Education ministry to revamp secondary school curriculum

The Ministry of Education and Sports has announced it is prioritising the improvement of the secondary school curriculum as part of the sector’s overall five-year strategic plan for 2021-2025.
The ministry’s plans include looking at ways to improve teaching methods and lifting secondary students’ academic performance through more subject options in the natural and social sciences.

This will allow students from the fifth, sixth and seventh years of secondary school to select elective subjects in fields such as mathematics, chemistry, literature, political studies, foreign languages, history and geography.
Director General of the ministry’s Department of Teacher Education, Mr Keth Phanhlak, said that offering a wider variety of subjects would allow  students to select subjects in line with their individual talents and improve their academic performance.
“Through a better curriculum, we believe we will be able to offer subjects that will help students to perform at their best, as well as improve the nation’s educational standards,” he said. The latest move follows the ministry agreeing last year to provide vocational courses in fields such as electrical skills and carpentry at secondary schools around country, and the recruitment and training of teachers in these subjects.
The ministry’s overall goal is to give students a variety of subject options such as vocational studies to assist their career paths, and develop the country’s workpool.
Tailored curriculums are currently being offered at the Talented Sports Secondary School in Naxaithong district, Vientiane, and at Phonesavanh Secondary School under the National University of Laos. 

By Sangkhomsay Bubphanouvong
(Latest Update February 18, 2020)