Mr. Euang Lorsavanh, Director of Provincial Education and Sports Services of Luang Prabang province, representing the Ministry of Education and Sports and Mr. Olivier Franchi, Country Director of Save the Children Lao PDR, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the implementation of the BEQUAL NGO Consortium Project in Nambak district of Luang Prabang Province.
Basic Education Quality and Access in Lao PDR (BEQUAL) is a ten-year program led by the Governments of Lao PDR and Australia, with additional support from the European Union. BEQUAL will help an estimated 450,000 children receive a better quality education, with a particular focus on children who traditionally experience poorer education outcomes.
As part of the overall BEQUAL program, the BEQUAL NGO Consortium supports District Education and Sports Bureaus and Village Education Development Committees to promote participation and access to quality basic education.
The Consortium will deliver activities that aim to ensure that all children, particularly non-Lao speakers, girls and children with disabilities, in target schools in remote and rural locations, enrol in and complete a quality primary education, supported by their parents and communities. The activities are aligned and contribute to the eight Education Sector Development Plan. The Consortium comprises Plan International, Save the Children, Child Fund and World Vision.
Under the MoU signed today, Save the Children will start to implement activities in Nambak District of Luang Prabang Province. This is a two-year project supported by the Australian Government and the European Union with approximately USD 493,812 to promote education access and participation in 30 target schools. The activities will focus on addressing the quality of teaching of early reading and Lao language acquisition in schools, and enabling community engagement. It is expected that approximately 3,798 children, 71 teachers, 140 Village Education Development Committees, 4,000 parents and Education staffs from Provincial Education and Sports Services and District Education and Sports Bureau will benefit from the project.