(KPL)  A groundbreaking ceremony was held on April 20, 2026, for the construction of the Vang Ngeun Integrated General and Vocational School in Luang Prabang Province.

The ceremony was attended by Bounleum Manivong, President of the Provincial People’s Council, and Vu Ngoc Ly, the Consul General of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to Northern Laos. Also present were provincial officials, project representatives, school administrators, teachers, and local residents.

During the event, Soulidet Keobualaphet provided an overview of the province’s education sector for the 2025–2026 academic year.

He said Luang Prabang has a total of 1,034 public and private schools, including 200 nursery and kindergarten institutions, 714 primary schools, 66 lower secondary schools, 53 complete secondary schools, and one upper secondary school. The province has 107,587 students, including 54,440 females, and 5,612 teachers, of whom 3,327 are women.

He added that nearly 47 percent of classrooms—about 1,042 rooms—are currently used for multi-grade teaching, reflecting ongoing infrastructure challenges.

The Vang Ngeun school, originally established in the 2018–2019 academic year, currently serves 280 students with a teaching staff of 10.

Vo Dai Bac, President of Vina Construction and Repair Co., Ltd., said his company won the contract for the project.

Construction began on March 23, 2026, and is expected to be completed within 24 months, with a target completion date of March 2028.

The project is funded by a grant of 50 billion Vietnamese dong provided by Quang Ninh Province.

Mr. Bounleum expressed appreciation to the authorities of Quang Ninh Province for their continued support in developing educational infrastructure in Laos.

 He said the project reflects the growing special friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Laos and Vietnam, particularly between Luang Prabang and Quang Ninh.

He called on all stakeholders to work closely together to ensure the project is completed on schedule and meets high standards, contributing to sustainable vocational education development in the province.

KPL