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Higher Education in Laos

On this page I am including some photos taken at the National University of Laos and the Teacher Training Colleges at Luang Prabang, Phonsovanh and Savannakhet. Last summer my friend Bob Phillips and I met in Laos for two weeks and went back to each college and the university and met with administrators to plan for the fall and summer tours. This was my first time visiting the National University of Laos in Dongdok and the Teacher Training Colleges in Luang Prabang and Phonsovanh. I was extremely impressed with the dedication of each Director and his staff and their willingness to work with us. Lao PDR is in the process of modernizing each campus and the photos you see below show new buildings at each site. On the Phonsovanh campus, which is located in Xieng Khouang Province, they're still in the process of removing UXO which may not be completed before students return this September. As an educator who has a Master of Library Science degree and Library Media Teaching credential, I was particularly interested in seeing the libraries and English Language Resource Centers.

Much of the funding for Centers has come from Official Development Assistance (ODA), with Australia being the primary bilateral donor. Even with their support, none of the Centers have computers, each Center only has one VCR and TV including a video collection of 20-30 video tapes, each has approximately 10 listening stations with a minimum collection of instructional tapes, and each has an odd assortment of instructional and trade books. It's hard to believe that these Centers serve a campus of 400-500 students. The English teachers we met with that run these Centers are passionate in their desire to teach English and realize that they could be so much more effective if they only had the resources to meet the needs of their students. They themselves have overcome incredible odds to become college teachers, but with the demand to learn English being so great, the lack of resources has become an overriding concern. Plus, at the current exchange rate of 9300 kip to $1 (8/15/99) teachers are earning a salary of only $11, 100,000 kip a month, and find surviving on a teacher's salary extremely difficult. A low salary, plus a lack of teaching resources is driving many good teachers out of the profession. I would like to bring groups of teachers to Laos to help develop an awareness of issues facing Lao educators and hope that ways of providing needed support will evolve.

	A view of the distant administration building at Phonsovanh Teacher Training College from the library where you can see some students studying. The field in front of the Administration building is still in the process of being de-mined. They would like to develop this field into a sports field and complex as students now have no where to go. There is no gym or sports equiptment, nor is there money budgeted, and the administrative staff would like to see a donor work with them in financing at least a rudimentary sports program for their students.
	The front of the Administration building at Phonsovanh Teacher Training College. The director is in the light blue shirt.
	The Director of the Luang Prabang Teacher Training College looking out on his campus.
	This is an insert I designed to include in letters I'm sending to corporations and businesses to see if they would be willing to donate resources to Teacher Training Colleges in Lao PDR.
	This is Mr. Khamphoune, Director of the Teacher Training College in Savannakhet. When we were there in late June he was preparing to take a test for an English Course he was taking that was being given to government officials. One of the assignments was for participants to write their address in English and a composition about themselves and then write letters to each other in English. He was eager to show us his address and was proud of his newly acquired English skills.
	The Director of the Savannakhet Teacher Training College and English teacher looking over the English Language Resource Center.
	This is a shot of the library at the National University of Laos. As you can see there are mostly tables and open space and very few books.
	This is a photo of Mr. Siri Souvannasy, Head of the Department of English at the National Univerisity of Laos and myself. Bob and I dropped in unanounced after meeting over a lunch of fer with Mr. Aloun Silattanakoun, Vice Dean in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Mr. Siri was gracious enough to meet with us for over two hours. I was extremely impressed with Mr. Siri and he is obviously committed to ensuring the best education possible for Lao NUOL students. I look forward to working with him and building connections between Lao and American educators that will prove to be beneficial for both countries.