Lao
Summary
To be responsive to its new market-oriented economy and to improve the productivity of its people, improved education and human resource development are essential for the future of Lao PDR. Sparsely populated remote areas with the presence of many ethnic minorities present special challenges to Lao educators. Approximately 50 percent of the students entering grade one are being taught in a language that is not their native tongue. The rapid population growth in Lao will also put special pressures on its educational system. The Asian economic crisis of the late 1990s adversely affected the Lao government's financial capability to improve education. Despite these serious and persisting problems, Lao PDR has an excellent long-term future. The country has a strong sense of national identity and social cohesion, a favorable ratio of resources to people, a central location between China and Southeast Asia, rich ethnic diversity, positive informal education consisting of solid moral education and parenting, and the potential to leapfrog into the information technology arena. These important factors augur well for its long-term potential to develop its human resources and improve productivity.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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—Gerald W. Fry
Additional topics
Education - Free Encyclopedia Search EngineGlobal Education ReferenceLao - History Background, Constitutional Legal Foundations, Educational System—overview, Preprimary Primary Education, Secondary Education