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UNESCO PROGRAMMES IN LAO PDRAbout UNESCO Community Learning Centres Promotion of Basic Education for Children with Special Needs
The UNESCO office in Bangkok was established in 1961 as the Asian Regional Office for Primary and Compulsory Education. The Office was later extended to cover all divisions of the education sector and the countries of the Pacific region. Further growth included the incorporation of activities relating to the culture, communication and social science sectors, which led to the eventual renaming of the office to PROAP (Principal Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific) in 1987. Today, PROAP is the site of regional programmes for Education, Culture, Social and Human Sciences and Communication/Information/Informatics throughout Asia and the Pacific. There are also suppport services or units such as the PROAP Information Programmes and Services, the Office of Public Information, the Publications Unit and the Administration Office. PROAP is thus mandated to be the principal regional focal point for these areas of competence, serving as a forum for common issues, as a channel through which information, expertise and extra-budgetary opportunities can be made available to Member States, and as a base for the major networks of the region. PROAP is also the officially designated UNESCO representative office to Japan, Lao DPR, Myanmar, Republic of Korea and Thailand, with responsibility for UNESCO programmes in these countries. PROAP works closely with the thirteen field offices which have been established across the Asia-Pacific region to service the growing needs of the world's most populated region. Covering programmes in all UNESCO's spheres of competence, PROAP's activities have contributed to the creation of an interacting community of scholars and mosaic of networks throughout the Asia-Pacific region. More detailed information about UNESCO PROAP can be accessed through its website: http://www.unescobkk.org The basic mission of PROAP, as UNESCO's regional office serving the 43 Members States in Asia and the Pacific, is to: In articulating its mission, PROAP recognizes the immense size of the Asia-Pacific region, including 63 per cent of the world's population, and its diversity and cultural pluralism, with its great potential and its persistent problems. It is committed to consolidating the dynamism and recent economic growth the region has experienced, but recognizes its ethical mission to complement this growth by addressing the threats to the peace, security and equitable development of this region: a widening disparity of opportunity, wealth, and empowerment, between and within nations, leading to social injustice, discrimination, and deprivation of human rights; and an alarming degradation in the quality of individual lives, of communities and societies, and of natural environments in many areas of the region.
In Lao PDR, pilot CLCs were set up in Luang Nam Tha Province in 1990 with the support of UNESCO. Since then, additional CLCs have been set up with the support of various international NGOs and UN agencies. During the initial phase of development, a variety of CLC models were tested to help identify the best and most effective models to replicate. Currently, over 170 CLCs are promoting literacy, continuing education and vocational training programmes in sixteen of the eighteen provinces in the country. The National Education Policy, which was adopted in 1999, and the Rural Development Policy set the establishment of CLCs in Lao PDR as one of the priotities of the national government. Most CLCs have targeted very poor ethnic minority groups and women, both of whom make up the majority of Lao PDR's high illiterate population. The APPEAL CLC project is supporting the national effort to improve the quality of personnel and activities related to CLCs. In 1999, orientation workshops for community leaders, volunteer teachers and district/provincial NFE officials were organized in four regions and reference books for them were developed. The project is also supporting two pilot CLCs in Saysomboune Special Zone, where most of the population has been relocated from mountainous areas and the literacy rate is only 43%.
Promotion of Basic Education for Children with Special Needs In 1993, a project to promote integrated schooling in Lao PDR was implemented by the Ministry of Education and Save the Children Fund UK with support from UNESCO Principal Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (PROAP). A primary school in Vientiane Prefecture was designated as a pilot school and twelve children with special needs were integrated into the school. UNESCO's Special Needs in the Classroom Resource Pack was used to train the teachers. Since this establishment of the first pilot school, Ministry of Education and Save the Children has continued their efforts to provide education for children with special needs. The projects have focused not only on integration of the children with special needs but on providing a quality education to all children regardless of their differences, thereby taking an inclusive education approach. They have set a goal to expand inclusive schooling project in all provinces throughout the country (16 provinces, 1 prefecture and 1 special zone) by the year 2001. In order to achieve this goal, implementation teams have been set up at both national and provincial level (PITs). UNESCO has also continued to provide support for inclusive education in Lao PDR. A capacity building project was implemented in 1997-98. In 1999, Asia-Pacific Programme of Education for All (APPEAL) section of PROAP launched a two-year regional project “Promotion of Basic Education for Children with Special Needs” with funding from the Japanese Funds in Trust. Lao PDR is one of the eight countries in the region that are participating in this project. Within the framework this regional project, Lao PDR has been focusing on the capacity building of the PITs. Establishment of strong provincial implementation teams (PITs) is essential for the local management of the project. Each team consists of key personnel such as local education authorities, school administrators and physiotherapists. PITs will take initiatives in conducting training workshops, monitoring and further expanding the project in their respective provinces. It was evident, however, that PITs not confident in their capacity to taken on such initiatives. With the support from UNESCO, training workshops have been organized for the PIT members. A review meeting was also held in November 2000 in which the members of PIT as well as national implementation teams gathered to share their experiences of the implementation of the project and to revise their project management guidelines based on that. As the results of the continued efforts of project personnel including school teachers guided by PITs, the number of inclusive schools increased from 65 to 78 in 12 provinces over two years. The number of children with disabilities attending mainstream schools grew from 505 to over 600 mainstream schools. The success of the project is not only evident in quantitative terms. Parents of both disabled and non-disabled children support the idea of inclusive schooling. There is a trend now for parents to put their children into inclusive schools because of their reputations for quality education. Perhaps one of the most rewarding indicator for the project personnel is the fact that during project monitoring by UNESCO, many students with special needs in inclusive schools expressed their wishes to become school teachers when asked about their future dreams. Lao project representatives have participated in PROAP's regional workshops conducted in Thailand, China and India. During the workshops, PROAP has facilitated sharing of experiences and exchange ideas among the countries participating in the “Promotion of Basic Education for Children with Special Needs”. Now PROAP regional project is about to enter a new phase where there would be a stronger emphasis on the enhancement of the quality of education through inclusive schooling. The Lao PDR has participated in the EFA 2000 Assessment exercise, and prepared a country EFA report describing progress in achieving the national EFA goals and targets. Various donor agencies such as UNESCO, UNICEF, UNDP supported the assessment financially and through technical assistance in 1999/2000. Findings from the EFA Assessment was that data and information regarding the status of literacy in Lao PDR was weak and not sufficient for the government and donor agencies to identify the needs and agree on appropriate actions to support EFA in the area of literacy. A national literacy survey was seen as urgency to assess the country's literacy status and design adequate EFA policies in the context of a national EFA plan of action by 2002. To fulfill the above-mentioned gap, a nation-wide “literacy survey” is undertaken in Laos with the financial assistance from UNICEF and technical assistance from UNESCO. Planning and Sector Analysis Unit, UNESCO PROAP is providing technical assistance to the Non-Formal Education Department of the Ministry of Education which is the main national agency to implement this activity. The project has started November 2000 and expected to complete in September 2001. The Lao national literacy survey is expected to provide reliable baseline information to estimate the proportion of literates in the population as input to be used for preparing a national policy and strategy for non-formal education. The major outputs of the survey include: reliable literacy rates by various categories such as by age by sex; by major ethnic groups; by urban/rural location and by income group at the national level as well as provincial level. Vocational Training and Weaving Business
The project aims to revive traditional weaving skills and provide further opportunities for poor families to improve their standards of living through production and sale of traditional handicraft. The target groups of participants were young women from thirty-six poor families from Hongsa district and forty-three poor families from Samakhisy district. The Lao Women's Union (LWU) is co-operating with us in these projects. The duration of the first phase of the activities was 1999 – 2000; the second phase will start in this year at Hongsa district with the different villages.
HIV/AIDS Prevention The Education, Culture and Social Sciences units at PROAP are jointly involved in a project “Prevention of HIV/AIDS among Ethnic Minorities of the Upper Mekong region through Community-based Non-formal and formal Education”. This project is being carried out in three countries – Lao PDR, China and Thailand – and funded by the Japanese Funds in Trust. So far in Lao the orientation workshop has been held in Luang Namtha province to discuss the project background, objectives and modalities of implementation with relevant partners. The participants of the workshop included government officials both at national, provincial and district levels, HIV/AIDS specialists working at community level, and other relevant people and NGOs dealing with HIV/AIDS in Luang Namtha.The Lao National Commission for UNESCO is a co-operating agency. The first phase started in the year 2000 and the second phase will start this year. The Culture Unit in PROAP is involved in Lao PDR cultural activities through the following projects:
Cultural survival in Luang Prabang which is aimed at revitalising traditional temple arts and building crafts in the province The inscription of Luang Prabang onto the World Heritage List in December 1995, has led to a renewed sense of vigor on the part of local people and monks to restore and care for their community and temple complexes. Unfortunately however, their attention is often misplaced. Young monks, sometimes assisted by community members, can be seen at many temples pouring cement, whitewashing over walls with mural paintings and repairing roofs with tiles purchased from Bangkok. “Cultural Survival in Luang Prabang” aims to restore within communities the traditional skills needed to care for, preserve and conserve temples in Luang Prabang by establishing non-formal training for monks - a monk's school - in traditional arts and crafts.
The Role of Local Communities in Culturally and Ecologically Sustainable Tourism Luang Namtha Province, Lao PDR – Formulated by the Ministry of Trade, Lao PDR and UNESCO, this project aims to develop sustainable cultural and ecotourism models in Luang Namtha, a northern province in the Lao PDR, bordering China and Myanmar. Luang Namtha's environmental, social, cultural, historical and developmental factors make the region an excellent location to evaluate the potential for sustainable cultural and ecotourism in and around a protected area. The Namtha project addresses the urgent need to preserve the region's environment and cultural heritage within an economically viable framework.
During the course of the project a management plan for tourism development in the Nam Ha Biodiversity Conservation Area and the historical town of Muang Sing will be created which:
The primary implementing agency for this project is the National Tourism Authority of the Lao PDR with cooperation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Department of Protected areas and Watershed Management, and the Ministry of Information and Culture. The Culture Sector of UNESCO is working together with these agencies to provide technical assistance and monitoring. Vat Phou – Capacity Building in Cultural Resource Management through Preparation of Conservation and Management Master Plan for the Preservation of the Champasak Heritage and Cultural Landscape Protection Zone The ancient monument complex of Vat Phou is an important example of both early and classical Khmer architecture and dates from the 7th to the 12th centuries. While the 1,000 year old mountain temple is the most well-known of the archaeological sites in Champasak, it is only one component of a rich cultural landscape which, in addition to other monuments and temples and an Ancient Road to Angkor, contains the archaeological remains of two ancient urban settlements. These settlements, now identified as Shrestrapura (5th –7th century) and Lingapura (9th – 13th century), represent the earliest known and studied examples of urban planning in Southeast Asia. The Vat Phou project was designed to improve understanding of the archaeology of the area, to produce a management plan and, most importantly, to improve the site management capacities of the Laotian national staff through training and through working with international experts. Work also included expanded archaeological survey and mapping work as well as production of a consolidated GIS database of known features and archaeology. The recently completed Champasak Heritage Management Plan guides research, conservation and development at Vat Phou and in the surrounding archaeological landscape and provides strategies for doing so in the face of increasing tourism and economic development pressures. The Government of the Lao PDR officially adopted the Management Plan in September 1998. The Management Plan is based on the most current knowledge of the area, which has increased significantly as a result of the recent research there. Much of this research used non-invasive techniques such as aerial photo-interpretation, field surveys, geophysical prospecting, and geomorphology. One outgrowth of the project is to be the establishment of a Centre of Excellence at the Vat Phou management office. This Centre will be a field demonstration and training facility providing training in these techniques to regional site managers, greatly increasing local cultural resource management capacity. Following the UNESCO-Lao Project at Vat Phou from 1996-1999 funded by the Japanese and Italian Governments respectively and the successful completion of a Management Plan for the site, the nomination for the inscription of the site on the World Heritage List – Vat Phou and Associated Ancient Settlements within the Champasak Cultural Landscape was completed to meet the deadline of 1 July 2000.
Technology in the Service of Archaeology: the UNESCO-Lao Project to Safeguard the Plain of Jars The UNESCO-LAO Project to Safeguard the Plain of Jars is a comprehensive effort to protect and rehabilitate the Xieng Khouang Plateau area. Thousands of prehistoric stone jars, many of huge, megalithic proportions, are found located in clusters across the Xieng Khouang Plateau, 1000 meters above sea level in north-central Lao PDR. To date, more than 40 jar fields have been identified, usually situated on promontories and other strategically high places. Some sites contain more than 250 individual jars. .What is certain are that the Plain of Jars is one of the most important sites for studying the late prehistory of mainland Southeast Asia . What also is certain is that today, in spite of its importance, the Plain of Jars is one of the world's most endangered archaeological sites. The recently initiated UNESCO-LAO Project to Safeguard the Plain of Jars will remove the danger of unexploded ordnance, help to rehabilitate the plateau's agricultural land and identify priority areas for protection for archaeological research and tourism development. One of the principal tools used for this work is a precise GIS (geographical information system) map of the Plain of Jars. The GIS map will provide vital information for de-mining operations as well as the geo-coding of archaeological resources. The map will also provide the basis of a culture resource management plan for the province of Xieng Khouang which will facilitate the nomination of the Plain of Jars to the UNESCO World Heritage List, thus effectively placing the site under permanent international protection. To accomplish these tasks, the UNESCO-LAO team is undertaking to map every square meter of the plateau using remote sensing technology and computerized geographical information systems (GIS). Data concerning known aerial bombardments and areas which have already been cleared of UXO, are incorporated in the GIS database. Field survey teams from each village and district then set out to locate all jar fields and other ancient sites. In each location they establish permanent geodetic control points which link the archaeological sites into the GIS data base. These sites are scheduled for priority UXO clearance. Closely following the clearance teams, archaeologists working with the local survey teams determine the precise location and dimension of each individual jar and include this geo-coded information into the GIS data base. The result, when completed, will be a composite, computer-based, three-dimensional map of the entire Plain of Jars. This map will serve as the principal planning tool for future development in Xieng Khouang. It will both guide archaeological research and tourism development in the Plain of Jars as well as integrate agricultural land rehabilitation and new settlements into this ancient land.
The Nam Ha Ecotourism Project is being implemented by the National Tourism Authority of the Lao PDR with co-operation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Division of Forest Resource Conservation and the Ministry of Information and Culture. The UNESCO Office of the Regional Advisor for Culture in Asia and the Pacific is the executing agency, providing technical assistance and monitoring. The project is generously funded by a grant from the Government of New Zealand. Project Objectives
The Communication/Information sector has assisted Lao PDR in building national capacity in various areas from computerizing film archive databases to the application of new information technologies in library and information services as well as mobilizing organizations in the country to host regional meetings and training courses. For example, UNESCO provided some funds to help computerize the film and AV materials database of the National Film, Archive and Video Center through training courses on cataloguing and the use of CDS/ISIS in building and maintaining archive database for documentary heritage materials. The training involved participants from Xienkuang, Huaphanh, Phongsaly, Luangnamtha and Borkeo. To provide an understanding of the electronic library system and information services for librarians, information managers and subject specialists and the use of ICT in library work, UNESCO and the Science and technology Environment Agency (STEA) organized a Training of Trainers Course in the application of ICT in library and information science last October 2000. Lao PDR also joined the 12 pilot countries selected by UNESCO to test the modules and teachers' and students' guides dealing with library automation and ICT for developing countries. It has also mobilized the Center of Scientific and Technological Information (CSTI) in organizing a Regional Seminar/Workshop on Information and Communication Technologies and Knowledge Management attended by 14 countries from Asia and the Pacific as well as the 12th ASTINFO Consultative Meeting participated by national representatives from 14 countries who came up with a two-year work plan on the role and use of information in science and technology programmes. PROAP Information Programmes and Services (PIPS) The PIPS has provided the following assistance to Lao PDR:
Regional HQ Asia-Pacific Centre of Educational Innovation for Development http://www.unescobkk.org/infores Virtual Library http://www.unescobkk.org/infores/pips/pinf.htm PROAP INFORMATION PROGRAMMES AND SERVICES http://www.unescobkk.org/infores Communication and Informatics http://www.unescobkk.org/culture/index.htm Culture http://www.unescobkk.org/culture/index.shtml Social and Human Science programmes in the Asia-Pacific region http://www.unescobkk.org/rushap/index.htm Asia-Pacific Programme of Education for All http://www.unescobkk.org/appeal/index.htm Education http://www.unescobkk.org/aceid/index.htm |
