts, IPS teams facilitated 33,609 CPD activities and supported 6,930 (56% female) primary teachers; IPS also received 9,728 support visits from TTC and DESB, and nearly 1,699 classroom observations were jointly conducted by IPS, TTC and DESB. Importantly, many development partners are supporting the CPD approach, signaling momentum for nationwide scale up that does not rely solely on Australian funding.
Participants also discussed Phase 2 extension priorities, including strengthened research and learning and an intensified focus on gender equality and women’s advancement. The TTC‑PESS annual workplan for 2026–27 was endorsed and detailed plans for April–September 2026 were finalised.
Mr Phetmany Silathmina said “Regular, school‑based CPD has helped teachers link lessons to students’ lives and improved classroom practice over recent semesters. The scale of activities and the growing number of partners developing and expanding the CPD system demonstrate that we can move from target districts to wider implementation across diverse communities.”
Ms Rebecca McHugh said “The data show steady improvements in classroom practice and student engagement. Australia is proud to stand with the Ministry as we scale a flexible CPD system that reaches remote teachers and strengthens learning for children across Lao PDR.”
Next steps are practical and focused on keeping momentum. Target TTCs and PESS will use the endorsed workplans to continue planning and delivering school‑based CPD in their catchment areas. MoES and development partners will keep coordinating closely to scale the CPD system nationwide and align resources so efforts are not duplicated. Identified actions include strengthening CPD data collection, rolling out teaching and learning resources such as Teacher Support Packs and Teacher Development Videos, and embedding all Phase 2 activities, including research and learning into TTC-PESS workplans.
Mr Phetmany Silathmina concluded “This meeting demonstrates strong Australia-MoES collaboration to improve teaching quality. Australia brings technical and financial support and practical experience, while MoES leads and ensures the system fits classrooms across all communities in Lao PDR. Together we are moving from target districts to wider implementation, supporting teachers where they work and improving learning for children across Lao PDR.”
Data show steady improvement in student engagement in traget distrcits with school-based CPD
