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Teachers are central to children’s learning and to the future of the Lao PDR. They are at the heart of the education system. However, many teachers still work in remote and challenging conditions. Some teach students from different grade levels in the same classroom.
A second workshop helps lecturers create locally relevant training materials for teacher support
Others teach children who speak different ethnic languages at home and may not yet speak Lao, the official language of instruction. These teachers need practical support to help all students participate and learn.
For teacher support to be useful, it must reflect these everyday realities and provide practical ideas that teachers can apply in their own classrooms.
This is why locally led teacher support is important. Education professionals who work closely with teachers and schools in different parts of the Lao PDR understand the needs of local communities. They can help ensure that professional development and teacher support is relevant to each context, practical and connected to teachers’ daily work.
The Ministry of Education and Sports of the Lao PDR (MoES), with support from the Australian Government through the BEQUAL programme, is holding the second “Teacher support materials writing workshop” from Oct 19–23, 2026.
The workshop will help teacher educators develop practical materials to support teachers and strengthen their ability to create and improve those materials in the future.
The new teacher support system established by MoES, with BEQUAL support helps teachers improve their practice through regular guidance from experienced teachers and school principals. These mentors support teachers by observing lessons, advising on lesson planning, co-teaching and providing feedback. They also help teachers share ideas and work together to address classroom challenges.
By helping teachers improve their methods, the system is contributing to better learning experiences for children.
Teacher education institutes play an important role in supporting this system. Their teams help prepare and deliver training for teacher mentors, work with education authorities and provide technical guidance to strengthen the support available to teachers. They also bring experience in teacher education and an understanding of the Lao education context.
Dr. Lamphoune Laungxay, Director General, Department of Teacher Education and Administration Development (DTEAD) explained “Training materials are most useful when they are clear, practical and connected to the realities of teachers and schools in the Lao PDR.
Through this workshop, teacher education institutes are taking greater ownership of teacher training and support content. They are using their technical knowledge, experience of delivering previous workshops and understanding of local teacher support needs to develop and improve the materials. This is an important step towards a more sustainable teacher continuing professional development (CPD) system, while strengthening the teacher education institutes long-term role as technical partners in ensuring teaching quality.”
During the five-day workshop, teacher educators are actively developing content for the future teacher support training in January 2027. The training will focus on two priority areas: Multigrade Teaching and Lao Language and Literacy Development. These topics respond to everyday classroom realities, including teaching students from different grade levels and helping children develop the Lao Language skills they need to participate in class.
Mr. Silamphone Thepboauly, lecturer from National University of Teacher Education (NUTE), Savannakhet campus noted “We are using real classroom situations to develop the training materials. For example, we are discussing how to support children who do not speak Lao at home and how to guide teachers working with three grade levels in one classroom. These examples will help make the training practical and relevant for teachers.”
The workshop is highly practical and hands-on. Participants are drawing on their experience of supporting teachers, selecting useful information and turning it into training that teacher support teams can use in real school settings. They are designing participatory activities, preparing examples and practicing how to deliver each session.
Ms. Saysouly Sophouphieng, lecturer from National University of Teacher Education, Khang Khay campus commented “This workshop is important because it gives teachers from three institutes the opportunity to work together and share their experience. We are not only preparing materials. We are also testing different activities and discussing how teacher support teams can use them to support teachers in schools. This will help us make the upcoming teacher support training more practical and responsive to their needs.”
Michael Currie, First Secretary, Australian Embassy said: “Supporting teacher training teams to develop their own training materials is a sustainable investment in the future of teachers and students across the Lao PDR. When these materials are developed by education professionals who understand local schools and communities, they are more relevant to teachers’ everyday experiences and provide practical ideas they can use in their classrooms. Building this local expertise and ownership will help ensure teachers continue to receive the support they need as education priorities change.”
This work is an important step towards a more locally led and sustainable teacher CPD system. Through the partnership between MoES and Australia, supported by the BEQUAL programme, teacher education institutes are strengthening their role as technical partners in helping teachers improve teaching and learning for students across the country.
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