Students study in a classroom in rural Laos (photo: The Nation)
Vientiane (VNA) - Student enrolment in everyschool grade in Laos has fallen, while the dropout rate has increased in bothprimary and secondary schools.
Addressing the fifth session of the ninth NationalAssembly, Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone said the reasons for thealarming decline in school attendance were rooted in various factors, includingpersonal circumstances, school conditions, and financial hardship on the partof parents.
The PM said the education ministry would assistdisadvantaged students by providing them with basic learning materials andwaiving the payment of school fees.
The plan for the next six months also includesproviding more vocational training and encouraging applicants to choose acourse that will enable them to get a job and be self-supporting when theygraduate.
Education authorities will carry out closer monitoringof teaching and learning outcomes, while schools and colleges will be improved,and student dormitories will be built in rural areas.
There will also be more vocational skills training inthe non-formal education sector.
The government will speed up the enactment of a law oneducation, which will require parents to be responsible for ensuring theirchildren get an education.
In addition, the government will take steps to reducethe student dropout rate in both urban and rural areas by expanding inclusiveeducation in schools and vocational training institutions.
More secondary school students will be encouraged toenroll in courses at vocational and technical schools so that they learnpractical skills that benefit both them and employers, Sonexay said./.
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Students study in a classroom in rural Laos (photo: The Nation) 
