Author Description

In order to achieve the EFA (Education For All) goal agreed by participating nations at the Dakar World Education Forum 2000, The Lao government has undertaken various studies for its "National Plan of Action for Education for All." Lao is an inland mountainous nation with 49 ethnic groups. Such diversity makes the provision of social services and education more difficult. The report uses statistical findings such as demography, economy, poverty, literacy rate, and school enrollment to illustrate the problems currently affecting provision of education in Lao to the disadvantaged groups, including the economically inactive, female, ethnic groups, and those living in remote regions. The report samples current projects designed for the disadvantaged groups on non-formal education, both skill development and community learning, and provides insights into the prospects of changes and improvement. (Contains 11 maps, 11 figures, and 9 tables.) [This document was published by the UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education.].