Laos—Education System | Research & Encyclopedia Articles

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Laos Summary

Laos—Education System

The Lao educational system has a long history, extending from early, traditional temple education to contemporary education in the transitional economy of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. The current regime faces complex challenges in improving education in the context of the country's increased global connections and amid economic problems exacerbated by the Asian economic crisis of 1997.

Historical and Political Background

A major motif of Lao history is the country's remarkable survival as a distinct political and cultural entity despite small population and being landlocked and surrounded by large, powerful neighbors such as China, Vietnam, Thailand, and Myanmar. The original Lao kingdom that flourished between the fourteenth and eighteenth centuries was known as Lan Xang (land of a million elephants). Seriously weakened in the early eighteenth century when it broke into three smaller kingdoms, Lan Xang fell into the Siamese orbit and then under French colonialism.

Traditional Temple Education

As in neighboring countries such as Thailand and Cambodia, Buddhist priests traditionally provided basic education, moral training, and the fundamentals of a literary culture to children in village temples. But given the limited roles of women in the Buddhist priesthood, this system did discriminate against women. Because education at temple schools provided preparation for becoming a monk, it was limited to males because females could not become monks. Women's education was informal in the family context for rural women or in royal compounds for elite women.

French Colonial Influence on Lao Education (1893–1975)

After Laos became a French colony in 1893, the traditional Buddhist educational system became less important as the French introduced elitist, secular French-language education oriented to the "civilizing" mission of the colonial power. In 1946, only a miniscule 2 percent of Lao school-age children were enrolled in school. The reason for the low enrollment was French unwillingness to support education in the countryside. Even after Laos gained nominal independence in 1949, the elitist, French-language educational system continued to dominate until genuine independence was finally achieved in 1975. U.S. influence during the 1954–1975 period led to considerable expansion of Lao education with the establishment of high schools, vocational schools, and teacher training institutions. Enrollments in 1971–1972 were seventeen times higher than in 1946.

Educational Reforms of the Lao Pdr (1975 to Present)

The Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), established 2 December 1975, initiated three major reforms. The first was to consolidate independence and replace French schooling with a Lao-language, masseducation system. Reflecting this commitment, 1996–1997 primary school enrollments were over three times higher than in 1971–1972. Expansion was hampered, however, by a lack of qualified teachers and poor infrastructure.

The second major reform occurred in 1986 when the Lao PDR adopted a new economic policy (the New Economic Mechanism, or NEM) calling for increased use of market mechanisms in the economy and decreased state and central planning. This meant that education had to be rationalized to serve the needs of an increasingly privatized economy. This reform also permitted privatization within the education system in order to expand opportunity and reduce the financial burden on the government.

The third major reform began in 1991 and continued throughout the 1990s. In the initial stages of socialism, responsibility for education had become highly decentralized, resulting in growing regional disparities. In 1991 education began to be recentralized, with greater authority resting with the Ministry of Education.

With the opening of the Lao economy following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Lao government actively sought international educational assistance from agencies such as the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and bilateral donors such as the Nordic countries and Switzerland. The country has used such external funds for enhancing physical infrastructure, developing textbooks, and providing training of educational administrators, teacher educators, and teachers for Lao nationals. Partly thanks to external assistance, Lao expenditures on education in 1996–1997 represented 2.9 percent of GDP, a figure higher than that of China, the Philippines, and Indonesia. In 1996–1997, 15.8 percent of the national budget went to education, putting Laos ahead of countries such as Malaysia, India, and Indonesia, and nearly equal to Korea.

Lao primary education currently lasts five years, followed by three years of lower secondary, three years of upper secondary, and then three to seven years of tertiary education, depending on the field. In 1995, the National University of Laos (NUOL) was established by consolidating four existing tertiary institutions.

Major Contemporary Problems Facing Lao Education

Despite the major reforms initiated during the twenty-five years of socialism, major educational problems persist. Relatively few Lao young people complete the various levels of education. For the 1996–1997 school year, 20 percent received no education at all, while only 13.9 percent completed primary education, 8.6 percent lower secondary, 4.8 percent upper secondary, and 4 percent tertiary education.

Given the country's sparsely populated remote areas and many ethnic minorities, access to education is problematic, and significant regional disparities exist. The 1995 national census indicates that 47.5 percent of the population were of diverse ethnic minorities. As a result, roughly half of those entering grade one are taught in a language that is not their native tongue.

There are also serious gender issues in Lao education, exacerbated by high fertility levels in Laos andheavy household burdens for women and female children. The government's establishment of a special Gender and Ethnic Minorities Education Unit within the Ministry of Education reflects its concern about such access issues.

Girls practice dancing at a school in Vientiane, Laos. (NIK WHEELER/CORBIS)

Though the Lao PDR devotes considerable funds deriving from international assistance to education, recurrent funding of education is low compared to other countries in the region. It is thus often difficult to sustain educational projects initiated with external assistance.

Since 1998 the Lao government has faced a severe economic crisis. Major inflation and a significant devaluation of the Lao kip (the nation's currency) have adversely affected the economy and the government's ability to finance improvements in education. Despite these serious problems mainly related to formal schooling, the Lao PDR excels in areas such as fostering strong moral education, quality parenting, social cohesion, and a sense of national identity. As well, the adverse effects of media are carefully controlled and restricted.

Gerald Fry