The Australian Embassy, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Sports of Laos, visited Savannakhet Province last week to monitor the progress of the BEQUAL program. This initiative, funded by the Australian Government and USAID, aims to improve education quality and expand access to schooling in Laos, particularly in rural areas.
The visit focused on assessing the progress of the BEQUAL program, which works to enhance teacher training and improve student outcomes across the country. Key highlights included a visit to the Teacher Training College (TTC) in Savannakhet, which is set to become a central hub for teacher professional development in the region. The college staff showcased their ongoing efforts to improve teaching standards and their commitment to fostering educational growth in local schools.
The BEQUAL program is part of a broader initiative to address the challenges faced by Laos’ education system. One of its core goals is the introduction of a school-based Continuous Professional Development (CPD) system, which is being piloted in 30 target districts, including Savannakhet. This new system is designed to provide teachers with flexible, ongoing training that aligns with their specific needs, ultimately leading to better teaching and improved learning outcomes for students.
Phase One and Phase Two
In the first phase of the BEQUAL program (2015-2022), the focus was on enhancing in-service teacher training. This included updates to the national primary curriculum and improvements to the pre-service teacher diploma program to better align with the revised standards. Support was also provided to the Research Institute for Educational Sciences and the Department of Teacher Education to ensure that teacher training programs across Laos met the country’s educational needs.
The second phase of the program, which began in July 2022 initially until June 2026, is centered on refining the CPD system to make it more adaptable and responsive to teachers’ needs. The involvement of Teacher Training Colleges and District Education and Sports Bureaus is critical to this phase, as they will play a leading role in delivering professional development at the local level. The aim is to create a sustainable, teacher-driven model that can be scaled across Laos in the coming years.
Local stakeholders, including teachers and education officials, have expressed strong support for the program, acknowledging its positive impact on both teaching practices and student learning.
The visit to Savannakhet is part of the Australian Embassy’s annual monitoring efforts to track the progress of the BEQUAL program and identify areas for further improvement.
