The BEQUAL program works in close partnership with the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) across multiple departments and divisions to advance gender equality, disability equity, and social inclusion (GEDSI) in primary education. The program is designed to ensure that children experiencing disadvantage are reached, supported, and reflected in program interventions.

BEQUAL recognises that children’s attendance, engagement and learning outcomes depend on multiple factors, including the influence of communities and families, the capacity and commitment of duty bearers, and the enabling role of policy, systems and leadership. Through mainstreaming and targeted action, BEQUAL’s GEDSI Strategy strengthens the program’s commitment to inclusive, equitable and safe learning environments.

Mainstreaming ensures that gender equality, disability equity and social inclusion are built into the education system as a whole across curriculum, teacher practice, leadership, planning, resourcing, and policy. Targeted actions respond to the particular needs of children who are most at risk of exclusion to access, participate and learn. For the Phase 2 extension, BEQUAL focuses on children affected by harmful norms, children whose first language is not Lao, and children with disabilities. BEQUAL recognises that disadvantage is often compounded by poverty, rurality, and remoteness.

BEQUAL’s research and learning supports the GEDSI Strategy by generating evidence on the barriers children face and testing practical solutions that improve inclusion, participation and learning. The research focuses on literacy and language development, disability inclusion, and the ways social, gender and cultural norms influence school practices and learning outcomes. It examines what works in Lao classrooms, such as how the Lao language curriculum and Spoken Lao lessons are implemented, how teachers support children who do not speak Lao at home, and how children with disabilities can be better supported. The research also helps BEQUAL strengthen gender equality, child protection and safeguarding by generating evidence with MoES counterparts, teachers, students and communities, so the program can adapt its mainstream and targeted GEDSI actions based on what is most effective in practice.