Lao - Constitutional & Legal Foundations

A major area of change after 1975 was in language reform, which simplified the Lao language to differentiate it more from Thai and to facilitate literacy among the people. The basic principles underlying these changes were articulated in a major policy volume titled simply Lao Grammar, written by a key intellectual, Phoumi Vongvichit. Actually, the Lao PDR constitution was not promulgated until August 14, 1991. Article 19 of the constitution states the legal foundations for the Lao educational system. The article emphasizes knowledge creation, patriotism, cultural preservation, ethnic harmony, and empowerment of the masses. It makes primary schooling compulsory, authorizes private schools that utilize the state curricula, and emphasizes the provision of educational services to ethnic minorities.