VIENTIANE (Laotian Times): During the eighth Laos National Assembly session last month, Phout Simmalavong, Minister of Education and Sports, presented progress on the National Education System Reform Strategy.
The country’s education system has seen progress over the past two decades, he said. From 2006 to 2010, the education system expanded with an increase in the number of schools and student enrollment across both the public and private sectors.
The primary education completion rate improved from 44.2 percent in 2005–2006 to 57 per cent by 2009–2010. Additionally, 35 model secondary schools were established, representing 9.3 per cent of all secondary schools.
In the following phase (2010–2015), enrollment for children aged 3–5 increased from 21.1 per cent to 43 per cent. Dropout rates declined, with the primary school dropout rate falling to 5.2 per cent and the secondary school rate to 11.5 per cent.
Vocational education also saw an increase, with student numbers rising from 53,925 to 62,669.
By the 8th Five-Year Plan (2016–2020), preschool enrollment for 5-year-olds rose from 70.9 per cent to 82.7 per cent, and primary school grade 5 enrollment reached 105.5 per cent, while repetition rates dropped to 3.1 per cent.
Enrollment in lower secondary education improved slightly, and upper secondary enrollment increased from 42.7 per cent to 54.8 per cent. Gender parity also improved, with the index rising from 0.87 to 0.91.
However, these positive trends were disrupted by the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. The dropout rate has worsened since then, as highlighted by the Ministry of Education and Sports (MOES).
The number of students taking exams has declined significantly, with Grade 4 student exam participation dropping from 83,544 in 2022 to 76,322 in 2023, and further to 68,850 in 2024.
Similarly, Grade 7 student numbers fell from 55,828 in 2022 to 50,276 in 2023 and 46,744 in 2024. University enrollment rates also see a dramatic drop. In 2023, out of 49,000 high school graduates, only under 10,000 individuals pursued higher education. - Laotian Times
