Vocational training students get lessons on gender, sexual issues

The government and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) are providing comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) courses for students at technical and vocational education training (TVET) centres.
Class participants will discuss gender equality, healthy relationships, reproductive health, family planning, decision making, communication skills, and effective use of information and communication technology.
The curriculum is in line with the life skills education manual adopted from international CSE standards and endorsed by the Ministry of Education and Sports.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of a week-long course on sexuality issues, Deputy Director of technical and vocational education training at Bokeo TVET College, Mr Khamsao Xayphanya, said that with age-appropriate knowledge and essential life skills, comprehensive sexuality education will help students to develop positive attitudes and values, which are as equally important as vocational skills.
He said he was committed to making the courses available to new students enrolled at the college. To ensure the initiative is sustainable, Bokeo TVET College has pledged to contribute 30 percent of the financing required to provide courses to 300 student interns at the beginning of 2020, and to 500 newly enrolled students at the end of the year.
The Ministry of Education and Sports has included CSE as an important component in the national education development plan. Following the rolling out of the course in Bokeo, more resources will be mobilised to scale up the initiative nationwide to cover all TVET students in Laos. 
A manual was developed in line with international technical guidance on sexuality education, taking into account the successful experiences of neighbouring countries and the local context in Laos.
With support from the UNFPA, over 25,000 students at 45 secondary schools in five districts of Bokeo province and over 7,500 students at eight teacher training colleges received comprehensive sexuality education using teachers’ guidebooks.                
Many of the students come from marginalised poor communities from rural areas and ethnic groups. With limited access to information and services on reproductive health and essential life skills, TVET students are more vulnerable to falling into the traps of early pregnancy, child marriage, and gender-based violence.
Young people under the age of 25 make up more than half of the total population in Laos. With proper investment in their health, education, and employment, they can be the driving force for the country to achieve sustainable development.
But, as elsewhere, young people in Laos face numerous risks and challenges. Despite the remarkable progress made, among girls aged 10-19, nearly 1 in 5 are married, 1 in 10 have begun childbearing, and more than 1 in 20 have dropped out of school.

By Phetphoxay Sengpaseuth
(Latest Update February 13, 2020)