Spoken Lao supports more children to learn and take part in class

A delegation led by Dr Vongphet Oudomlit, Director General of the Research Institute for Educational Sciences (RIES), Ministry of Education and Sports of Lao PDR (MoES) and Michael Currie, First Secretary, Australian Embassy, visited Luang Namtha province from 27 to 29 April to learn about the implementation of grade 1 Spoken Lao. The visit also showcased how school-based continuing professional development (CPD) helps teachers implement Spoken Lao and support students who speak a language other than Lao at home to be more engaged and learn at school.

The delegation included representatives from the Lao Language Research Centre of RIES, the Department of Planning, the Department of Teacher Education, the Primary Division and Inclusive Education Division of the Department of General Education, the Australian Embassy and BEQUAL experts.

During the visit, the delegation observed Spoken Lao lessons in several primary schools and met with teachers, principals, internal and external pedagogical support (IPS and EPS) staff, district and provincial education staff and technical and core teams from the Teacher Training College. They discussed the progress and challenges of the program, as well as the support that schools and teachers need to keep improving learning outcomes for young children.

Spoken Lao is designed to help children who start school without being able to speak Lao well. Spoken Lao lessons are additional, but work alongside, the Lao Language lessons in the grade 1 curriculum. They are taught in the afternoon for at least three days per week, and each of the 30 lessons aligns with the 30 Lao Language lessons. The lessons give children extra time and support to build their Lao language skills so they can understand their teachers, join classroom activities, and learn other subjects more easily. Spoken Lao lessons are an important part of efforts to make learning more inclusive for children from diverse language backgrounds.

The approach was first trialled in several provinces and after strong results was introduced nationally in the 2024–2025 school year. It is now helping grade 1 students in schools across all provinces where many children need extra support to learn Lao language skills at the start of their education.