BEQUAL is supporting the Ministry of Education and Sports to develop a new improved national primary curriculum with teaching and learning materials that are more gender sensitive and inclusive of disadvantaged groups. The new pedagogical approach is competency-based and student-centred. The curriculum renewal and development of associated textbooks and teacher guides are led by the Research Institute of Educational Sciences with technical assistance from BEQUAL.
The implementation of the new improved curriculum in primary schools will be progressive with one new grade per year and start in September 2019 with Grade 1.
The main activities include:
- Renewal of the primary curriculum framework, subject curricula and teaching and learning resources, including the pilot of an oral Lao Program in early years.
- Identification and capacity building of the curriculum writers from the Research Institute of Educational Sciences to develop the primary curriculum and materials.
- Production, printing and distribution of primary textbooks and teacher guides. The 8,600 primary schools in Lao PDR will receive a complete set of textbooks per student per grade and a complete set of teacher guides for all subjects taught in primary education.
- Creation and distribution of Teacher Resource Packs for use in the classroom including educational resources such as story books, graded reading books, posters and flash cards.
- Capacity building of the Ministry of Education and Sports to monitor and assess the design and quality of the new curriculum materials.