Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone delivers a message at the start of the new school year on Tuesday. --Photo Prime Minister’s Office

PM calls for united effort to improve education as new school year begins

The Prime Minister has called on all sectors of society to work together to improve the standard of education, reduce the school dropout rate, and ensure that every child completes compulsory education.
In a message to mark the start of the 2026-27 school year on Tuesday, Dr Sonexay Siphandone said education and human resource development were among the Party and government’s highest priorities and were key foundations for national socio-economic development.
He called on education authorities, teachers, parents, students and society as a whole to join forces to address continuing challenges, including the high number of student dropouts, teacher shortages, and the need to increase enrolment in vocational and higher education.
The Prime Minister said the Party and government place education ahead of other areas of work and want people to be at the centre of development.
Education equips people with knowledge, skills, moral values, good physical and mental health, and a scientific and progressive outlook, thereby helping to build a quality workforce capable of meeting the country’s development needs, he said.
Despite economic and other difficulties affecting the country during the past academic year, the education, science and sports sectors had made determined efforts to implement development plans and made progress in a number of areas.
These include improvements to educational infrastructure, the provision of school lunches for preschool and general education students in remote areas, expansion of non-formal education, and increased subsidies and allowances for students at various levels.
Efforts had also been made to improve teaching standards and a national conference of education administrators had set eight key directions as a basis for improving education, science and sports work during the 2025-26 academic year.
Dr Sonexay said these efforts had been reflected in students’ academic performance, while a number of students had achieved notable success in regional and international competitions.
The Prime Minister praised the Ministry of Education and Sports, local authorities, education administrators, teachers, students, parents and public and private organisations for their contributions to education development.
He also thanked development partners, friendly countries, international organisations and non-governmental organisations for their continued support.
Looking ahead, the Prime Minister called on education, science and sports administrators at all levels to shoulder more responsibility and ensure that educational institutions operate effectively.
Schools should promote sports, arts and cultural activities and create a positive learning environment that encourages students to attend school and devote more time to their studies, he said.
Teachers were urged to act more professionally and ethically, improve lesson preparation and adopt new teaching methods to make learning more engaging.
The Prime Minister also appealed to parents to ensure that children of school age attend school and complete the compulsory level of education, so they are equipped to undergo vocational training or higher education.
Students, meanwhile, were encouraged to study diligently both in and outside the classroom, improve their discipline and sense of responsibility, and strive to become good students, children and citizens.
The Prime Minister further called on Party and state organisations, mass organisations, parent associations, education development committees, communities, private schools, businesses and other sectors of society to contribute according to their respective roles. All sectors should help create an environment in which young people understand the importance and benefits of education and recognise learning as a shared responsibility of society, he said.
Through the collective efforts of everyone involved, Dr Sonexay expressed confidence that the new school year would be successful and deliver further progress in the education sector.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update September 2, 2026)