Simple-activities-to-experience-the-difficulties-to-communicate-instructions-when-you-don't-speak-the-same-language---Savannakhet-new

(KPL) Throughout the month of January, the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES), with support from the Australian government through the Basic Education Quality and Access in Lao PDR (BEQUAL) program will provide a fifth round of training for over 1,120 Internal Pedagogical Support (IPS) staff.

The IPS teams were established in March 2023 in 30 target districts in the provinces of Phongsaly, Luang Namtha, Bokeo, Houaphan, Xiengkhouang, Khammouane and Savannakhet. They are composed of primary teachers and principals who were selected for their primary teaching experience, subject knowledge, pedagogical skills, commitment to quality improvement and motivation to support fellow teachers. The IPS teams reflect the diversity of the teacher workforce in the target areas: 53% are female and 42% are from non-Lao speaking background. IPS staff provide ongoing support to teachers in their own and nearby schools through regular visits, video calls and WhatsApp messages. They use a variety of continuing professional development (CPD) approaches such as co-teaching, classroom observation, one-to-one training using Teacher Support Pack modules, and watching Teacher Development Videos.

Micro-teaching activity -Xiangkhouang

 “This workshop is the fifth in a series designed to train IPS staff to carry out their roles in the new school-based continuing professional development system. During the workshop, the IPS teams will prepare teacher support plans for next semester, and they will be trained on techniques to support teachers with the key challenges they face such as teaching Lao Language, teaching non-Lao speaking students and classroom management,” said Ms Vongdeuane Osay, acting Director General, Department of Teacher Education (DTE).

Using paper puppet for Spoken Lao Program activities - Xiangkhouang

 “Through the IPS system, the MoES support over 8,000 primary teachers in disadvantaged areas. In the current context of declining enrolments and teacher shortages this support is key to making a difference in teacher retention and teaching quality. Ultimately this will contribute to better learning outcomes for students. Australia strongly believes that better teaching and learning builds the Lao PDR’s human capital and we are honoured to work closely with the MoES towards this goal,” said Ms Vanessa Hegarty, First Secretary, Australian Embassy.  

IPS preparing their teacher support plans on tablets - Bokeo

The training will be delivered throughout January by 165 technical team members from the three target Teacher Training colleges (TTCs) of Luang Namtha, Khang Khay and Savannakhet. Each training session lasts five days. The IPS staff use their tablets to develop an electronic teacher support plan. Plans are saved to a shared online document library so that TTCs and District Education and Sports Bureaus can track implementation of individual teacher support plans in realtime. There is a specific focus on the new Spoken Lao Program (SLP) that was rolled out nationwide this school year. The IPS staff will learn SLP teaching strategies in depth so they can support teachers to deliver SLP classes effectively.

One of the trainers said “In a very active session, we will use a language other than Lao for a full hour to facilitate some simple activities to help IPS understand what it’s like for students when the medium of instruction is not their first language. It is important that they experience the challenges faced by teachers and students to better understand them and provide quality support.”

Training on story telling activity - Xiangkhouang

During the training, the IPS also learn how to apply positive classroom management strategies. Two new Teacher Development Videos on SLP and Classroom Management are used to demonstrate the techniques.

During the 2023-2024 school year, IPS teams provided 8,575 support visits to teachers. Data from 2,177 classroom observations carried out by District Education and Sports Bureaus after one year of implementation of the new school-based CPD system shows positive changes in teaching practices. The main improvements were in supporting learning and collaboration between students and building students’ socio-emotional skills. Teachers are better able to link curriculum content to the context of students’ daily lives,” said Ms Vongdeuane Osay.

IPS teams from Thonpeung and Houayxay district, Bokeo

Ms Vanessa Hegarty added “Many teachers in the Lao PDR work in difficult and remote conditions. Australia is committed to providing teachers the support they need to respond to the challenges they face. The data shared by the MoES is very encouraging. I am expecting to see more positive changes this year thanks to the school-based CPD system.”

BEQUAL is a program led by the Ministry of Education and Sports with support from the Australian Government and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). 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.

KPL