Executive summary

Lao Peoples Democratic Republic is an ethnically diverse country with 6.5 million inhabitants
(National Statistics consensus, 2015). While recent years have seen rapid economic development 7% a
year, approximately 34 % of the population lives on less than $ 1.25 per day and the country has some of
the weakest education indicators in Asia. Lao PDR has a predominantly rural population, with 75% of the
population engaged in subsistence agriculture.
The Education Development Plan showed that the development of national education has made a
substantial progress. The number of children attending grade 1 primary school is 93.3 %, the net
enrollment rate in primary school is 96.4%, and the gross number of children enrolling in lower
secondary school is 69%. Furthermore, the gender equity in education has also shown gradual
improvement and the Gender Parity Index for children aged 6-10 is 0.98. Related to the Non-Formal
Education sector, the national literacy rate for 15-24 years old people were 71.5% and 83% for age 15
onwards in remote areas was in 2014. The number of vocational education and training schools, and
public as well as private higher education institutes grew rapidly. There has been a significant
improvement in resource flows over the past years; however, the gap between needs and resources
remains large. Approximately over 17 percent of the domestic investment budget is used for the
Education sector.
Despite the recent achievements in this sector, some challenges remain. The quantitative growth
of schools, classrooms, number of students and teachers has increased at all levels, including private
education. The expansion of early childhood education mostly took place in urban areas, whereas there
has been a slow or none expansion at all in the rural areas. Primary education continues to be
characterized by high repetition and dropout rates.
Vocational education is needed to help potential learners to recognize the reward of certain
careers, which can be achieved through technical and vocational training. Also, current developments
have shown that more skilled workers are needed. In order to response to the need of developing the
education sector, it is needed to develop a Lifelong Learning Policy on a national level that includes
various forms of learning. Since, Lifelong Learning Policy includes the overlying principles, guidelines,
organizational mechanisms and blueprints for the action of lifelong learning in the country. This
incorporates program development, capacity building, quality assurance, monitoring, and evaluation
pursuant to the over-all vision of the Education Law of Lao PDR to achieve high standards, world-class
quality, and sustainable education, with a focus on human resource development for its population. It has
to be ensured that all principles of inclusive education, especially human rights, child rights, gender
equality, equality among ethnic groups, and the equality of opportunity for people with disabilities, are

mainstreamed into all dimensions and levels of the education system; i.e., human resource development;
recruitment and promotion policies; the development of curricula and teaching-learning materials; and
school management and classroom practices by 2025. Lifelong education is a comprehensive and
visionary concept which includes formal, non-formal and informal learning throughout the lifespan of an
individual to attain the fullest possible development in personal, social and vocational and professional
life. It views education in its totality, and includes learning that occurs at home, school, community and
workplace, and through mass media and other situations and structures for acquiring and enhancing
knowledge, skills and attitudes.
LLL strategies and the components of the Lifelong learning policy have to combine into an
integrated and coherent system. Within this framework it should be possible to assess the outcomes,
individuals should draw a maximum benefit from his or her learning, which would be accredited and
certified, and issues of equality of opportunity to ensure the lifelong learning opportunities for everyone
should be addressed.
Lao PDR has conducted a national policy for Lifelong learning to cope with the growing of
Socio-Economic, however; there are some policies which are successfully been implemented, here are as
follows, mechanism to improve the reach to target beneficiaries policy, curriculum for special target
groups, promotion strategies to widen access among target groups of Lifelong learning, curricular reform,
staff development of lifelong learning teachers from the national, provincial to the district levels, literacy
and equivalency program. However, there are some barriers for other unsuccessful policies which have
not been mention above, the following are the barriers; the access of illiterate inhabitants, development of
quality education for illiterate target groups, teaching and learning materials for LLL, development of
curriculum and learning media and, sustainability of literacy skill and prevention of illiteracy relapse.
Therefore, this report focuses on the quality of Life through Lifelong Learning and LLL for
Socio-Economic Development in Lao PDR. It will also provide some information on the countrys
demographic profile and the accomplishments in the areas of education and its improvements. Moreover,
it will cover the policies which support lifelong learning such as the Education Law, Technical and
Vocational Education Training (TVET) Law, the decree on Higher education, Lifelong learning policy,
etc. A national dialogue to revive lifelong learning in Lao PDR will be introduced. Furthermore, it will
also highlight the successful policies and practices on Lifelong learning together with the issues and
challenges. Eventually, a consolidation and analysis of the highlights of the national
dialogue on lifelong learning will be presented as well as providing future directions,
the outcomes of successful practices, the achievements of those good practices and
recommendations for the country and for regional collaboration.