Ministry of Education and Sports of Lao PDR and Australia develop the third episode of the national education promotion campaign

This week, the Ministry of Education and Sports of Lao PDR (MoES), with support from the Australian Government through the BEQUAL program, started filming the third episode of their innovative national education promotion campaign. Led by the Research Institute of Educational Sciences (RIES) under MoES, the campaign aims to inspire the community and transform perceptions and attitudes towards education across Laos.

Mr. Souksakhone Sipaseuth, Director of Information Media Center highlighted the campaign’s goals: “Our goal is to showcase the immense value of education and the crucial role teachers play in shaping Laos’ future. Right now, our education system faces several challenges: students are leaving school early because they don’t see its benefits. There is a prevailing belief that education doesn’t guarantee employment. Parents, who themselves might have limited schooling experience, share those doubts. If unaddressed, this could lead to a generation with limited skills, fewer job opportunities and slower economic growth. This is why, with the invaluable support of Australia, we launched this campaign to promote education. This third video especially encourages students to continue their study beyond primary school, and places special emphasis on the sciences.”

Ms Vanessa Hegarty, First Secretary, Australian Embassy, explained the campaign’s core purpose: “We are tackling the critical issue of declining school attendance and growing parental doubts about the value of education. Through authentic storytelling and active community involvement, we want to motivate young people to stay in school and help parents recognise the lifelong advantages education provides. The Australian Government is honoured to provide financial and technical support to the Ministry to produce this series of four compelling videos designed to shift mindsets around education.”