Laos has made steady progress in expanding access to schooling and achieving nearly universal primary education in the last decade. However, the majority of children still leave primary education without mastering basic competencies required for a skilled workforce that the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) needs to graduate from Least Developed Country (LDC) status and be economically competitive with other ASEAN countries. 

USAID partners with the Government of Laos to improve the education outcomes of Lao children, particularly the most marginalized girls and boys. USAID also supports the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) to mitigate the impact of, and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic through education system strengthening and capacity development at national and sub-national levels. 

USAID is expanding support to higher education institutions through a new collaboration with universities across Laos and the private sector to build a skilled workforce, improve research, and strengthen organizational capacity development. USAID also builds partnerships with U.S. universities and the region to increase local capacity and expand research and education opportunities for higher education students and faculties.

PROJECTS

Learn to Read: Helps Lao children from pre-primary through second grade to improve reading skills, with a particular focus on non-Lao-speaking children and children with disabilities. Learn to Read provides training, and teaching and learning materials to help teachers conduct more interactive and inclusive lessons while engaging with caregivers to help children learn to read at home.

All Children Learning: Improving Education Outcomes for Children in Lao PDR, Especially the Most Disadvantaged: Supports recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic in the education sector as well as associated systems strengthening. A nationwide approach to improving quality and access to Early Childhood Education (ECE) will support the recovery of the education sector from the impact of the pandemic through more equitable policies, sustained investments, and improved capacity of teachers, ECE facilitators, village leaders, education officials, and parents to support Lao children’s learning and development.

Applied Nutrition Research Capacity Building in Laos: Supports the Government of Laos to develop Lao academics and research leaders through engagement and partnership with Purdue and Indiana Universities. This activity improves research capacity in Laos to identify and address drivers of poor linear growth and stunting. 

Local Solutions Support/The Study and Modeling of Management Capacity and System Strengthening (SMCS) Project: Provides strategic, systematic, and measurable approaches to organizational capacity development, for increased leadership by local partners in determining development priorities and delivering effective localized responses.