Laos

Introduction

The only landlocked country in Southeast Asia, Laos sits between the Mekong River and Thailand on the west and Vietnam on the east. In 1975, the Pathet Lao (Nation Lao) ended six centuries of monarchical rule when they triumphed in the revolution that established the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

Since the revolution, years of isolation and economic deprivation have also hindered the Communist state. Today it is one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world. Laos is composed of mostly mountainous, unspoiled tropical forests. Little of the land is arable, and only 5% of the land is used for the subsistence agriculture that employs four-fifths of the population. (1) Rice is the most commonly produced crop followed by corn, other vegetables, tobacco, coffee, and other foods. Although the government attempts to eradicate the trade, Laos is one of the biggest producers of opium, and many farmers have no other source of income.

In 1986, the Communist government began to allow privatization, which is slowly leading to economic development. Although poverty has been reduced by 8% in the last ten years, still more than three quarters of Laotians work in bleak manual labor, existing on less than US$2 per day. (2) More recently, the government has been pursuing economic reform, mostly through attracting foreign investors, and political reform, but with limited progress. Rural areas still have no electricity or potable water, and none of the basic facilities of developed societies. No railroad system, few roads, and limited telecommunication result in a nearly non-existent national infrastructure. Children suffer the most in such deprivation.

Educational Challenges

Historically, only one ethnic group, the Lao Loum, relied on formal education. Consequently, most other groups had no written language. Most education took place in Buddhist wats, or temples, where monks taught male students. During their occupancy, the French established a secondary system in the French language, that produced a small group of elite, well-educated Laotians. The Pathet Lao provided Lao language instruction beginning in the 1950's. In a government-led effort to increase literacy, Lao was simplified to render the language more accessible and egalitarian. Although literacy is on the rise, the lack of available reading material means that literacy is often short-lived. It is still rare to see a book in rural villages. In addition, teachers are paid irregularly which means that they must work for income elsewhere and often provide only a few hours of instruction a day.

Educational indicators in Laos are dramatically low and represent one of the main bottlenecks in sustainable development and poverty reduction. Insufficient classrooms, the lack of textbooks, educational supplies, teachers' books, and the lack of libraries are the main constraints in basic primary education. According to government policy, the state provides free education through secondary school. The lack of schools and trained teachers, however, hampers this effort. In addition, parents require their children to work on their family's farm rather than attend school regularly. Thus, a quality education is prohibited from both sides of the equation. Currently, 77% of Laotian men are literate, while only 60% of women can read and write. (2) The people of Laos want and seek more access to education for their children.

Room to Read's Role

The Laos team works in partnership with the Lao government and key NGO's to address the lack of educational infrastructure in Laos. Local to Laos, our team speaks the language, knows the customs and laws, and understands the issues surrounding the implementation of our various programs.

In conjunction with The Ministry of Education and The Department of General Education, we started by implementing three of our programs: the School Room, Reading Room, and Local Language Publishing Programs. Room to Read Laos has since added the Girls' Education Program as well. Our local team in Laos will expand geographically and will add programs over time as they see a strategic need.

Programs & Results

Room to Read Laos has made great strides and continues to work diligently to increase educational opportunities to its fellow countrymen. The following table highlights our team's success to date and our short-term goals.

Room to Read Laos - In Detail

(1) BBC News Country Profile

(2) Human Development Report - Lao