Education Sector Development Framework Sector Study …

Lao PDR ESDF Sector Study: Human Resource Management

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Education Sector Development Framework Sector Study

Human Resource Management

ADB ADVISORY TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

TA 4907-LAO

LAO PDR: SECTOR-WIDE APPROACH

IN EDUCATION SECTOR DEVELOPMENT

John Dewar Wilson Khamhoung Sacklokham

July 2009

Cambridge Education Ltd Ministry of Education

Burapha Development Consultants Co Ltd Lao PDR


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"This document has been prepared for the titled project or named part thereof and should not be relied on or used for any other project without an independent check being carried out as to its suitability and prior written authority of Cambridge Education (CE) being obtained. Cambridge Education accepts no responsibility or liability for the consequences of this document being used for a purpose other than the purpose for which it was commissioned. Any person using or relying on the document for such other purposes agrees, and will by such use and reliance be taken to confirm his agreement to indemnify Cambridge Education. (CE) for all loss and damage resulting there from. Cambridge Education (CE) accepts no responsibility or liability for this document to any party other than the person by whom it was commissioned."

"To the extent that this report is based on information supplied by other parties, Cambridge Education (CE) accepts no liability for any loss or damage suffered by the client, whether contractual or tortuous, stemming from any conclusions based on data supplied by parties other than Cambridge Education (CE) and used by Cambridge Education (CE) in preparing this report."


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS.....................................................................................................5

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .........................................................................................................8

1.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................11

1.1 TERMS OF REFERENCE..........................................................................................11 1.1.1 TOR 1: Review previous institutional capacity building activities and identify

reasons behind limited impact so far achieved........................................................11 1.1.2 TOR 2: Assist MoE Organizational Improvement Committee (OIC)

to develop policies to improve impact of capacity building (CB)..............................12 1.1.3 TOR 3: Review the efficiency of Teacher Education Institutions (TEI)

and Higher Education Institutions (HEI) including scholarships. .............................13

1.2 HR TERMS AND THEIR MEANING IN LAO PDR.....................................................16 1.2.1 Human Resource Development (HRD)....................................................................16 1.2.2 Human Resource Management (HRM) ...................................................................16 1.2.3 Continuing professional development (CPD)...........................................................17 1.2.4 Capacity building (CB) and capacity development (CD)..........................................17

1.3 CONCLUSION ...........................................................................................................17

2.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................18

2.1 THE SITUATION OF EDUCATION IN LAO PDR......................................................18 2.1.1 Access .....................................................................................................................18 2.1.2 Access to educational opportunity ...........................................................................18

2.2 ACCESS TO EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN THE EDUCATION SERVICE..22 2.2.1 Access to a civil service teaching position ...............................................................22 2.2.2 Promotion within primary teaching...........................................................................23 2.2.3 Promotion as a Pedagogical Adviser (PA)...............................................................24 2.2.4 Recruitment and selection for TEI teacher training posts ........................................24 2.2.5 Recruitment, selection and transfer of staff for MoE management posts ................24 2.2.6 Appointment to senior positions within MoE ............................................................24 2.2.7 Conclusion ...............................................................................................................24

2.3 QUALITY AND RELEVANCE....................................................................................25 2.3.1 Physical facilities......................................................................................................25 2.3.2 Teaching conditions .................................................................................................25 2.3.3 Teachers ..................................................................................................................26 2.3.4 Teaching quality.......................................................................................................26 2.3.5 Teacher education ...................................................................................................27 2.3.6 Quality and relevance of management ....................................................................27 2.3.7 Conditions of service................................................................................................27 2.3.8 Recruitment and selection .......................................................................................28 2.3.9 Incentives.................................................................................................................29 2.3.10 Primary school management ...................................................................................29


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2.3.11 Monitoring and evaluation........................................................................................29 2.3.12 Career structure .......................................................................................................29 2.3.13 Student representation.............................................................................................29 2.3.14 Conclusion ...............................................................................................................29

2.4 GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT......................................................................30 2.4.1 Policy making, dissemination and implementation ..................................................30 2.4.2 Legal situation..........................................................................................................30 2.4.3 Education service administration and management ................................................30 2.4.4 Induction and training of management staff.............................................................31 2.4.5 Research and intelligence........................................................................................31 2.4.6 Vision and strategic thinking skills ...........................................................................32 2.4.7 Ethical practice.........................................................................................................32 2.4.8 Conclusion ...............................................................................................................32

2.5 STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF THE CURRENT EDUCATIONAL SITUATION .....................................................................................32

2.5.1 Access .....................................................................................................................32 2.5.2 Quality and relevance ..............................................................................................33 2.5.3 Governance and management ................................................................................33

3.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................35

3.1 STUDENT PARTICIPATION PROGRESS AND ACHIEVEMENT ............................35

3.2 RECRUITMENT OF ‘BEST’ PERSONS WHO BECOME COMMITTED TEACHERS .........................................................................................36

3.2.1 Teachers’ status: civil servants or what? .................................................................37 3.2.2 Teachers’ salaries....................................................................................................39 3.2.3 Incentives.................................................................................................................40 3.2.4 Managing teacher supply.........................................................................................40 3.2.5 Teacher numbers.....................................................................................................41 3.2.6 Conclusion ...............................................................................................................44

3.3 A COMMITTED TEACHING FORCE WITH ENHANCED PROFESSIONAL SKILLS.......................................................................................................................44

3.3.1 Recruitment to pre-service teacher training .............................................................45 3.3.2 Improved teacher training ........................................................................................46 3.3.3 Selection for primary teaching positions ..................................................................47 3.3.4 Professional development........................................................................................48

3.4 BETTER MANAGED SCHOOLS...............................................................................48

3.5 BETTER MANAGED EDUCATION SERVICE ..........................................................50

3.6 OPPORTUNITIES FOR MORE TO PROGRESS TO, AND SUCCEED WITHIN HIGH QUALITY POST-SCHOOL EDUCATION ..........................................51

3.7 CONCLUSION ...........................................................................................................52

4.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................53

4.1 HRM CONSULTANTS’ APPROACH TO IMPLEMENTING ESDF............................53

4.2 A MACRO VIEW OF IMPLEMENTATION.................................................................55


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4.3 CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK (CDF) .................................................55

4.4 STRATEGIES FOR ACHIEVING TARGETS.............................................................58 4.4.1 Student participation, progress and achievement....................................................58 4.4.2 Recruitment of ‘best’ persons who become committed teachers.............................59 4.4.3 A committed teaching force with enhanced professional skills ................................60 4.4.4 Better managed schools ..........................................................................................61 4.4.5 Better managed education service ..........................................................................62 4.4.6 Opportunities for more to progress to and succeed within high quality

post-school education..............................................................................................64

4.5 CONCLUSIONS .........................................................................................................65

REFERENCES.......................................................................................................................70

List of Annexes

Annex 1a Report of Workshop on HRM Implications of ESDF for 2009-2010 Annex 1b Workshop Program - ESDF: Working Group on HRM Annex 1c Workshop Documentation Annex 2 Education Sector Development Framework – Integrated Legislative and

Regulatory Drafting Matrix

List of Tables and Text Boxes

Text Box 1 Features of development partner projects that limit capacity building Text Box 2 Strengths and weaknesses of the current educational situation in Lao

PDR Text Box 3 Legislative actions to implement ESDF recommendations implying HR Text Box 4 CDF recommendations for bridging capacity gaps of individuals Text Box 5 Current and alternative conceptualizations of HR in Laos PDR Table 1 Number and percentage of teacher training graduates by different

training routes projected for 2008 Table 2 Number of primary teachers in Lao PDR in 2005-6 by district and training

category Table 3 GOL PDR government spending on teacher salaries and percentage

non-salary of total block grant recurrent expenditure by sector


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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

ADB Asian Development Bank

AETC Administrator Education Training Center

ASEAN Association of South-East Asian Nations

ASLO Achievement of School Learning Outcomes

AusAID Australian Assistance for International Development

BA Bachelor of Arts

BENC Basic Education in Northern Communities

BESDP Basic Education Sector Development Project

CB Capacity Building

CDF Capacity Development Framework

CEWED Center for the Promotion of Education for Women, Ethnic and Disabled

CPD Continuing Professional Development

CS Civil service/servant

CSOI Civil Service Organizational Improvement

CSM Civil Service Management

DEB District Education Bureau

DD Deputy Director

DG Director General

DHE Department of Higher Education

DNFE Department of Non-Formal Education

DOF Department of Finance

DoP Department of Organization and Personnel

DPC Department of Planning and Cooperation

DPP Department of Primary and Pre-School Education

DSE Department of Secondary Education

DTT Department of Teacher Training

DTVE Department of Technical and Vocational Education

EDP2 Education Development Project 2

EFA Education for All

EMTC Education Management Training Center

ESIT Educational Statistics & Information Technology


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ESDF Education Sector Development Framework

FOE Faculty of Education

FTI Fast Track Initiative

GIR Governance and Institutional Reform

GOL Government of Lao PDR

HE Higher Education

HEI Higher Education Institutions

HR Human Resource

HRD Human Resource Development

HRM Human Resource Management

ICT Information and Communication Technology

JICA Japan International Cooperation Agency

LABEP Lao-Australia Basic Education Project

LDC Least developed country

MDG Millennium Development Goals

MoE Ministry of Education

MOF Ministry of Finance

NESQAC National Education Standards and Quality Assurance Center

NFE Non-formal education

NGO Non-government organization

NSEDP National Socio-Economic Development Plan

NUOL National University of Lao

OCSC Office of the Civil Service Commission

OD Organization Development

OIC Organizational Improvement Committee

OJT On-the-job training

PA Pedagogical Adviser

PACSA Public Administration and Civil Service Agency

PDR Peoples Democratic Republic

PES Provincial Education Service

PhD Doctor of Philosophy

PIMS Project Information Management Systems

PPTA Project Preparatory Technical Assistance


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PTR Pupil Teacher Ratio

RIES Research Institute for Educational Sciences

SDIE Social Development and Inclusive Education

SIDA Swedish International Development Assistance

SMATT Science and Mathematics Teacher Training

SOE State Owned Enterprises

SOJT Structured on-the-job training

SREAC Strategy Research and Education Analysis Center

TEED Teacher Education Evaluation Division

TEI Teacher Education Institution

TES Teacher Education School

TESAP Teacher Education Strategy and Action Plan

TL Team Leader

TOR Terms of Reference

TT Teacher Training

TTC Teacher Training College

TTEST Teacher Training, Enhancement and Status of Teachers project

TTS Teacher Training School

TUP Teacher Upgrading Project

TVET Technical and Vocational Education and Training

UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund

VEDC Village Education Development Committee

WB World Bank


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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This report is on Human Resource (HR) implications of implementing the Education Sector Development Framework 2009-15 in Lao PDR. It was prepared between November 2008 and June 2009 after desk study, interviews with MoE, provincial and district staff including teachers and a visit to a northern province. It describes and analyzes the current educational and human resource situation in Lao PDR from access, quality and relevance, and governance and management perspectives, addresses six ESDF-related targets for improvement and makes 20 recommendations, the gist of which are italicized in the text below.

The ESDF-related targets are:

1. Most students in society participating, progressing and achieving good standards within quality pre-primary, primary and secondary schools.

2. The ‘best’ people training as teachers and committing to a career in teaching.

3. A better educated and trained teaching force with greater pedagogical skills and opportunities for professional development.

4. Better managed and better resourced primary and secondary schools.

5. A better managed education service at all levels.

6. Opportunities for greater numbers of school students and those in employment to progress to, and learn within, a variety of forms of post-school and continuing education.

Education in Lao PDR has still some way to go to ensure that all children enroll in school and complete five years of primary education. Currently around 20% of children do not enroll or attend regularly. Factors that prevent participation include lack of teachers in remote and ethnic communities, poverty that makes school fees unaffordable and attitudes that view schooling as offering little of relevance, especially for children with disabilities. Other factors are a variable teaching force in terms of academic qualifications and training, extremely limited resources for teaching and learning due to restricted government funding, and uneven quality of management at central, provincial, district, school and community levels. Low teacher salaries, poor conditions, and ineffective incentives may reduce the appeal of teaching especially to graduates needed to staff six years of secondary schooling from 2009-10, notwithstanding that teachers have civil service status. However, this status is under review though options have not been canvassed. Ministry of Education (MoE) should set out in a paper advantages and disadvantages for the teaching profession of changing teachers’ status including the possibility of making them employees of provinces. Salaries should be increased to 2.5 times GDP by 2015 as in neighboring countries. ESDF proposes that all teacher trainees should receive scholarships. As this will increase competition for teacher training places better developed selection systems will be needed. Since few graduates enter teaching, research should illuminate the reasons why.

ESDF was developed in 2008 by senior MoE staff and national experts, assisted by international consultants funded by European Union, Asian Development Bank and AusAid. It provides strategies and targets for achieving education for all and millennium development goals. It proposes scholarship provision for students from poor backgrounds at all stages. It


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also aims to improve quality and relevance of pre-primary, primary, secondary, technical, post-school and non-formal education in a variety of ways. Improved system governance and management are further targets. ESDF is accepted for World Bank Fast Track Initiative catalytic funding. When that and new development partner funding is secured MoE will decide what to implement. World Bank’s Capacity Development Framework was developed to provide assistance to development partners on what HR is needed.

ESDF is policy laden and implies 50+ legislative actions. All agencies in MoE have policy making functions. MoE is undertaking internal restructuring but lacks HR to assist line managers to develop staff. Such a resource could also advise senior management on overall needs, including how to represent its own and the system’s interests in negotiations with other government departments and development partners. ‘Rationalizing’ meanwhile is in process, similarly unsupported at provincial and district levels which administer pre-school, primary and secondary schools, nominate teachers for training and deploy trained teachers in schools. MoE and PES should establish modern HR functions and TA should be sought to assist them to do so. University study of HR should be introduced.

Analysis suggests that major HR concerns relate to teacher recruitment, selection, deployment and training as well as system and institutional management. Problems of teacher supply stem from lack of overall management and MoE’s Department of Teacher Training should be given this responsibility. Incentives to work in remote and ethnic areas have proved ineffective. However ad hoc training programs for students recruited from these communities have met some supply needs and should be continued, with school managers also enabled to offer school leavers contracts for teaching posts, subject to post-training review. Many primary trained teachers are unable to obtain teaching positions, though a majority has qualified through a ‘quota’ route designed with this intention. They are denied ‘probation’ teaching to acquire qualified teacher status: arrangements should be made to ensure access to teaching positions for this purpose and to increase teacher mobility across Lao PDR. At present many teach as paid ‘contract’ teachers or as unpaid ‘volunteers’ for some years until a civil service position becomes available. Selection is expensive to apply for, and the process followed often involves a written test more suited for those entering administrative work. It appears to favor volunteers. Teachers have opportunities to ‘upgrade’ their academic qualifications and move to a higher salary scale, but professional development opportunities are limited, of mixed quality, do not accumulate into a professional qualification and are not recognized for salary purposes. National University of Lao PDR Faculty of Education should lead development of an accredited program of in-service education and training leading to a qualification that counts towards salary upgrading.

Implementing ESDF implies system, institutional and individual development. System-wise the need is first to provide a more comprehensive picture of teacher supply, second to increase the quality of the teaching force by offering incentives to encourage poorly educated and trained primary teachers to retire early, thereby creating posts for better educated and trained teachers, and ultimately making three years of training the norm after 12 years of schooling. The system also should reward head teacher and teacher performance with advances on incremental salary scale for developing schools to meet criteria for ‘schools of quality’. Training should equip school directors to provide on-the-job assistance with program and lesson planning to assist staff to develop more relevant local curricula of higher quality that might attract student and parent interest.


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Institutions that support schools, such as MoE, PES and DEB have important monitoring and facilitating roles. With HR support as proposed they could model transparent selection and performance appraisal processes and advocate within government at all levels for more resources and a fairer financial deal for an education system that is advertised as the human resource development strategy that will raise Lao PDR from least developed country status by 2020. MoE too could articulate to development partners how projects can make use of modern HR strategies to promote workplace learning. Development partners could ensure that projects also incorporate more sophisticated HR models incorporating structured on-the-job training.

Investment in individuals with ‘multiplier’ potential who are able to exert positive influence in valued ways on others is an important strategy for system improvement. An extensive scholarship program will sponsor many for degree level professional qualifications and international study. Transparency in selection is essential. Knowledge management systems could assist managers to capitalize on learning, experience and skills acquired by others. Examples from recent development partner projects that have targeted a key strategic group – teacher educators - show what thoughtful project design, carefully and systematically implemented, can achieve for individuals, institutions and the system as a whole; they also show how management can harness or thwart learning thus acquired.


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1 COUNTRY CONTEXT

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The international Human Resource Management (HRM) consultant mobilized on 23 November 2008. His assigned task was to contribute to the development of the Education Sector Development Framework 2009-15 (ESDF) for Lao PDR. However as this task was almost complete Terms of Reference (TOR) were amended to those shown below. Flexible interpretation of these terms was agreed with ADB. Brief discussion of TOR and their fulfillment is in Section 1.1. Ministry of Education (MoE) in Lao PDR uses some standard Human Resource (HR) terms in distinctive ways. Sub-section 1.2 introduces key vocabulary.

1.1 TERMS OF REFERENCE

1.1.1 TOR 1: Review previous institutional capacity building activities and identify reasons behind limited impact so far achieved.

Lao PDR reluctance to invest in education – currently only around 6% of government recurrent budget, less than half of regional neighbors though currently increasing (Tibi 2009) - explains the important role played by development partners in capacity building (CB). They include international development agencies, governments and Non Government Organizations (NGO). In 2007/8 development partners contributed USD$ 52.18 million to Official Development Assistance for education (NSEDP 2008-9, Annex 4, p. 32).

Specific study was made of several ongoing and recently completed school and teacher education projects in Lao PDR: European Union’s Basic Education in Northern Communities (BENC) (2004-10), AusAid’s Lao-Australian Basic Education Project for Girls (LABEP) (2003-08), UNICEF’s Teacher Upgrading Project (TUP) (1992-2008), and Japan International Cooperation Agency’s (JICA) Science and Mathematics Teacher Training (SMATT) (2004-08). Willsher’s (2008) UNICEF funded review of in-service training provision was consulted and findings from World Bank (WB) (2009) on development needs of managers and administrators at provincial and district levels.

Projects undoubtedly leave footprints and some shape the system and become incorporated into enhanced ‘normal practice’, such as new approaches to teacher training for students from ethnic backgrounds trialed by LABEP. However, assisting development is no easy task. Review of the above projects indicates several project features – some acknowledged by their managers, others not - that limited their effectiveness and impacted on capacity building. These are summarized in Text Box 1. The box shows that these include lack of coordination between development partners or between development partners and responsible government agencies, weak project design and/or implementation, or good design not realized in practice through weak implementation and lack of thoughtful exit strategies to promote sustainability. Projects also often operate only in sectors or districts of the country perceived by development partners to have special needs, thereby creating imbalances and complicating design of future projects. Projects often focus on upgrading skills of individuals, too without regard for the wider context in which these individuals operate. Recognition of the need for a more coordinated approach to development work was reflected in the Vientiane Declaration (2006), ESDF and WB’s (2009) Capacity Development Framework (CDF). Project design needs to be informed by a broader concept of human resource development at both MoE and development partner levels.


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Text Box 1: Features of development partner projects that limit capacity building

Development partner provision has been project-based and often uncoordinated

Development assistance to ‘favored’ provinces and districts

Focus on developing skills of individual teachers rather than of management capacity for schools as systems

Reliance on off-the-job training models with insufficient follow-up into the teaching situation

Limited range of training models

Poor project design e.g. inadequate needs analysis, short-term or lack of evaluation

Adequate project design but poor implementation e.g. poor staff models

Unclear criteria for developed practice

Overload/lack of commitment of senior MoE managers and implementers

Weak trainers

Lack of communication between projects resulting in overlap.

1.1.2 TOR 2: Assist MoE Organizational Improvement Committee (OIC) to develop policies to improve impact of capacity building (CB).

Organizational development (OD): OD is the process whereby an enterprise manages development of internal unit structures, job design and work allocation to achieve strategic objectives that enable it to perform more effectively within the context in which it operates.

A Public Administration and Civil Service Agency (PACSA) oversees civil service (CS). It is responding to impact of globalization as reflected in ASEAN membership, greater international links through tourism and the dynamic economy by seeking to improve CS efficiency through modernized personnel management incorporating ICT. It created a Lao PDR Civil Service Management (CSM) Strategic Framework in which the key strategic role of HR in improving organizational and individual performance is recognized. One aspect is reviewing structures and staffing at Ministry, provincial and district levels. MoE established an Organizational Improvement Committee (OIC) to review its structure. OIC is chaired by a Vice-Minister. It operates through a Steering Committee. MoE’s Department of Organization and Personnel (DoP), as Secretariat reviews strengths and weaknesses of current arrangements not only within MoE but also at Provincial and District levels and National University of Lao (NUOL) and makes proposals. OIC may create Task Forces to examine specific issues. OIC’s recommendations are communicated to the Prime Minister who issues decrees for implementation. Changes within MoE include replacing Department of General Education in mid-2008 by line departments for Primary and Pre-Primary (DPP), Secondary (DSE) and Technical and Vocational Education (DTVE) and establishing new centers - including Center for Promotion of Education for Women, Ethnic and Disabled (CEWED) and National Education Standards and Quality Assurance (NESQAC). A Ministerial Decree of 4th March 2009 created a new Strategy Research and Education Analysis Center (SREAC) in


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place of a former Division of Department of Planning and Cooperation (DPC). It is understood that the current phase of restructuring is now ended.

HR consultants assisted DoP to prioritize ESDF proposals with HR and CB implications. In association with Governance and Institutional Reform (GIR) consultants, and with DPC support they assisted staff in SREAC and others within MoE to conceptualize policy development, legislation and implementation processes for ESDF with specific reference to block grants.

17 provincial education services (PES) and 140 district education bureaux (DEB) have important administrative functions for secondary and primary education service delivery respectively. Provincial and district structures have not yet been realigned to new central arrangements. Provinces continue to have General Education sections for example. Lack of alignment may have implications for implementing ESDF.

PACSA established an OIC to conduct a pilot study to rationalize PES/DEB service provision. HR consultants visited one of six districts involved. Staff reported ways in which overlapping services could be rationalized. The pilot study was due to report in mid-March 2009.

1.1.3 TOR 3: Review the efficiency of Teacher Education Institutions (TEI) and Higher Education Institutions (HEI) including scholarships.

Efficiency relates to cost-effectiveness. Relevant factors include unit costs, program and staff quality, competition and program duplication between sectors and institutions, academic specialism and economic needs.

Unit Costs

TTEST (2006) was unable to reach conclusions about TEI unit costs because of inadequate financial records at all levels. WB (2007) reported that it cost 17 times as much to train a primary teacher as to educate a primary student - USD$ 173.3 compared to USD$ 9.9; it maintained that 80% of the total higher education budget is spent on teacher education. The calculation included scholarship costs. Tibi (2009) disputed whether scholarship costs should be included. He reported costs of primary education, teacher training and higher education for 2004 and 2005 as (kip ’000) 154.7 and 186.1, 1,027.5 and 1,382.6 , and 1,352.8 and 1,341.1 respectively i.e. a ratio of 1:7 for teacher training in each year and 1:9 and 1:8 for higher education, which is close to the developing country international norm of 1:10. Unit costs for primary and teacher training increased by approximately 20% between 2004-5 and 2005-6, while costs for higher education remained about the same. No explanation is provided for this.

TEI and HEI

DTT funds and manages TEI though TTEST (2006) maintains that PES influence ethos. TEI comprise five Teacher Training Colleges (TTC) that offer training leading to a Diploma for teaching primary (grades 1-5) and lower secondary (grades 6-8), and three Teacher Training Schools (TTS) that train for primary and pre-primary.

Table 1 shows an MOE projection that 7,147 graduates for primary teacher training would emerge from teacher training institutions in Lao PDR in 2008. Of these almost three in four would be high school graduates who had taken one or three years of training, while the great


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majority of the remainder would be year 8 leavers who had taken three years of training. A small percentage of newly trained teachers with only five years of secondary education and trained over four years also qualified. It is understood that no new admissions are being accepted to this route to a teacher training qualification.

Table 1: Number and percentage of teacher training graduates by different training routes projected for 2008

2008

5+4 8+3 11+1 11+3 Total

N (%) N (%) N (%) N (%) N (%)

Projected Teacher Training Graduates by Training Route

234 (3.3) 1,612 (22.6) 2,820 (39.5) 2,481 (34.7) 7,147 (100)

Source: World Bank (2007) Teaching in Lao PDR Vientiane, Ministry of Education, Table 8, p. 37

ESDF reported that 17,481 pre-service trainees were enrolled in 2007.The majority of trainees pay no course fees. Around half of all students receive scholarships of 70,000 kip per month to cover living expenses, but must pay registration, laboratory, teaching practice and other fees. Many students reside in dormitories. TEI’s earn additional income from ‘special course’ students who study a teacher training program in English part-time though few have an intention to teach. The number of such students increased five-fold between 2001 and 2006; in 2004-5 a total of 3,883 special course students were studying in TEI. DTT approves their fees and sets enrolment numbers. A proportion of income supplements salaries of those staff who teach them; MoE credits a TEI with the remainder and reduces maintenance payments accordingly. The system meets demand for a cheap part-time route to a post-school qualification in English for those who cannot get into a university. But it is inefficient. It adds significantly to the teaching load of staff that teaches English in particular and that wastes time teaching methods courses students do not need.

HEI comprises four universities and over 80 degree-awarding private colleges. MoE’s Departments of Higher Education (DHE) and Private Education (DPE) manage certain aspects of respective institutions. NUOL was established in 1990, Champasak in 2002, Souphanouvong in 2003 and Savannakhet in 2009. Over 90% of university students pay no tuition, laboratory or library fees; around 40% receive scholarships of 90,000 kip per month. DHE approves student numbers and fees for ‘special’ courses mainly in English, Business and Law - currently USD$ 100 for two semesters of study. (NUOL’s Faculty of Education (FoE) reported that it had more ‘special course’ students than degree course students in 2008-9). Private colleges receive no government support or special consideration, for example in regard to low interest loans for new buildings. Students pay fees; a few making good progress receive limited institutional support.

Program and Staff Quality in Teacher Education

Eleven full-time pre-service programs are offered (WB 2007) over one, two, three or four years. Entry is on the basis of completed school education. This may be judged inefficient when academic bridging courses might bring students to a common standard. There is evidence of duplication: in one TTS visited the same 8+3 program is being offered in 2009 separately to ethnic and non-ethnic teacher trainees. There are no in-service programs.


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TTEST (2006) estimated that, over the entire system accommodation the equivalent of one slightly smaller than average TEI was unutilized. It reported that half of 520 TEI staff in post in 2004-5 had BA degrees and less than 3% a Master’s degree. They taught an average of seven hours per week.

TTEST (2004) reported high internal efficiency with few students failing or dropping out, though that is not a sure guide to academic standards. Follow-up into employment data showed that many trained primary teachers do not apply for teaching positions. Many who wish to teach cannot find jobs and so cannot undertake the final stage of training viz. probation. The ‘quota’ category of students has restricted mobility as they are under obligation to teach in the ‘home’ province that nominated them.

Program and Staff Quality in Higher Education

The three established universities provide 3- or 4-year BA degrees, including a qualification for secondary teaching. NUOL has 1,059 staff, 52 with PhD and 384 with Master’s. An ambitious staff development plan is under way. It offers a PhD in Economics and 28 Master’s programs. It is claimed that there is little overlap with programs offered by new universities. In 2008 NUOL had 32,332 students – it also had 22,000 attending ‘special courses’. Little wastage occurs from drop-out or academic failure.

Most private HEI provide diploma and Bachelors’ courses in business, management, ICT and English. A few now offer Masters’ degrees. Their staff is often part-time, sourced from NUOL or business; most have Bachelor qualifications. Some private colleges in Vientiane Capital City claim to have difficulty filling places because their fees are expensive compared with those for special courses at NUOL.

There is little evidence on graduate employment. Senior staff at a prestigious secondary school in Vientiane Capital City and officials in MoE’s DoF complain that BAs never apply for posts. So perhaps most graduates do find work. In a limited labor market survey, Hough (2008) suggested that Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) should be expanded to increase the supply of skilled tradespersons, such as electricians and plumbers.

Conclusion

Tibi’s (2009) evidence indicates that unit cost ratios for primary, teacher training and higher education are similar to those internationally. Action to reduce costs in teacher training and higher education might involve reducing the number of programs and increasing student numbers within each, adjusting the balance between on- and off-campus study, such as lengthening teaching practice and investing in distance learning.

Although hard figures are lacking it would seem that public TEI and HEI could certainly be more efficient. Both train many students at government expense, many on government scholarships who decide not to teach. While there is no doubt some return to the nation on this investment it suggests a need to review post-school provision in general and admission policies for TEI in particular. Universities too train large numbers of ‘special course’ students at fees that private colleges cannot compete with. This is unfair to private colleges and seems likely to restrict their growth. Staff in higher education is relatively poorly qualified so that functions associated with the sector such as quality pre- and in-service training, post-graduate programs and research are not provided. A broader range of programs is required


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including more relevant to the developing Lao economy. For example there are few programs on food processing and mining.

HEI and TEI places are also on the whole currently accessible to children of more affluent parents who can support their secondary schooling and taking of entrance examinations. Children from poorer families may access higher education through quotas, but participation in teacher training especially still involves significant costs; only a few from remote and ethnic areas have access to such opportunities. ESDF proposes providing scholarships from 2010 to assist poor students to complete upper primary and secondary schooling. If implemented this could equalize access opportunities.

1.2 HR TERMS AND THEIR MEANING IN LAO PDR

1.2.1 Human Resource Development (HRD)

The Education Law of Lao PDR of 17 July 2007, article 4 states: ‘Education is central for human resource development’. Education is defined to include early childhood education, general education, vocational and higher education. (Interestingly non-formal education (NFE) is not mentioned). The definition implies, as is common in this sub-region of Asia that HRD is equated with learning by those within, or about to enter formal education. The Education for All Mid-Decade Assessment (2005) regards Integrated Vocational Education and Training (IVET) as the main national HRD strategy. The western concept of HRD is different. It relates to all learning engaged in over the lifespan on a continuous basis in a wide range of contexts, including especially the workplace, to develop expertise and performance quality. It also includes organization development (OD), career development and talent management. Strategic HRM sees development and deployment of HR as the key to organizational success. PACSA appears to have such a conception. MoE’s conception of HR appears to be similar to that of managers of State-Owned Enterprises in Lao PDR: keeping personnel records, recruitment and salary administration (Quang and Thavisay 1999).

MoE is the government agency responsible for managing and providing HRD through school and post-school institutions. DoP is responsible for HR functions for office staff at ministry, province and district levels as well as school directors and administrators. DoP’s Division of Legislation and HRD has two functions: its legislation function is processing decrees, regulations and other instruments for enforcing policies, while HRD maintains records of staff on national and international training.

MoE’s DPC has been tasked with advising government on international scope of HRD.

1.2.2 Human Resource Management (HRM)

DoP has a Division of HRM and Incentives. HRM is responsible for what is described as recruitment and deployment of teachers, staff management, promotion and transfer. However, staff are engaged on clerical tasks that are outcomes of processes managed elsewhere. Recruitment is entering on a data base names of PACSA-approved newly appointed CS; promotion confirming that a CS may progress on the bi-annual incremental scale.


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1.2.3 Continuing professional development (CPD)

CPD refers to maintaining currency and enhancing learning for professional roles subsequent to completion of pre-service training and probation. In some countries, renewal of a license to practice as a professional depends upon providing evidence of CPD. There is no professional registration in Lao PDR. A concept of teacher competency exists in The National Charter of Teacher Competencies developed in 2007.

1.2.4 Capacity building (CB) and capacity development (CD)

Many projects including WB (2009) refer to CB/CD. An explanation of CB is in WB (2001):

‘Effective CB involves …effective training…(supported by)…an appropriate working environment…compris(ing) a well-managed and well-led office with appropriate facilities and equipment where workplace competency can be developed through problem solving, drawing on knowledge and skills acquired from training supplemented by coaching and other forms of constructive supervision. CB also depends upon effective recruitment, succession management, remuneration and promotion systems’. WB (2001) concluded that cascade training was not effective, that addressing salary and conditions of service was key to trainees putting into practice what they learned from pre- and in-service training, that induction programs should be provided for all staff moving into new management positions, and that monitoring and evaluation of CB efforts was required at all levels. (Tibi 2007)

The distinctive MoE usage of HR terms is important to bear in mind. In this report these terms are used in an international sense.

1.3 CONCLUSION

This section has described some aspects of the country context in relation to TOR. The next section provides a situational analysis of the education sector in Lao PDR.


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2 SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS

2.0 INTRODUCTION

ESDF targets for education relate to improved access, quality and relevance, and governance and management. This section first describes education in Lao PDR under these headings from an HR perspective. It then analyses strengths and weaknesses of current arrangements.

2.1 THE SITUATION OF EDUCATION IN LAO PDR

2.1.1 Access

Access refers to processes by which people gain admission to, and take advantage of, a particular service or role. It comprises recruitment and selection. Recruitment is creating awareness of an available opportunity and the criteria for accessing it; selection is the process whereby applications from those who wish to access that opportunity are considered and judgments made as to who should be allowed to do so. Decisions may or may not be based on advertised criteria. Access includes non-access which may reflect lack of provision, unwillingness to take advantage of an access opportunity, or non-success in meeting access criteria. It also includes affirmative action to enable individuals or groups who would normally not be regarded as eligible to access a particular role or context. Support for access in financial terms e.g. scholarships or stipends or material support e.g. food and lodging may be intrinsic to access for certain categories of people.

Access is considered here first in relation to educational opportunity, and then in relation to accessing employment in the education service.

2.1.2 Access to educational opportunity

2.1.2.1 Pre-school education

Though universal pre-school provision is a goal, access is restricted since it is available mainly in urban areas. Less than 15% of children are enrolled nationally in various types of facilities. Access is determined by parents’ ability to pay. Fees in one pre-school visited were 30,000 kip per month. (USD$ 1=Kip 8,500 in March 2009).

2.1.2.2 Primary school location

ESITC estimates that there are 10,533 villages in Lao PDR, many situated in remote areas in a country half as big as France and with a population of around six million. They vary greatly in terms of size, permanence, accessibility, wealth and facilities. Around 8,800 villages have primary schools or schools within 1-2 kilometers that 6-year olds may be expected to walk to. Small settlements have only a few school age children in each age group, causing two or three grades to be placed with one teacher in multi-grade classes. 4,500 schools consist of one to two classrooms and are, with three to four classroom schools, designated as ‘incomplete’. Recruitment of students to school, especially primary is often influenced by its location in relation to home. The greater the distance the less attractive a school may be. Access to primary 1 is restricted for a sizeable number of pupils in Lao PDR because of lack of a local school; ‘incomplete’ schools may necessitate a change of school to one in a different village that may be a further deterrent to recruitment.


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2.1.2.3 Participation in school

It is estimated that around one in five children in Lao PDR do not participate in school. The main groups of non-participating children are, first, those in remote and ethnic non-Lao speaking communities with no or difficult access to schools; second, those in communities with school access, whose parents are poor and need their children, especially girls for paid or unpaid work, and, third, those children with disabilities whose parents keep them at home. Access to school depends upon parents’ ability to pay a registration fee for each child, and contribute to school funds at varying rates dependent upon school status and number of siblings enrolled. The poorest parents may secure a certificate of fee exemption from a village headman. Parents often do not enroll their child at ‘normal’ school start age of six, however, so that grade 1 classes often include multi-age children. Many children also do not attend regularly and a considerable number cease to attend, especially between years 1 and 2 but also subsequently, though some are re-enrolled later. For poor parents fees are likely to be a factor in non-enrolment and drop-out; however parents may also decide not to send their children to school for other reasons. These may include a perception that it has little to offer their children or that its opportunity costs are greater than alternative deployments. Thus failure to recruit students may reflect on the education service’s inability to demonstrate to parents the benefits of schooling for all children.

2.1.2.4 Progression in school

Selection for admission to each successive year of primary school is based on the criterion of passing tests set by teachers and DEB staff. Poor test performance results in a pupil repeating the grade. Parents may interpret test failure and repetition as their child’s inability to learn or poor teaching and a waste of money. Some may withdraw them. The consequence is that many children do not complete five years of primary schooling. Of those who do, the average time taken is eight years. ‘Progressive’ promotion has been proposed whereby ‘remedial’ teaching would assist poor test performers to meet criteria for admission to the following year enabling them to progress.

2.1.2.5 Secondary education

Secondary schools (currently grades 6-8 lower secondary and 8-11 upper secondary (8-12 from 2009-10)) are located in more populous urban areas. Some lower secondary schools are attached to primaries. Completion of grade 5 primary education marks the end of schooling for many children, but EFA (2008) reported that 77.6% of grade 5 students transferred to grade 6 in 2005-6. Selection for secondary is on the basis of two criteria: successful test performance at primary and fees. Progression between grades within secondary is similarly test related. Within the proposed 12 year secondary schooling a technical/vocational stream will be offered alongside the academic after grade 9. Criteria for selection for this new stream have yet to be clarified.

2.1.2.6 Boarding schools

There are boarding schools for gifted and ethnic children. The former - in Vientiane Capital City and LuangPrabang - are administered by DSE and offer general courses, but an enriched curriculum is planned. NUOL also provides a school for talented students. Selection is based on test performance. Students are supported by scholarships awarded by Japanese NGO and other agencies. Access to ethnic boarding schools exists in each district and


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province. Selection is based on ability as well as social and personal ‘need’ as identified by teachers, school directors and DEB/PES staff. Each child receives an allowance of 200,000 kip per month. There are three national ethnic boarding schools, one each in Oudomsay, Savannakhet and Pakse. NUOL also has a centre for ethnic students. Selection is based on academic performance; scholarship support is provided.

2.1.2.7 Recruitment to post-school education

Around 8% of an age cohort – 45,000 pupils - completes secondary school grade 11. There are places in post-school education available for only half that number. Qualifications are greatly prized in Lao PDR. Consequent high demand has led to the establishment of new universities, growth in the number of private colleges and increased teacher training places. Most institutions advertise in the media; brochures set out programs available.

2.1.2.8 Access to post-school education

Students successfully completing grade 8 are eligible to be nominated by school and/or DEB to PES to become a provincial ‘quota’ student. Such nomination virtually guarantees the student a ‘free’ place with a scholarship to cover most living costs at one of 18 Technical and Vocational colleges or eight TEI. ‘Quotas’ are an important form of sponsorship at provincial level in Lao education. The number of quota places on offer for the education service each year is determined by PACSA and communicated to the PES of each province by DoP. PES nominates students up to its quota. However, the proportion of students to be admitted to teacher training as quota students in different TEI each year is decided by Department of Teacher Training’s (DTT) Department of Pre-Service Training in MoE. It is currently 50%.

How a student accesses a quota position is not clear. TTEST (2004) studied quota teacher trainee selection in two provinces. Its report did not indicate whether quota places and conditions are advertised. Ignorance of bond conditions is one possible reason for their often reported flouting. School principals, DEB and PES staff appear to play some part in recruiting students. It is understood that students have to apply for a quota place, although the nature of the application form was not identified, nor any required supporting evidence, such as referees’ reports. Selection appears to be based on application and interview though height and physical fitness criteria were also stipulated. Academic performance per se does not appear to be a crucial factor; the quota system is represented as the provincial means of enabling children from poor and ethnic backgrounds to secure higher education and to meet the province’s future needs for trained public servants since a condition of acceptance is that the nominee will return to work for the province. However, PES/DEB staff interviewed by this consultant agreed that allocation to a program of study is usually based on academic merit with teaching being for the least able. In the event of a nominee turning down the program offered a replacement is found.

An alternative to entry by sponsorship is the entrance examination. Individual TEI and TVET conduct entrance examinations in urban centers in their catchment area. The examinations are set and marked by staff. Successful examinees are exempted from fees. TEI have the final say on admitting students by either quota or examination route.

Entrance to university and to certain TEI programs is by quota or examination after successful completion of year 11. NUOL entrants have a Foundation Year to enable all to reach a common standard prior to embarking on undergraduate programs.


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Admission to private colleges is on the basis of secondary school completion, success in an entrance examination and ability to pay fees.

2.1.2.9 Special course students

These students are often in employment. Admission is on the basis of academic qualifications and ability to pay. Since a numerus clausus is set by MoE departments admission may also be on the basis of a selection test, but it is also known that there is often a discrepancy between numbers officially sanctioned and those admitted.

2.1.2.10 Nayobay students

Nayobay students are special case admissions who are entitled to a free place in a program within a higher education institution of their choice on the basis of their family’s position in society. They include sons and daughters of national heroes, military, senior Party figures etc. TTEST (2004) reported that they constituted up to 45% of students at some TEI in 2002-3. It is not clear whether they qualify for scholarships or not.

2.1.2.11 Progression within post-school education

Admission to succeeding years of study is based on successful performance in internal examinations. ‘Wastage’ is low because students have several opportunities to re-sit examinations. Drop-out is also reported to be low.

2.1.2.12 International training

Opportunities for post-graduate study in Lao PDR were limited in the past. However, between 2000 and 2007 up to 25 countries offered Lao citizens international scholarships. A total of 6,288 persons studied overseas in these years, including 26 who obtained PhD and 368 a Master’s degree. Vietnam alone contributed 2,499 scholarships, including 650 for education (17 PhD, 33 Masters’). Scholarships may be advertised in the press and by other means. They may entitle an award winner to a free place on a program of study, travel costs and a small stipend that goes some way towards covering cost of living. Conditions are often attached including prior academic qualifications and a defined level of English language competence. Applicants are required to submit an application with supporting evidence for their proposed study. MoE often sponsors applicants for all scholarships on offer; however, it is claimed that some countries, such as Australia allocate a proportion after examination.

2.1.2.13 Upgrading

Staff in the education service, including teachers, is civil servants (CS). CS are paid on five salary scales that reflect their basic academic qualifications. Acquiring additional academic qualifications, equivalent to completing secondary education, diploma or degree may make a CS eligible to move to a higher salary scale. Government supports upgrading by releasing selected staff on full pay to study formally at 17 provincial upgrading centers or other post-school institutions in Lao PDR or overseas. DPC (2008) figures suggest that 2,017 MoE staff with year 8 and year 11 schooling was included in the national quota for upgrading in 2008, along with 2,751 with higher diploma and bachelor degrees. It is understood that staff may apply for upgrading, but the criteria on which it is granted and the selection process followed is opaque. It appears that decision-makers sponsor ‘suitable’ staff to become qualified for promotion or redeployment in another role within education or another public service sector.


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2.1.2.14 Second chance education

On the basis of self-reports (EFA 2008), 72.7% of the population aged 15+ in Lao PDR is literate. The Department of Non-Formal Education (DNFE) provides free equivalency courses in primary and secondary education at centers across Lao PDR to persons over 15 years who have missed out on primary and secondary education. In 2009 MoE funded a three month residential course in adult literacy for members of Village Education Development Committees (VEDC) at DEB ethnic boarding schools.

2.1.2.15 Conclusion

This section has discussed recruitment and selection for different stages of school and post-school education. No evidence was found in this consultancy of recruitment of students for school education, except in relation to private schools. Considerable recruitment literature was found in relation to post-school higher education, though none for teacher training specifically except at NUOL. Access to primary and secondary school education is based on ability to pay fees; progression within both stages is generally based on ability to continue to pay fees and pass tests, though special financial assistance is given to gifted and able but deprived ethnic students. Access to a free place in post-school education is a right and privilege for those with appropriate ‘connections’ in society; up to half of the total post-school student body in all public institutions is ‘sponsored’ by their province to study free with a scholarship for a qualification on condition that they will put their acquired skills to use in their home province. The remainder has a free place on the strength of passing an entrance examination. Those who apply to private colleges must first pass entrance examinations and then pay fees, though some small financial support is offered to poor but able students who are making good progress. Access to upgrading opportunities appears to be largely on a sponsorship basis though second chance education is free but depends upon individual initiative.

2.2 ACCESS TO EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN THE EDUCATION SERVICE

The discussion here relates principally to access to first employment as a teacher and to promotion within schools. However, access to other posts within the education service, including administrative posts in MoE is briefly discussed.

2.2.1 Access to a civil service teaching position

Information provided indicates that, though specific vacancies are advertised recruitment by PES/DEB at TEI for CS teaching posts is exceptional; some PES actively recruit BA graduate for secondary school teaching positions. Absence of recruitment may reflect the ‘quota’ system which is a kind of provincial ‘pre-signing’ of teachers prior to training as a guarantee of supply, though many bonded students – how many is not known - in fact do not apply for teaching positions. Teachers who have completed training for pre-primary, lower and upper secondary are likely to be able to find CS teaching positions without much difficulty though not necessarily in the school of their first choice because both systems are expanding and new posts being created. It is understood that applicants approach school directors and then PES, making application and paying relevant fees. Primary trained teachers may find a CS job with little difficulty if they are willing to work in areas where there are vacancies, especially remote and ethnic community schools. DEB, which appoints teachers to primary and pre-primary schools in their districts, would be likely to draw such


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vacancies to the attention of job applicants. A qualified trained teacher willing to teach in such a school would likely be appointed on application, assuming s/he was acceptable to the community. However physical access challenges, together with social and linguistic factors such as the local culture and language are such deterrents that there are few applicants for such posts from Lao-Tai teachers who are the dominant social and linguistic group. As a result DEB often staffs these schools with untrained and unqualified persons, or on a ‘community service’ principle whereby school leavers with ethnic language skills awaiting entry to higher education are assigned the task for a short period of time.

The process whereby a teacher is the sole applicant for a primary CS teaching post involves contacting DEB/school director, submitting an application with supporting documents at a total cost of about 500,000 kip and undergoing a formal or informal interview with VEDC members if a VEDC exists. In well-settled districts, however the new trainee finds that few CS jobs are available and that many trained teachers who have been teaching locally as unpaid volunteers or as poorly paid ‘contract’ teachers for two to three years are applicants. There are consequently substantially more applicants than places. In two provinces visited during the consultancy PES required applicants to take a 50-item multiple-choice test on local policy and pedagogy and ranked them on results. Officials interviewed admitted that volunteers and contract teachers usually scored better than newly trained teachers and were generally appointed because they were known to PA and a post had been more or less promised to them. Some newly trained teachers are successful. Many, however, are unsuccessful or, knowing that their chances of securing a post are slim, and that they may thus spend 500,000 kip to no purpose, decide not to apply. The number in each category is unknown. In one province visited it was stated that there were no contract teachers but 303 volunteer teachers. The province was allocated 256 quota posts in October 2008, but officials estimated that they needed 150 more posts to cover replacements and even more to meet expanding roles. The province had 900 applications for these 256 quota teaching positions from a variety of applicants including volunteers and trained teachers and selected on the basis of high examination performance in a locally devised test, with preference apparently given to high test performing volunteers who had taught successfully for two to three years.

Unsuccessful applicants and non-applicants learn from this experience that if they wish to have a chance of securing a CS teaching position in their preferred area they must wait their turn in the queue, offering their services to a specific school as a volunteer or accepting contract teacher status, assuming this is available. Since the system for identifying vacant CS teaching posts operated by government results in most schools having fewer CS teaching positions than they need, and since PES and DEB distribution policies sometimes favor some schools more than others, many schools are understaffed. Volunteers are consequently welcomed. To obtain such a post a teacher must make application to the school director. DEB Pedagogical Advisors (PA) visit volunteers from time to time to observe them teaching. However voluntary teaching is not considered for ‘probationary’ teaching purposes.

2.2.2 Promotion within primary teaching

The main promoted posts are head teacher of an incomplete school, school director of a complete school and cluster school director of a group of typically five or six schools in close


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proximity. Promotion is on the basis of being suitably qualified and trained, possibly through ‘upgrading’, having relevant successful experience of teaching as judged by one’s school director and by the DEB PA. Party affiliation is also a factor in some cases.

2.2.3 Promotion as a Pedagogical Adviser (PA)

It is understood that most PA’s are former teachers. It is presumed that selection is based on educational qualifications and successful teaching experience. However, the selection process was not investigated.

2.2.4 Recruitment and selection for TEI teacher training posts

TTEST (2006) reported that National Teacher Education Plan proposed the first criteria for selecting TEI staff viz. general education and significant teaching experience. The average age of the 520 teacher educators in post in 2004-5 was 36; the modal age was 26. On average TEI had worked for 12 years, 10 in TEI. Few consequently had extensive teaching experience. No information was collected on current recruitment and selection processes.

2.2.5 Recruitment, selection and transfer of staff for MoE management posts

PACSA officials informed that recruitment to CS was not necessary because of its high status. MoE’s DOF, however informed that its advertisements attracted applications only from school teachers of mathematics with ‘middle level’ i.e. secondary school academic qualifications rather than BAs. Job descriptions in MoE date from 2001 and consequently are likely to be of limited value as selection criteria for assessors in the context of restructuring. CDF (2009) noted the often low level of academic qualifications of PES/DEB staff. It is understood that selection is based on examination and interview performance. Provinces identify senior PES and DEB staff and DoP nominates them to the Minister of Education for approval. Some PES and DEB staff is ex-teachers or former PA. Able staff, such as school directors may be transferred to other agencies by PES staff without seeking approval from MoE. Staff may also apply to transfer between provinces and this is possible if agencies involved in both provinces agree. DoP must be informed and also agree.

2.2.6 Appointment to senior positions within MoE

Experience with SREAC and discussions with Directors General (DG) in several departments indicate that senior positions in MoE at DG and above are filled on the basis of internal promotion or transfer of persons with high academic qualifications, some acquired through international training. DG SREAC, for example was transferred from NUOL’s Education Management and Training Center. As a kind of succession planning, persons eligible for more senior positions are required to participate in extended advanced training conducted off-the-job by the Party.

2.2.7 Conclusion

Recruitment for teaching – or to CS - rarely occurs in Lao PDR. Appointment to teaching posts within the education service is generally on the basis of educational qualifications and professional training. The exception is remote and ethnic schools where, because of lack of applicants, untrained staff may be appointed. Since supply and demand for pre-school and secondary teachers is reasonably balanced ‘selection’ is rarely necessary. An oversupply of applicants for primary teaching positions in some areas creates a situation where only a few applicants can be selected. Some applicants are recent trainees who have substantial


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teaching experience in district schools as volunteers or as contract teachers and who are known to DEB staff that makes selection decisions; others are fresh from initial training and unknown as teachers. A main public criterion for selection is performance on a short knowledge test that is likely to favor those already assisting schools. However, the main factor in the selection decision appears to be assessors’ personal knowledge of applicants. In some cases a decision on whom to appoint appears to be more or less already taken and test performance may merely serve to justify it.

Selection for teacher training and lower level management positions was not specifically investigated but appears to be based on different combinations of academic record, examination performance and interview rather than professional experience. The most senior positions appear to be filled on the basis of track record, participation in significant training opportunities especially internationally, sponsorship by officials making the selection decision and acceptability to the Party.

2.3 QUALITY AND RELEVANCE

Quality of education is influenced by physical conditions of school buildings including classrooms, offices, dormitories, yard, boundary walls, playing fields and other physical features, and facilities such as water, sanitation, electricity, transport, and internet access. Teaching conditions in classrooms that affect quality include PTR, textbooks and other teaching-learning resource materials and equipment. From an HR perspective demonstrated competence of staff as teachers, managers and administrators is a key factor in quality. In the school context relevance relates to appropriateness of the taught curriculum for the range of children, and the validity of measures of pupil attainment on the learned curriculum. In management contexts relevance relates to ensuring alignment between system goals and system delivery, so that needed resources are provided to support teachers at the time, place and to the level required to enable them to deliver the curriculum in an appropriate way. A further aspect is gathering intelligence on system functioning through evaluation to inform decisions about needed staff development and future resource allocation.

2.3.1 Physical facilities

Primary schools are built by local communities and their condition often reflects community resources and child population. Projects also fund schools. Physical conditions vary but many schools lack basic facilities; WB (2007) reported that less than 15% of schools have electricity; dormitories in one school visited offered students little personal space.

2.3.2 Teaching conditions

Primary classrooms generally have basic facilities, but especially in poor districts textbooks and other learning resources are in short supply with students often having to share. Nearly all schools are understaffed because of decisions made centrally by PACSA on the number of CS teaching positions that can be filled and DEB deployment policy. There are notional Pupil Teacher Ratios (PTR) for each level of schooling: pre-primary 1: 20, primary 1:35, lower secondary 1:30, but in remote areas incomplete school class size may be very small while in more populous locations class size can be 50+.


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2.3.3 Teachers

Annual statistical information is collected by ESITC on student and teacher numbers. In 2004-5 the total number of teachers employed in education at all levels from pre-school to university in Lao PDR was 48,113 (WB 2007). Of these 25,000 (57%) were primary teachers (61% men) with an average age of 34 years and 13 years of teaching experience. Half teach in the village where they grew up; 30% in remote areas. WB (2007) reported that around 14% of primary teachers have completed only five years of primary education and are untrained. Significant numbers have five years of schooling and three or four years of training, though the majority now has 8 + 3 qualification.

Table 2 shows that in 2005-6 a total of 27,850 primary teachers were employed in Lao PDR, including 6,475 in the 47 poorest districts. Nationally 11% of these teachers were untrained, compared with 19% untrained serving in the poorest districts. One in four serving teachers was a year 11 graduate and most had received one year of training.

Table 2: Number of primary teachers in Lao PDR in 2005-6 by district and training category

Teacher category Untrained

(%) < 8+3 (%)

8+3 (%)

11+1 (%)

>11+1 (%)

All (%)

National 3,155 (11)

9,695 (35)

7,750 (28)

6,867 (25)

383 (1)

27,850 (100)

47 Poorest districts

1,256 (19)

2,437 (38)

1,237 (19)

1,515 (23)

30 (0)

6,475 (100)

Other districts 1,899 (9)

7,258 (34)

6,513 (30)

5,352 (25)

353 (2)

21,375 (100)

Source: Ministry of Education annual school census 2005-6. Cited in Noonan and Xaiyasensook (2007): Alternative Models of Teacher Training for Remote Areas, SIDA p. 4; calculations by authors

NB: Data provided do not indicate whether these primary teachers are all civil servants or include contract and/or volunteer teachers.

New teachers undergo a year of probation. A grade 5 teacher teaches on average for 36 hours per week and spends a further seven hours on preparation and correction. There are also typically four parents’ meetings per year. Poorly qualified teachers are nominated for upgrading through projects or MoE. In one district visited 162 teachers (96 women) were employed including one untrained teacher, a number with 5+3 or 5+4 qualifications and 21 volunteers of whom nine served in pre-school and primary and 12 in lower secondary where the major shortage existed.

2.3.4 Teaching quality

The school year is 165 days and typical school hours are 08.00-12.00 and 13.00-16.00. Teachers turn up for school punctually and regularly. Schools purport to be ‘child friendly’ and student-centered, but studies (TTEST 2004c; WB, 2007) suggest that teachers generally instruct reflecting their previous school and TEI experience. The school curriculum is set nationally and is in process of revision. Besides core subjects some schools take advantage of freedom to provide 20-25% of locally oriented curriculum.


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In addition to internal tests from grade 1 and a district end of primary school examination, standards achieved by primary school students are independently assessed on national ASLO (Achievement of School Learning Outcomes) tests. These indicate that performance in core curriculum areas of Lao language and social studies – ‘The World About Us’ - is comparable to neighboring countries, but lower in mathematics. Resistance to schooling in some remote and ethnic communities is attributed to its interference with, and irrelevance for, the pattern of community life. In food scarce communities children may be needed to hunt or work the land rather than spending vital hours in classrooms.

Secondary school staffing was not studied for this report but many teachers are primary trained and upgraded to teach core subjects of Lao language, mathematics and science. Low qualifications of staff in higher education were noted earlier, as was NUOL’s staff development program.

2.3.5 Teacher education

Teacher training is not competency-based so it is unclear what skills teachers develop. MoE’s DTT is responsible for managing TEI. TEI staff has benefited from two significant staff development projects in the past few years. SIDA’s TTEST (2003-10) project provided Masters’ training in Sweden to two cohorts of 20 staff, and a Thai university and NUOL are providing further training to two further cohorts in 2009 and 2010. JICA’s SMATT project trained three groups of ten science and mathematics teacher educators in student-centered teaching in Japan and Lao PDR between 2004 and 2008. DTT has established DEET – Division of Teacher Education and Evaluation – that is following up progress of all enrolled teacher training students, including special course students in 2007-8 and making a special study of science and mathematics teaching in TEI.

2.3.6 Quality and relevance of management

Managers include line managers (DG) of departments at MoE with responsibility for their respective sphere of education, PES and DEB staff including PA who work directly with schools, school directors and managers of TEI and HEI. MoE and PES has modern office buildings with wireless internet and intranet. WB (2009) identified the following needs: resource inputs, strategic planning and budgeting, information use, monitoring and evaluation, HRM, procurement, financial and operation administration and service output. HRM lacked: Project Information Management Systems (PIMS), accurate job descriptions, a transparent recruitment process, appropriate training and coaching. Administration lacked: coordination and alignment, timely service delivery, realistic planning and prompt implementation, monitoring and evaluation, incentives, motivation, experience and skills.

2.3.7 Conditions of service

Conditions relate to salaries, allowances, welfare and pensions. Table 2 column (a) indicates the amount of government recurrent education spending on teacher salaries by education sector in 2008 and the percentage non-salary to recurrent expenditure as calculated by ESDF (2009).


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Table 3: GOL PDR government spending on teacher salaries and percentage non-salary of total block grant recurrent expenditure by sector

Year: 2008

Sector (a) Salary costs (Kip millions)

(b) % Non-Salary to Recurrent Expenditure

1. Primary 229,180 18.9

2. Lower secondary 87,070 21.7

3. Upper secondary 63,982 25.8

4. TVET 21,131 63.9

5. Teacher Training 9,348 55.2

6. Higher Education 16,023 89.2

Source: ESDF January 2009, Table E Table 3 shows that in 2008 salaries for primary teachers were more than salaries for all other sectors combined. At the same time primary was the sector with the lowest percentage non-salary to recurrent expenditure.

Teachers’ salaries as CS are linked to academic qualifications. Since many primary teachers have only five or eight years of general education they are placed on the lower CS service salary scales. WB (2007) reported salaries of about USD$ 39 per month for primary teachers and around $ 45 for lower secondary, comprising 85% basic salary and 15% allowances and incentives for those who are married and have children. There is little variation in salaries between urban and rural areas, but teachers in rural areas at times experience delays in payment, and may be charged a fee of around USD$ 1.20 for collecting their salary. MoE (2008) calculated salaries in relation to GDP and showed that teachers live on the poverty line, with primary teachers’ salaries at 0.965 of GDP and those of lower secondary teachers at 0.998, compared with around 2.5 times GDP for teachers in other countries in the region. Their scales progress incrementally with an increase of around 1.5% every two years over 15 years, meaning that a teacher may spend his/her entire career on the same scale unless s/he upgrades. Teachers receive pensions on retirement. Many primary teachers and fourteen per cent of lower secondary teachers offer private tuition to students after school, and have second or third jobs as well. Earnings add one third to total pay. PACSA is charged with reducing the number of civil servants and proposals are under consideration to make teachers a special category of CS to enhance flexibility in teacher recruitment and salary payments. A new decree for teacher management has been drafted. There appears to have been no public discussion of this proposed change. Though CS has received minor salary increases over the past years relative incomes have not changed.

2.3.8 Recruitment and selection

As discussed above there is virtually no obvious recruitment to state education in Lao PDR. The unattractiveness of teaching is reflected in the un-quantified drop-out of quota and examination entry students on qualifying from TEI and universities. Selection is currently not an issue for pre-school and secondary school teachers but it is for primary teachers in well-settled areas.


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2.3.9 Incentives

There are special incentive payments for teaching in remote areas and multi-grade classes, but neither is generous or effective in attracting teachers to such work. ‘Meritorious’ teaching is recognized by a certificate from DoP’s Division of Incentives and small salary enhancement, equivalent to USD$ 0.50 per month. Teachers’ Day is now celebrated and a system of honorific titles for teachers - People Teachers, National Teachers and Expert Teachers – awaits implementation. In-service training is provided by projects but participation is not recognized towards a professional qualification or salary enhancement though TESAP (2006) recommended this.

2.3.10 Primary school management

Primary schools in some parts of Lao PDR are organized in clusters of normally five or six schools on basis of proximity to a ‘lead’ school that has a resource center and a trained staff. TTEST (2004) evaluated clusters positively. ‘School Improvement’ towards ‘schools of quality’ is a current concept; UNICEF has piloted 60 ‘child friendly schools’ and provided detailed criteria that they should meet.

2.3.11 Monitoring and evaluation

The system for monitoring and evaluation involves school directors and PA visiting classrooms to observe teachers teach and providing reports to MoE’s division of HRM of satisfactory professional work for salary incremental purposes. There is little evidence that the system is used to assist teachers to develop their classroom practice.

2.3.12 Career structure

There is little in the way of a career structure for primary teachers. For example there is no pathway into management and administration; equally there are no promoted posts reflecting specialization in early education or upper primary or expertise in specific curricular subjects. Professional associations recommended in TESAP (2006) are not allowed, but school staff may be invited to join one or more available mass and Party organizations, Lao women’s group and a Youth Union.

2.3.13 Student representation

In most schools in Lao PDR each class has a student committee which considers expressed student concerns. If a matter cannot be resolved it may be brought to a higher level and finally to the school director.

2.3.14 Conclusion

The quality of educational provision in Lao PDR is variable depending much on school location. Primary schools are dependent upon community support, since management lacks sufficient material resources even to provide a set of textbooks for individual children. The primary teaching force is poorly qualified though sizeable numbers experience upgrading each year. Untrained teachers can still find jobs whereas some trained teachers are forced to work as unpaid volunteers to earn the right to be considered for a teaching position. Teacher training too is of poor quality reflecting the lack of school experience of teacher trainers and knowledge of how to teach in a student-centered way, though project assistance has extended management and research skills of a significant number. Education service


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managers have poor educational qualifications and are perceived to lack resources such as PIMS and on-the-job coaching assistance to manage the system effectively. School improvement and Schools of Quality are current concepts. There has been some recognition of teachers’ work. Sizeable numbers of those who train to be teachers do not apply for teaching positions though many have experienced subsidized training for this purpose.

2.4 GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governance refers to policies, legislation and regulations of MoE that provide a framework for education and to management procedures for implementation and evaluation. Policy development requires a strong research and intelligence base to provide accurate, current information that strategic thinkers may analyze and relate to achieving national policy goals. Policy dissemination requires alignment between central government, PES and DEB for effective communication and staff training to ensure that policies are understood and implemented with fidelity. Quality policy implementation also depends upon creating a transparent performance culture based on principled ethical practice in accordance with international standards of good governance. Quality and relevance of education management depends upon the systems that management creates to support and challenge staff that teach.

2.4.1 Policy making, dissemination and implementation

Policies are formulated at Party and government levels in a traditional hierarchical cultural setting. Staff in respective Ministries undertakes research and analysis as part of the process of bringing forward agreed proposals for implementation. Policy making in MoE is thus diffused across departments. Adopted policy decisions are expressed through decrees issued by Ministers at different levels of seniority e.g. Prime Minister, Minister, regulations, guidelines and other forms of legislation that are instructions or guides to action. Though decrees etc are published they may not be enforced. Quality of public service administration is a concern and PACSA is promoting reform through various pilot projects including ‘One-door service’ centers (Bounnaphon 2008) that have brought citizens spectacular benefits, such as reducing the time taken to obtain a birth certificate from 10-15 days to two days. Decisions, such as that in March 2009 to extend secondary education to seven years require staff in concerned agencies to review current legislative instruments, regulations and financial arrangements.

2.4.2 Legal situation

The Education Law of 17 July 2007 stipulates that MoE has overall management responsibility for education. Teachers are technical officials different from general administrative officials. Their status is differentiated as ‘experienced, skilled, specialist, senior teacher, assistant teacher, teacher, Assistant Professor, people’s teacher and national teacher’ – the last two being honorable titles. Teachers’ privileges, prohibitions, quality, functions, rights and obligations are spelled out in different clauses. (See the Governance and Institutional Reform Sector Study ADB TA 4907-Lao (2009).

2.4.3 Education service administration and management

At central level MoE currently comprises departments, divisions and centers of different size and history as described earlier. School education is administered in a ‘de-concentrated’


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manner by PES and DEB under an order of 3 October 2002 as described earlier and through VEDC.

MoE implements policies through PES and DEB but the ‘chain of command’ is weak due to misalignment of functions consequent upon restructuring and PES/DEB reporting and loyalties being primarily to provincial Governors. Governors have Ministerial status, their own priorities for educational development and considerable financial autonomy through tax-raising powers. (Well-off provinces fund the entire cost of teacher salaries whilst poorer ones are subsidized by central government). An example of the weak chain is in respect of management of teacher supply. PES manage quotas annually drawing on data supplied by DEB on CS post vacancies – including teaching posts – arising through attrition – retirements, death etc - or required through new facility creation, such as new schools. It forwards that list – the requested ‘quota’ - to DoP which passes on a consolidated provincial quota list to PACSA. Along with Ministry of Finance (MOF) PACSA decides how many posts government can afford in each province in the next financial year. Previously DoP communicated this information to PES alone; now however it also sends it directly to DEB since its past experience is that some PES allocates posts to schools where there already are sufficient teachers rather than to those with greatest need. The effectiveness of this new arrangement for equitable teacher distribution is unknown since there appears to be no standardized performance management system.

A main purpose of PACSA’s Lao PDR Civil Service Management (CSM) Strategic Framework is to ‘improve the formulation, coordination and implementation of polices and programs at the local levels (Provinces and Districts)’ (Anon 2005, p. 5).

2.4.4 Induction and training of management staff

DoP is responsible for organization and personnel issues for teachers and other CS employed within MoE, PES and DEB. Besides issuing job descriptions it maintains staff records and manages training through an Administrator Education Training Center (AETC) established in August 2007. Its function is to identify training needs and manage, monitor and evaluate training of education administrators at different levels including school directors. Induction training and staff development occur through a variety of forms of off-the-job training, including international study. Training is also provided through NUOL’s FOE Educational Management Training Center (EMTC) and centers attached to TEI in LuangPrabang and Pakse. Training for new school directors is based on an EDP2 Manual from the late 1990s which identifies the scope of management as curriculum, community, finance, students and resources.

2.4.5 Research and intelligence

The local research and intelligence base on which policy decisions are made is currently quite limited. ESITC surveys are criticized for providing insufficiently disaggregated data to illuminate key issues related to access and quality. The division that was transformed into SREAC produced research reports on issues such as repetition in primary schooling. TEED is beginning to track teacher education students. Most research evidence is provided by donor projects (e.g. Tibi 2008; Howe 2008) though these are often snapshots restricted by time and resource constraints rather than exhaustive analyses. TTEST studies in teacher education, school clusters and assessment, though useful inevitably date rapidly. TEI staff


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undertaking Masters’ degrees through TTEST and NUOL FOE staff show evidence of potential to contribute to the development of a stronger research base for educational policy making.

2.4.6 Vision and strategic thinking skills

Restructuring might be assumed to reflect some vision of what MoE is trying to achieve and strategic thinking about how to realize it. How far either is the case is doubtful. An example is the manner by which SREAC was established. The Ministerial decree did not specify functions for the new Center or explain its place in its grand design; instead it tasked the new DG and DD with proposing them! Further evidence of limited strategic thinking skills comes from workshops, a frequent occurrence in MoE that often bring together staff from several MoE departments along with consultants and development partners. Typically they are conducted in Lao by staff using presentations and materials prepared by consultants. There is little input from local staff. This may indicate lack of ownership or engagement with key policy issues under discussion and perhaps also limited understanding of them, creating a culture of dependency on development partners, whose own understanding of local needs may be based on quite limited engagement due to project constraints.

2.4.7 Ethical practice

Lao PDR Civil Service Management Strategy 2005-10 (Anon 2005) includes development of a Civil Service Code of Conduct. The aim is to ‘promote public trust and confidence in the ethical performance of civil servants, generate pride amongst staff and inspire a new generation of civil servants’ (p. 7). The HR function is seen as having a key role in its implementation.

2.4.8 Conclusion

Effective policy making in MoE is hampered by the current limited data base for policy making and staff’s apparent lack of strategic thinking skills. Cultural constraints are a further factor. Implementation of MoE policies at provincial and district levels is hampered by lack of alignment and conflicts of interest of key staff, acerbated by lack of a standardized performance management system to provide information on how implementation is managed in practice. Sponsorship is endemic in selection decisions as discussed earlier and is often based on unclear criteria that raises questions of ethical practice, though these are minor compared with the lack of challenge to the privileges of Nayobay.

2.5 STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF THE CURRENT EDUCATIONAL SITUATION

Strengths and weaknesses of the current Lao PDR educational system, on the basis of the above analyses are summarized in Text Box 2 below.

2.5.1 Access

Lack of recruitment is a feature of the system. Perhaps system managers assume that benefits of education or of a career in education are obvious, since there is strong general community support but that may not be the case with poor parents, or parents of disabled children or of some ethnic groups.

Admission to basic and secondary education is based on the selection criterion of ability to


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pay fees; admission to post-school educational opportunities depends upon examination success or sponsorship, with scholarship support that in some cases assists children from poor families. Sponsorship also appears to be the main criterion for accessing upgrading opportunities.

Selection is unfair in respect of privileges of Nayobay students. It is unclear in respect of sponsorship selection for quota and for upgrading. Selection for teaching is to some extent invalid since many of those selected for training by quotas and entrance examinations do not become teachers; in that respect it is also inefficient. Selection criteria for teaching are also applied inconsistently since untrained teachers can still obtain jobs in some areas.

2.5.2 Quality and relevance

With regard to quality the system has some success in relation to pupil participation and achievement, but also evident inefficiencies. Most teachers are qualified and trained, but general educational standards of teachers, especially at primary are low and competency levels weak reflecting poor quality of teacher training by staff with little teaching experience. There is some recognition of teachers’ contribution to society. Upgrading is the main means for teachers to develop since no national in-service provision currently exists. Conditions of service are poor by regional standards. School managers lack awareness of significant ways to develop their staff or their schools. Conditions of work vary but many schools lack basic facilities, including textbooks and this may reflect lack of advocacy for education in appropriate quarters.

With regard to relevance the primary curriculum focuses on basic skills and offers potential for local diversification, but resistance to schooling also may reflect a perception that it has little to offer some groups in Lao society. Management at district and school levels visits classrooms to observe teachers at work, but they do not appear to use the evidence obtained purposefully to assist teachers to develop professionally, perhaps because they lack know-how.

2.5.3 Governance and management

With regard to governance significant policy making appears to be restricted to a few in the Party and senior government levels. While many MoE staff are involved at later stages cultural factors may inhibit their contribution. Policy making lacks a sound indigenous research base though that may be developing. Evidence is that strategic thinking skills for restructuring are not strong though advanced international training may improve its level in the years ahead. Policy implementation suffers from lack of alignment between central and school levels. Introduction of a performance monitoring system could improve this. Globalization has promoted awareness of the need for ethical practice in the local context, but the privileged status of Nayobay students has not been addressed.


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Text Box 2: Strengths and weaknesses of the current education situation in Lao PDR

Access

Strengths Weaknesses

Sponsorship through quotas and scholarships support some students

Recruitment Selection process and criteria

Little at any level so that benefits of education are not promoted Unfair, unclear, invalid, inefficient and inconsistently applied

Quality and relevance


Four in five students in primary Three in four grade 5 students transfer to secondary; international standards reached on ASLO tests for Lao PDR and social studies; increasing numbers complete secondary; low failure in post-school education Most teachers qualified and trained Some e.g. Teachers’ Day Upgrading Civil service status School director/head teachers in most schools Variable, depending upon community Core curriculum exists and provision for 25% local studies PA and school directors visit classrooms and observe teaching

Student participation Student achievement Quality of teaching Teacher recognition Teacher development Conditions of service Quality of management Conditions of work Curriculum relevance Monitoring and evaluation for teacher development

Inefficient:: one in five not in primary Grade 5 completion takes eight years; low standards in mathematics Partial competency: untrained teachers, low educational and professional attainment reflecting poor teacher training, little student-centered teaching Invalid basis for teacher merit awards? No national in-service provision Low salaries, long incremental scales Little awareness of ‘school improvement’ concept Limited vision and ineffective advocacy: schools in poorest areas often lack basic facilities and teaching aids including textbooks Perceived relevance of curriculum to some parents and children questionable Limited conception of management role: results of monitoring rarely used to assist teacher development

Governance and management


Developing Developing as more staff experience high level international training Awareness of issue at MoE level Awareness of issue at MoE level

Open policy making Research base Strategic thinking skills Alignment between central and local agents Ethical practice

Limited concept of stakeholder Limited disaggregated data and dependence upon donor projects Culture inhibits expression Ineffective policy monitoring and evaluation Unclear sponsorship criteria and privileges for Nayobay


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3 CHALLENGES AND PRIORITIES FOR ESDF IMPLEMENTATION

3.0 INTRODUCTION

The previous section was an analysis of strengths and weaknesses of current education in Lao PDR with specific reference to HR. To improve current practice it is necessary to identify specific policy targets that are to be achieved and to review possible means of doing so. ESDF has numerous specific proposals for developing education in Lao PDR up to 2015. They can be summarized as six broad targets as follows:

1. Most students in society participating, progressing and achieving good standards within quality pre-primary primary and secondary schools.

2. The ‘best’ people training as teachers and committing to a career in teaching.

3. A better educated and trained teaching force with greater pedagogical skills and opportunities for professional development.

4. Better managed and better resourced primary and secondary schools.

5. A better managed education service at all levels.

6. Opportunities for greater numbers of school students and those in employment to progress to, and learn within a variety of forms of post-school and continuing education.

Achieving such targets depends upon adopting an integrated approach since the issues involved are inevitably complex and multi-faceted. Each encompasses access, quality and relevance and governance and management aspects. Each also involves teachers and managers within the education service understanding what the targets are and how they may be achieved i.e. sharing a vision of what may be achieved if they can work together cooperatively. A condition for doing so is their need for recognition and incentives to encourage them to commit to the task. These are some of the many priorities and challenges facing ESDF implementation as discussed below.

3.1 STUDENT PARTICIPATION PROGRESS AND ACHIEVEMENT

Achieving this target depends upon many things - the provision of school buildings, trained teachers who can teach relevant and interesting lessons, textbooks and other resources – but one ESDF priority is to remove registration fees and payments that parents are required to make to school managers to enroll their children in school, and another is to provide scholarships for up to 20% of children from the poorest families to enable them to remain within schooling from grade 4. With regard to fees its strategy is to phase out such payments, which are the sole direct income of most schools, and to compensate schools for the lost income by introducing block grants to the equivalent amount paid directly by MoE’s DOF into school bank accounts. Several challenges are presented by this strategy. Though block grants have been trialed in neighboring Cambodia they are new in Lao PDR and it is understood that MOF has not been involved in discussions about introducing them in Lao PDR. Assuming that MOF were to agree in principle to their introduction legislation would need to be approved that would make it illegal for schools to raise money from parents for registration and tuition purposes. Several further issues would need to be resolved before block grants could be introduced. These include the agency within MoE with main


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responsibility for managing such a system – identified by Lao staff consulted as DOF, the time scale within which block grant applications, processing, delivery and expenditure should be conducted e.g. over one financial year or longer, conditions for award and appropriate expenditures e.g. in terms of a formal application relating to furthering a school ‘improvement’ plan, the sum of money involved per child e.g. USD$ 11 per child under ESDF, though Lao colleagues consulted estimate it would be at best half that amount, the basis for calculating the number of children that a school would be entitled to claim for e.g. date of attendance for grant purposes and the status of ‘repeating’ students, the roles of agencies at central, provincial, district and village levels that might be involved in administering the scheme e.g. approving applications, monitoring expenditures and access issues, especially for managers of the most remote schools which may be far from a bank. Further HR issues include identifying responsible agencies to develop a ‘package’ of information and documentation on procedures related to managing block grants, recruiting additional staff e.g. in DOF to manage the system for 8,800 schools, training staff at all levels, including VEDC, many of whose members may have minimal literacy skills in how to operate the system, developing an appropriate back-up, monitoring and evaluation system and training staff to operate it.

Introducing such a scheme is certainly a major challenge; being prepared to cope with its effects is another. For example, if the per pupil grant is set low then it is possible that many schools in more affluent areas may lose income and may protest. Inevitably, too there will be many ‘grey areas’ as regards appropriate expenditure: for example would it be appropriate to use funds to pay for remedial teaching for students to assist their progression?

ESDF’s other main proposal to promote progression within school is to provide scholarships for 20% of all students from grades 4-9. The main challenges are a transparent national process for identifying such students and setting the scholarship at an appropriate level. Identification is likely to be managed at district level for primary and lower secondary and at provincial level for upper secondary. A national guideline would assist in defining and equalizing eligibility criteria. Access may be on the basis of some objective – but possibly hard to verify - criterion such as parental income. Additionally it could be based on academic progress as judged by the school. Given girls’ slightly superior academic performance to boys it may be appropriate to allocate scholarships on a different basis from 50:50. However, scholarships may have conditions attached, such as in relation to attendance or academic achievement which, if not met could result in the scholarship being withdrawn. How withdrawal of a scholarship should be managed is important to plan for, given the implications of ‘loss of face’ for child and family. Thus award of scholarships involves maintaining records, monitoring progress and human resource management.

3.2 RECRUITMENT OF ‘BEST’ PERSONS WHO BECOME COMMITTED TEACHERS

Achieving this target depends upon promoting teaching as a job that makes a vital contribution to the quality of society and that does so because it recruits able persons, rewards them financially at an appropriate level for their efforts, and offers attractive career opportunities so that they commit to teaching – or the wider education service – as their career. Section 2 indicated that there is little or no recruitment for teaching except through quotas. It also showed that many of those thus recruited to TEI and universities do not apply to teach subsequent to training.


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ESDF recognizes that teachers are badly paid and proposes an immediate 10% salary increase and 3% p.a. thereafter until 2015 to bring their salaries closer to the regional average and thus attract more able people into teaching. Recognizing the ineffectiveness of most current incentives, it also proposes a new performance-based ‘fast-track’ approach to tenure for head teachers. A further proposal is delegating authority for teacher supply to PES. All three proposals represent priorities for implementation. However, they need to be seen in a wider context related to the status of teaching and management of teacher supply as a whole. This section first discusses teacher status. It then addresses salaries and incentives and finally management of teacher supply.

3.2.1 Teachers’ status: civil servants or what?

ESDF does not allude to current discussions on teachers’ status. There are two categories of teacher in Lao PDR: CS and non-CS – contract, volunteer and untrained teachers. A government decision is awaited on changing the status of teachers who are CS to some other status. The matter has been under consideration since 2003. The case for change is based on the need to reduce the number of CS in Lao PDR. Teachers are the largest single group of CS. Yet legally they are viewed as a distinct category of employee, different from administrators. One interviewee described them as ‘functionaries’ – like soldiers, who are also servants of the state - whereas ‘true’ CS are ‘managers’ or administrators. CS status carries with it numerous practical benefits already mentioned so a change is likely to be controversial. What would replace CS status has not been articulated. Teachers have not been consulted; there is no independent teacher union to articulate their views; there has been no research on potential effects of loss of CS status on attractiveness of teaching as a career. DoP is the agency in MoE with responsibility for CS welfare. It presumably has represented teachers in status discussions, but not canvassing their views illustrates the weakness of the ‘stakeholder’ concept in policy making in Lao PDR.

Some of the pros and cons in changing teachers’ status are set out below. First, advantages to government of removing teachers from CS status could include that:

It would reduce CS numbers by around 50,000 immediately and more in the longer-term as teacher numbers will increase with system expansion, further inflating the size of the CS

PACSA/MOF would no longer have to approve provincial teacher quotas. (NB: Currently it is maintained that quota approval is based on ‘what the country can

afford’, yet since wealthy provinces pay entire salary costs of teachers – and perhaps pension costs? - while government subsidises salaries – and pensions? - of teachers only in the poorer provinces – the funding issue may be mis-represented and may be more ‘what the province can afford’)

DOP in MOE would also no longer have a role in approving quotas, both at point of nomination to PACSA/MOF and of informing provinces/districts of their approved quota of teachers. DOP also would no longer be responsible for maintaining a record of PACSA approved CS teachers, management of incremental advances or transfers. Staff in the Division of HRM could be assigned new roles. (NB: Recommendations 2 and 5 of this report are for DTT to maintain a record of teacher numbers by age, gender, subject specialism etc for teacher supply planning purposes)


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Since they would no longer be employers government would not be responsible for the salaries and/or pensions of those teachers who work in provinces that are too poor to finance their own teachers. However, government i.e. MOE would still be responsible for ensuring that there were sufficient teachers to meet needs of communities

All those who work in the education service at central, provincial and district levels, including school directors and teachers are CS – except for contract and voluntary teachers. Changing teachers from CS would mean identifying a new employing agency such as the Province Education Authority with its executing staff such as Pedagogical Advisers. This would provide an opportunity to create an ad hoc non-CS education authority for teachers, whilst other functions remained as at present viz. arms of the civil service; alternatively entire provincial and district functions might be de-civil-serviced and re-established as Provincial Authorities, each with its own non-CS conditions of service. This would mean that CS work only for central government at central government level.

CS status determines pay levels for teachers. It is understood that MOE i.e. ‘government’ has no freedom to vary these. However, PACSA’s program for Governance and Public Service Administrative Reform incorporates the idea of performance evaluation that may be linked to merit pay. Merit pay for teachers raises several difficult issues in itself. International experience is that performance management systems in education create more problems than they are worth because of the difficulty of (a) validly measuring teaching performance, (b) linking that to student outcomes or other criteria, and (c) deciding what proportion of a teacher’s salary should be performance-related. So extending this aspect of PACSA’s reform program would be problematical. If teachers were no longer CS then obviously they would no longer be government employees and so would no longer be bound by CS pay structures. The structure of teachers’ pay would be decided by their new employers. Government might try to influence that pay structure but it could not determine it. In developed countries viz. Australia and UK key considerations in structuring pay attractively have been (a) starting salary (b) length of incremental scale and (c) opportunities for promotion to a ‘career grade’. With regard to (a) it has been seen to be important to offer graduates entering teaching starting salaries comparable to, or even better than, those of similarly qualified entrants to other comparable professions; with regard to (b) incremental salary scales have been shortened to around 10 years so that when family financial pressures – especially for men! - are likely to be highest teachers have achieved the top of their respective scale; with regard to (c) promoted posts have been created for between one third and one half of all teachers, with a career grade of e.g. principal subject teacher or Deputy Primary School Director within reach of able, committed long-serving teachers. In addition salary inducements have been introduced to encourage ‘excellent’ teachers to remain as classroom teachers. None of these conditions currently apply in Laos. CS status confers a number of rights on teachers that need to be considered in making any change. These include that salary is linked to academic qualifications, with incremental promotion every two years, subject to satisfactory service, guaranteed life-time employment until retirement age, opportunities for funded upgrading leading to a higher salary scale, and a guaranteed life-time pension. Though bringing such undoubted benefits CS status also has drawbacks. One issue for teachers is who is their employer? Teachers on different salary


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scales work in a school where they are supervised by a more senior CS viz. the school director, who in turn reports to a civil servant in an outside agency viz. DEB or PES. Their employer – and it is unclear which agency that exactly might be – is however remote. This may create uncertainty as to the appropriate forum in which to raise matters of conditions of service that are unique to schools and teachers, such as teaching load. As mentioned earlier, too, salary is based on academic rather than professional qualifications - as is promotion. In fact it might be said that CS status – as currently defined - works against professionalism. Being tied to the quota system means that some schools are understaffed – while others are overstaffed - and teachers lack mobility, a basic professional right in many countries. Job selection by written test seems more appropriate for desk CS than professionals.

Changing the status of teachers could bring them benefits if it was linked to self-managing schools and the vision of a professional body for teachers. Such developments are endorsed by ESDF through creating more powerful VEDC and could promote policies that would recognize the distinctive and intrinsically difficult nature of teachers’ work. Salary and promotion could be linked to acquisition of professional qualifications relevant to improved professional performance.

3.2.2 Teachers’ salaries

ESDF’s proposal to increase salaries by 10% initially takes no account of the constraints on PACSA/MOF in conceding such an increase: it would mean a general increase for all CS that presumably cannot be afforded. Salary issues need to be considered on a wider basis taking account of the structure of the teaching profession. The discussion here focuses on primary teachers.

Most primary teachers have 8+3 qualifications, but around 10% have less. Those with long service are likely to be placed towards the top end of the lower civil service salary scales. Their salaries do not provide a viable income even after supplements are taken into account. Many of these teachers are poorly qualified and trained many years before. Many have been or are in process of being ‘upgraded’ which is a ‘hidden’ salary cost that system managers do not recognize. However, from a system point of view, in terms of actual salary costs they may be cheaper to employ than newly trained teachers with better academic qualifications. The newly trained 11+1 or 11+2 teachers would likely be placed on higher salary scales – admittedly at the lowest point initially - potentially increasing the national salary bill in the short-term and undoubtedly doing so in the longer term. Thus a kind of inverse Gresham’s Law may operate. A policy of managing teacher supply to encourage older, poorly qualified and untrained or poorly trained teachers to retire faces, of course, a funding problem. Though the quality of the teaching force is a key factor in improving teaching quality, the current basis for calculating salaries may encourage the status quo and militate against appointing better qualified and trained teachers.

Volunteer teachers often earn no salary but are paid in kind – free food and lodging for example – by the communities in which they work. They would seem to constitute an exploited group. Again those who currently manage education may see this as acceptable since they reduce the national teacher salary bill, and put the onus on the community – often no doubt the poorest communities - to pay for the education of its children as enshrined in legislation.


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3.2.3 Incentives

ESDF recognized the need for new incentives for teachers and proposed ‘fast-track promotion to tenure’ – presumably within the incremental salary scale - for probationer head teachers who develop a three classroom school into a five classroom school within three years. The effectiveness of this ‘indicator’ as an incentive would depend upon how ‘fast-track’ was defined, and how many persons were eligible. PACSA’s concern might be to ensure that the higher the number of staff involved the smaller the number of increments! If the route to take to improve salaries is incentives then the challenge is to identify a suitable range, linked to the special nature of teachers’ work and career aspirations, which PACSA would recognize as worth paying for, and that would not blow out the salary bill. This issue is discussed later under ‘better managed schools’.

Promotion is an incentive in most education systems. There are promoted posts for around one third of teachers that carry different salary loadings with a ‘career grade’ that reflects what a competent professional might expect to achieve. Despite the variety of teacher classifications described in the Education Act, primary teaching in Lao PDR appears to offer little in the way of a materially rewarded career structure. A promotion structure could be developed recognizing administrative responsibilities by stage – lower and upper primary - and specialist curriculum expertise in subjects of the primary curriculum, as well as skills in meeting needs of students – up to an estimated 50% - who at some time or another experience learning difficulties, to support progressive promotion and meet needs of children with disabilities. To qualify for these posts, and additional salary that they would attract, teachers would need to demonstrate professional and management skills. These could be acquired through new in-service programs that ESDF proposes that TEI develop.

3.2.4 Managing teacher supply

Teacher supply in Lao PDR currently has several managers. They include:

PASCA which indicates how many quota vacancies will exist for the next year

PES which determines names of quota students and scholarship holders

DTT which decides on the total number of training places in TEI that shall be filled each year, which programs students will enroll in, and what proportion of TEI and university places will be filled by quota students and examination entrants

TEI who decide which applicants for primary and lower secondary programs – including Nayobay - shall in fact be admitted and qualified

Universities which decide on which upper secondary students shall be admitted and qualified

PACSA which decides on the number of civil service teaching posts that will be available each year

DEB in association with school directors – and perhaps still PES? – that decides on which applicants will be offered the posts available

PACSA which decides whether those appointed meet its criteria for a civil service teaching post

DoP which records names of nominees as teachers for CS posts acceptable to PACSA.


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This is undoubtedly a complex scenario. There can be little argument that change is needed as a priority. The challenge is to identify what changes are needed and in what sequence to make them.

This section first addresses numbers in the current teaching force and ensuring a supply of teachers in the period up to 2015. Next it considers management of supply and the implications for teacher status and salaries of de-concentrating this to PES.

3.2.5 Teacher numbers

Having sufficient teacher numbers and distributing trained teachers effectively to schools across Lao PDR is crucial for achieving MDG and EFA goals. There are conflicting views on the number of teachers required. WB (2007) estimated that demand for primary and secondary teachers would grow; ESDF projections are for primary teaching posts to decline from 28,389 in 2007 to 24,455 by 2015, with PTR rising from almost 1:31 to 1:34. Over the same period the number of lower secondary teachers would increase from 10,584 to 24,918, with PTR rising from almost 1:24 to 1:25; senior secondary/TVET teacher numbers would grow from 8,788 to 12,666, with PTR rising from almost 1:16 to 1:24.

It is not clear where these numbers originate, on what basis they have been calculated or which category of teacher they refer to - CS status or all teachers including the untrained. Teachers employed as CS are approved by PACSA from nominations by provinces through DoP. The needed number of such teachers is provided by school directors to DEB/PES as part of the information collected in the annual ESITC school census. However, what proportion of these vacancies is filled each year is not known. What is known is that most public schools are understaffed (some are also overstaffed). By how much each is under- or over-staffed is not known. Certainly it may be said that the number of CS teachers reported as in service does not represent the number requested and presumably needed. The size of the gap between ‘needed’ and ‘provided’ under PACSA is probably not known, but no doubt it could be obtained. Teacher numbers provided is what PACSA/MOF states government is able to afford. This leaves communities short. No national information is available of how many additional teachers schools recruit. Again if these data were collected they could provide an accurate indication of the size of the actual teaching force. Currently neither DoP nor ESDF figures provides a basis for calculating teacher supply and better data should be collected through ESITC.

3.2.5.1 National v provincial management of teacher supply and its distribution

This section discusses the issues of teacher supply, distribution and re-distribution to eliminate surpluses and shortages. In most national systems of education teacher supply is a sensitive issue that is managed centrally on the basis of current data supplied annually by schools. Staffing projections may be developed based on the characteristics and history of the current teaching force nationally and provincially, and varied demand scenarios of enrolments, progression through a stage and transfer and persistence within another. Overall teacher supply can be controlled by a responsive teacher training system providing programs of different length. Programs are ‘taps’ that national managers can turn ‘on’ to produce trained teachers ‘fast’ e.g. via intensive ‘crash’ programs or slightly longer one-year programs, or ‘slow’ e.g. via a three year program. In theory incentives can be tailored to recruit applicants in shortage subjects, or to encourage mobility across the country to short-


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staffed areas. Both supply and demand are however affected by external factors such as economic growth, salaries and general conditions of service including opportunities for professional development and career.

The management of supply in Lao PDR is complicated by lack of information or analysis of the current teaching force as mentioned above, and by the drop-out between training and applying for a teaching post. The database of serving CS teachers administered by DoP’s division of HRM includes age, academic qualifications, salary scale and incremental status. Such data could provide some indication of the overall profile of teachers who are CS including age, resignation and morbidity patterns; in respect of secondary, subject qualifications are important, especially to ensure a supply of teachers in traditionally ‘shortage’ subjects of Lao, mathematics, science and ICT. A targeted scholarship policy might be considered to encourage students in such areas to enter teaching.

Drop-out of trained teachers after training, or within a few years of teaching, is not uncommon. One short-term solution is to increase the numbers in training so that, as in the army, though individual soldiers may miss, some bullets will reach their target! A more sophisticated approach is to research attitudes to teaching and try to address the unattractive aspects of the job while highlighting the positive in recruitment literature.

In Lao PDR MOE is not responsible for hiring or allocating teachers to teaching positions. That is primarily a provincial responsibility, though district staff and school directors may also be involved. To become registered as a CS teacher a province nominates to DOP/PACSA names of staff that it has selected for approved ‘quota’ teaching positions based on selection criteria set out by PACSA viz. educational and professional qualifications and moral standing. Thus the government does not allocate individual teachers to specific posts but simply identifies primary and secondary teaching positions for districts (primary) and provinces (secondary) to fill. How far DOP ties these positions to specific jobs in specific schools is unclear, but it is known that any such ‘directions’ may be varied for local reasons that may become evident only some time after the event e.g. when the next year’s quota is being considered by DOP. MOE could presumably address this issue and take direct responsibility for teacher allocation to schools, overriding the provincial and district agencies. Alternatively it could seek a ‘Reason why?’ for non-compliance with a direction that a particular quota place should be allocated to a particular school. If non-compliance proved high then legislation might be considered.

ESDF appears to propose that PES be given responsibility for provincial teacher supply. Its argument is not explicit but presumably rests on de-concentration and creating more management autonomy at local levels. ESDF does not indicate which aspects of teacher supply PES should be responsible for. It is unlikely to be the entire process from recruitment of teacher trainees to employment of trained teachers since that would mean establishing a teacher training facility in each province. For a country with a population of six million that might be very expensive. However, no doubt ‘upgrading centers’ could be used for this purpose and if these were developed for general higher education they could meet likely growing demand for post-school education.

This discussion assumes that PES responsibility is solely for ensuring that schools are staffed and that available teachers are distributed equitably. Lally (2006) - Teacher Deployment for Primary Schools – discusses the issues. It seems that whatever the


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regulations/legislation provinces and districts make their own decisions regarding teacher allocations to schools. Lally (2006) shows that the issue is linked to (a) differential economic strength of different provinces, (b) recruitment of quota students for teacher training, (c) school proximity, (d) student roles and (e) policies on teacher deployment. Wealthier provinces ask for and receive more quota places for teachers than poorer provinces, and PACSA agrees to them because they pay teacher salaries from their own resources, whereas poorer provinces get fewer quota places because they need government funding. Thus the current system favors the ‘haves’ over the ‘have-nots’. Using a PTR of 1:35 Lally’s (2006) study illustrates schools with an over- and under-supply of teachers. In urban areas many schools are in villages in close proximity but provinces/districts seem to be reluctant to merge schools, even when rolls are falling. Consequently PTR are very low in some schools. Why there is reluctance to merge is not clear as discussed above: besides parental opposition and ‘hidden’ factors, there may be lack of legislation. Lally (2006) suggests the following possible options for resolving teacher deployment in regard to quotas: (a) link quota places to real shortages of teachers, (b) identify criteria for allocating quota places, (c) require Provinces and Districts to submit plans in support of quota requests, indicating how they target specific villages where there is a teacher shortage, (d) require PASCA/MOE to fund extra quota places for poorer provinces that cannot support these staff from their own resources and (e) develop a proactive transfer policy in urban areas which results in closing small schools with low enrolments, requiring students to enroll in larger neighboring schools within walking distance and staff to take up teaching positions in these or further schools even if this involves them in travel. Presumably ‘reasonable’ travel for a teacher would require to be defined. In theory there appears to be no restriction on redeployment; in practice, however, it seems not to occur. However, it is possible that some provinces are more pro-active in redeployment than others. School mergers would involve some children having to travel further to school and this could provoke parental resistance. Currently PES/DEB can explain teacher mal-distribution by saying – often reasonably enough - that PACSA denies them sufficient teaching posts. They can pass the buck to poor communities to recruit ‘volunteers’ or untrained teachers; wealthier provinces can carry more of the burden by hiring contract teachers. If PES had responsibility for staffing they would effectively become teachers’ employers so that teachers’ status would change from CS to ‘provincial CS’ or some such. Responsibility for maintaining adequate staffing levels would rest with PES. Such a change might mean a better or a worse deal for families in remote and ethnic communities depending upon how PES interpreted this responsibility. For example, as discussed above, PES could save on teachers (and promote efficiency) by merging schools in close proximity with resulting transfers of teachers with the aim of achieving national PTR levels. Lally (2006) does not appear to explain what rights a province has in transferring a teacher to a different school, even if it involves that person in travel costs. Such willingness to transfer is, however, a normal condition of employment, CS or otherwise. DOP’s Division of HRM informed that transfer was possible if it was requested by a teacher. DOP approved transfer only if the school where that teacher currently served agreed to release the teacher and if the school director of the school to which they wanted to move agreed to hire them – thus implying that only the individual could initiate transfer. However, provincial and district officials stated that able school staff e.g. school directors were often transferred to other


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branches of the provincial education or other services, implying that staff could be moved at will. While school mergers and redeployment could in theory resolve the problem of teacher shortage it has its limitations in respect of teaching positions in remote and ethnic communities. ‘Allocation’ may not be the main problem. Teachers may be allocated but refuse to go. District staff interviewed informed that teachers would turn down posts offered in remote areas. Students nominated for teacher training as part of the province quota tend to come from urban areas; on completion of training they will consider accepting an offered teaching post only if it is in a similar urban areas. What is vitally important is to ensure that suitable students i.e. persons interested in being teachers from remote and ethnic communities are trained as teachers. Thus the problem of teacher allocation and distribution is primarily one of recruitment and financial and social support in training subsequently. This illustrates again the need to recruit from remote and ethnic communities on the LABEP model. In some cases providing sufficient teachers to meet reasonable existing demands would require PES to appoint additional staff. More teachers would mean a higher salary burden. Who would pay? PACSA/MOF would presumably be reluctant to commit more government funds so provinces would have to cope. Various scenarios are possible reflecting the economic strength of the province and the commitment of its leadership to education: differential salary scales in different provinces reflecting their tax-raising powers? Different categories of teacher with the best qualified/most effective paid at one level and less well qualified/effective paid at lower levels? Various incentives could be introduced to work in remote schools such as with unemployed probationers as discussed elsewhere in this report, and fast-track process up the incremental scale in return for teachers agreeing to serve for a limited period e.g. three to five years in remote areas. This is the norm in some states in Australia where, for a teacher to have any hope of ending their career teaching in a large metropolitan area they must spend a period of time teaching in the Outback. Or existing teacher shortages might simply remain.

3.2.6 Conclusion

The discussion indicates the need for better intelligence to inform deliberations about teacher status, salaries, incentives and teacher supply. It also indicates the kind of analysis that is required to decide policy in this area with the aim of creating an image of teaching as a rewarding profession to join in every sense.

3.3 A COMMITTED TEACHING FORCE WITH ENHANCED PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

Achieving this target depends upon how recruitment to teacher training, pre-service teacher training and certification, teacher appointments and professional development opportunities are managed.

ESDF proposes that DTT takes responsibility for national management and coordination of the pre-service and in-service teacher training system and that a National Teacher Education Plan should be prepared by 2011. Presumably the plan would update TESAP (2006) and provide for a professional career structure. (ESDF also assigns a significant role to NUOL FOE in leading in-service development). It also proposes that school managers in remote and ethnic communities be able to sign legally binding contracts with prospective trainees for teaching positions in their community before they train. A further proposal is that all teacher


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trainees – except presumably Nayobay – should receive scholarships. ESDF recognizes the need to rationalize intake for provincial TEI and proposes a ‘demand-led approach’ to teacher recruitment and re-deployment. It also proposes introducing ‘minimum teaching hours’ but does not explain what this might involve. Teacher appointments remain a provincial responsibility.

3.3.1 Recruitment to pre-service teacher training

Excluding Nayobay, two systems of recruitment currently operate – quotas and examinations. ‘Bonding’ is common in systems that are struggling to find sufficient teachers and its advantages and disadvantages are well known. It works well with trainees who are keen to teach. However, while motivation to teach is important it should not necessarily be the sole criterion in teacher selection. (Of PES additional criteria health is certainly relevant, but justification is required of other criteria such as height). Bonding works less well when unwilling students are coerced into a career path. For both groups bonding implies premature career selection which reflects limited life experience and is in principle undesirable.

The current quota process has several weaknesses: the role of PES/DEB is opaque, not only in nominating students, but also in apparently directing them into particular programs. It is alleged that some PES sometimes direct weaker students into teaching. If true, this reinforces the image of teaching as a ‘second best’ vocation contrary to an aspiration of the ESDF Focal Groups (ESDF draft Nov 08, Annex 4). Quotas do not guarantee teacher supply; they also restrict mobility of those who decide to teach. Enforcement of bonds is a TEI responsibility, but staff claims that it lacks resources to do so. Arguably the responsible agency should be the province. Following up reluctant bond holders costs time and money. It may be questioned whether resources should be invested in this way.

The effect of DTT’s Division of Pre-service Training shifting the balance from 70:30 to 50:50 in terms of route into pre-service training - on grounds that allegedly more motivated students apply by the examination route - reduces PES and increases TEI/university control over entry. The change probably makes entry more difficult for students from poorer backgrounds, though this would be neutralized once scholarships for primary and secondary students – and all teacher trainees - are introduced as proposed by ESDF. Perhaps this should go further, so that bonding is used only for special cases and eventually eliminated. ESDF’s proposal that remote and ethnic communities have the right to contract prospective teachers may be seen to be in line with this. It by-passes current processes and is a further challenge to PES/DEB control. Such contracted trainees would be ‘quota’ and thus guaranteed entry to TEI. A Prime Ministerial decree would be required before such a system could be introduced since it establishes a new principle of the right of a school and its community to nominate students directly for quota places rather than through PES/DEB. If many schools took this up the direct influence of DEB and PES in quota selection for teaching would be further diminished. On successful completion of training the student would become a teacher in the school that s/he had signed up for. Again the issue of enforcement has to be considered. Whether such an offer would be attractive to students, and what age of person can morally be held to such a contract are further issues for consideration. Various studies (e.g. Noonan and Xaiyawensouk, 2008) have suggested that the most effective means to staff remote and ethnic schools is through providing tailor-made teacher training programs for students from these communities, and providing them with scholarships. Such programs can take account


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of entrants’ lower academic qualifications and the special educational needs of their home communities, and equip them to succeed. DTT has funded such programs in 2008-9. TEED’s follow up of their students would provide current information on their effectiveness, and on the scale of the problem of providing teachers for these communities.

The trend to reduce PES influence over admission to pre-service training seems clear. It is linked to the issue of the utility of concepts of ‘quota’ and ‘bonding’ as discussed above. As economic and education systems mature and increasing numbers of students complete secondary and post-secondary education and enter the labor market the labor pool enlarges and there is less need for early identification of future staff. So elimination of quotas is probably inevitable in the long run.

Scholarships for all teacher training students will make teacher training attractive but even more expensive. But will they attract persons with commitment to teaching? The current evidence from quotas is that subsidy does not enhance commitment. That however may reflect current poor rewards for teaching. What is virtually certain, however is that there will be increased applications and that teacher training institutions will need to invest in more thoughtful and valid admission processes if they are to discourage free-loaders and recruit ‘the best’ applicants. The growth in numbers qualifying from secondary school raises wider questions discussed later about the structure of higher education and which institutions should provide which range of programs.

3.3.2 Improved teacher training

ESDF proposes that decrees be issued in 2010 to make TEI degree granting institutions by 2012. They would offer three year teacher training programs following seven years of secondary education, and pay close attention to requirements of women and ethnic groups. Presumably these targets would be included in the National Teacher Education Plan. Teacher trainee numbers - estimated at 17,481 pre-service students in 2007 - would reduce to 16,009 by 2015, but the balance between pre- and in-service would change dramatically: in 2010 pre-service would have 8,124 trainees and in-service 6,271; by 2015 the relative figures would be 8,683 and 7,326.

Teacher educators are a key resource in the education system. One priority for DTT in managing the system is to harness skills existing staff has acquired from projects such as TTEST and SMATT to develop and manage a relevant practical school-based pre-service teacher training curriculum that trains in student-centered teaching for multi-grade inclusive classrooms. The nature of this curriculum is likely to be an important factor affecting recruitment to TEI. The more practical and school-based the curriculum the more it is likely to appeal to motivated prospective teachers; such a curriculum is likely to reduce the appeal of teacher training for students whose primary interest is in an academic program. Another management priority is to recruit new staff that is both experienced, successful teachers and has Master’s level academic qualifications that would enable them to contribute to the development of a range of in-service programs that will assist teachers to acquire the range of management and professional skills referred to earlier for stages, curricular areas and students with special needs. A management structure within TEI also needs to be developed. The issue of ‘special course’ students is also relevant given its drain on TEI and NUOL FOE resources though that is not discussed by ESDF.


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Whether DTT or TEI managers are up to these tasks is a concern. The recent experience of SMATT is worrying: though Lao teacher trainers trained by the project have offered workshops for teachers on student-centered teaching of mathematics and science topics, the joint terminal evaluation report (2007) noted that TEI management could find little budget for such activities, and that DTT turned down requests for support. Skills unused atrophy quickly. Management may need also to be pro-active in managing the careers of TEST trained teacher educators, too since around 25% have already left the system.

3.3.3 Selection for primary teaching positions

The weaknesses of current selection procedures for primary teaching were discussed earlier. More valid evidence for selection, such as grades on teaching performance at TEI is available but not used.

One consequence of failing to find a job is that new primary teacher training graduates cannot complete their pre-service training. Like all exiting certificated trainees they are not fully trained teachers. Pre-service professional training includes the further stage of probation – one or two years’ supervised teaching in a school. Devising some system that guarantees all trained students a teaching position for their probationary years until they achieve fully trained teacher status would seem a good investment given the high unit cost of teacher training.

Re-deployment of trained teachers who cannot find employment presents several challenges. There is no one short-term solution. Options include:

encouraging applicants for primary teaching to consider training for pre-primary and lower secondary teaching

reducing intakes to, or abolishing one year primary programs in some or all TEI, especially in provinces with surplus teachers so that fewer graduates enter the job market in a specific year allowing the current surplus to be absorbed

moving to 12+3 primary training programs as the preferred route into teaching

creating more CS teaching posts

devising a more transparent and valid selection process than the current test

relaxing bond conditions to promote mobility of quota teachers to posts in provinces with shortages

finding means, for example through job sharing to ensure that all teachers emerging from TEI have opportunity for probation; and

managing the existing teaching force better – by for example providing financial incentives for poorly qualified and untrained teachers to take early retirement, thus creating posts for better educated and trained newly qualified teachers.

Since some options are more costly than others feasibility of implementation is an issue.

As secondary education expands the demand for trained teachers will grow. Given current conditions of service and with the economy growing at around 7% p.a., few BA trained as teachers are likely to seek teaching posts. This potentially growing recruitment problem should be considered. Deciding on action depends upon the reality of teacher supply, so decisions need to be based on more comprehensive up-to-date information.


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3.3.4 Professional development

Willsher (2008) illustrates how serving primary teachers learn in Lao PDR. Training is off-the-job over varying lengths of time, and follows the model: general inputs followed by group discussion and simple workshop tasks - such as making practical teaching aids, and reports. Much training is delivered on one version of a ‘cascade model’ – where master trainers from MoE and TEI train DEB PA to deliver. A critical factor is the knowledge, experience and teaching skills of trainers: poorly qualified trainers may teach wrong concepts and defeat the purpose of training. DEB staff is perceived as a weak link in the chain that renders cascade training suspect. Training models that are known to be more effective and that involve follow-up to schools to observe teachers effecting ‘transfer’ into their work practice, are relatively rarely used for cost and time reasons - since the small pool of master trainers is overloaded. Thus much workshop training hardly impacts on professional practice since there are few incentives and little or no support to practice, self-evaluate and try incorporating new skills into classroom repertoires. Moreover a narrow range of topics is covered - lesson planning and cheap teaching aid construction are favorites - and little attention paid to such topics as teaching Lao as a second language. Since certificates awarded at end of training do not count towards upgrading they have no salary relevance; equally there is no professional accreditation system to encourage teachers to develop their professional skills.

Upgrading of teachers will become less important as the existing teaching force moves towards retirement and more new teachers enter teaching with higher educational qualifications and pre-service training. An important part of the National Teacher Education Development Plan will be to devise a structure of in-service programs. The content of such programs has been discussed earlier under incentives. A modular credit-earning system might be devised to enable teachers to accumulate credit towards a professional qualification over a period of time. Such a qualification would be relevant for promotion and possibly enhanced salary. Programs might be based at TEI or in re-designated provincial Teacher Upgrading Centers, and involve school-based work related to developing professional practice. Equally important will be deciding access and trainers. ESDF proposes an entitlement to in-service for every teacher once every five years. Such a target would be hard to reach initially. If provinces are teachers’ employers they would need to devise some transparent criterion-based selection system related to policy objectives of school improvement such as are discussed below. Identifying trainers would be a priority. Willsher (2008) proposes creating a register of trainers and recruiting more experienced successful classroom teachers to that role as ‘master trainers’ are in short supply. This would provide another career development opportunity. A priority for training would be developing the trainers. Paying for training also needs consideration. Given current poor salaries, teachers can hardly be expected to contribute so MoE and provinces are principal sources, though development partners might be expected to make significant contributions. If salaries are increased, however, an element of user-pays might be introduced, especially for programs leading to qualifications relevant for promotion.

3.4 BETTER MANAGED SCHOOLS

Better managed schools are those that are highly regarded by their community because of the quality of care they offer children, the high academic standards that they reach and the constructive role that they play in the community. Quality schools’ research in developed


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countries suggests that, even after allowing for for environmental factors and social background of students, school management influences performance outcomes of students. However exactly how it does so is not explained. Harbin and Davies (1998) question the relevance of that research for developing countries where physical conditions and social issues may be very different; they stress identifying school directors’ actual goals, and the extent to which they communicate these to staff and work to achieve them for all or most students. This standpoint emphasizes that a school is more than a collection of individual teachers: it is a ‘whole’ institution that must evolve policies for managing the range of situations encountered in its day-to-day work. These will differ depending upon whether a school is day or boarding, complete or incomplete, cluster lead school or other, urban, rural or remote location and many other factors.

ESDF’s goal for non-tenured head teachers of one or two classroom schools is to make the schools five classrooms within three years and earn tenure! Achieving this target depends partly upon the energy, inspiration and negotiating skills of the head teacher and partly on the support such persons receive from those in the wider system including the community, VEDC and DEB staff. Thoughtful selection processes are crucial for identifying persons who could undertake such a task. It is unlikely that the EDP2 Manual and off-the-job training on which current school director training is based addresses such a challenge. Revised training procedures could examine successful case-studies, including field visits.

However, achieving such a material goal is not equivalent to ‘better management’. But it does suggest that performance-related targets or indicators could be set for staff. These could relate to implementing school ‘improvement’ policies and meeting specific criteria of schools of quality. Effective management assists staff to develop workplace competency. Many policies do not appear to be fully understood or implemented. Putting such concepts as ‘school improvement’ into practice depends upon knowledge and understanding of school directors derived from training, and skills in motivating staff. It also depends upon various kinds of practical, financial and moral support of DEB staff and VEDC members. Monitoring and evaluation could document achievements which could be recognized financially and in other ways. In fact these conditions seem seldom to be in place.

The situation of teachers in such schools needs to be recognized. Many staff are poorly educated and trained; they are seldom visited by staff from DEB. Staff consequently lack much support for professional learning. Most see no need or lack time, energy or resources to improve their professional work, or to develop the school. EFA (2005) recommended that such schools should have priority for resource allocation. But of even greater importance is managing staff: identifying and encouraging ineffective staff to move on, and providing experienced and competent staff with variety and challenge in their professional work. An example of how this might be done is through assigning probationers who cannot find normal employment to work in such schools, thus giving the teachers new colleagues to induct and supervise, while also enabling their own release from school for staff development opportunities as probationers become confident in their work.

In larger schools there is evidence from this consultancy of the need for additional learning opportunities for staff at all levels. School cluster arrangements of a variety of kinds have been shown (TTEST 2004b) to promote sharing of information that can lead to development, especially when the lead school is adequately resourced and well led. Such arrangements


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could be extended across Lao PDR, with lead schools the focus of targeted assistance that is then shared with others. School improvement depends upon better training for school directors and PA.

3.5 BETTER MANAGED EDUCATION SERVICE

Underlying ESDF is an only partially articulated concept of education as a professional service to the community. Achieving the target of a better managed education service depends upon introducing administrators to new concepts of the purpose of education in society and the role of staff in different agencies at different levels in realizing it. Creating service-mindedness is a priority and a challenge. Service-mindedness includes recognizing the right to education of all citizens and seeing the education system as a means to promote learning that will increase their life chances, health and well-being. Since teachers mediate such learning managers must value teachers as professionals. Valuing is expressed by conditions of service. A modern HR concept for enterprises is of ‘best employer’ status: best employers are those that go out of their way to recruit the most suitable staff for the work that has to be done, train them effectively and continuously, recognize the nature of the demands that they face by providing flexible work environments and conditions, and provide them with remuneration and career development opportunities that make them want to stay with the enterprise. Managers, moreover see themselves as in a supportive role in this process. Support is reflected in seeking to understand the demands of the work that front-line professionals are tasked to undertake, and ensuring alignment of services at all levels to provide necessary support, including monitoring, performance management and professional development. The vision of the Lao education system – where paradoxically ‘employers’ are ambiguous - must be to achieve ‘best employer’ status.

Senior management plays a crucial role in establishing such a vision. In Lao PDR vision seems to come mainly from the Party. The vision is to move Lao PDR from LDC status by 2020. The education service has a crucial role in realizing that vision; the means to realize it is through a modern HR function. PACSA recognizes this in its new CSM strategic framework. Translating such thinking into the management and delivery of the education service is a priority and a challenge. Senior management in the education service is MoE. It currently lacks any modern HR function. If it is to develop such a vision it needs a stronger HR capacity to guide it. It also needs to recruit staff with high levels of education and develop their strategic planning and thinking skills. It must become a knowledge-based and knowledge-managing enterprise with better intelligence about what the system it manages is achieving.

Two issues are considered here in relation to bringing about such a change: these are recruitment and training. With regard to the former it would appear that there is an emerging recruitment problem. Some key departments for ESDF implementation acknowledge that, primarily because of low salaries, but also perhaps because of the bureaucratic old-fashioned image of the CS, they attract applications from only middle ranking candidates. In Thailand, CS recruitment and retention are serious issues. Office of the Civil Service Commission (OCSC) has introduced a Fast-Track Initiative that offers graduate entrants a special experiential learning program, success in which brings accelerated promotion (Atikom and Wilson 2007). It recognizes that salary alone is insufficient to attract talented


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persons to become career CS. Whether rapid promotion will be sufficient incentive remains to be seen. This example may add to the case for reviewing current CS salaries.

With regard to training the dominant mode is ‘upgrading’ through formal study that develops generic skills and knowledge or workshops as described earlier. How such learning is acquired affects a person’s concept of learning. In Lao PDR, teaching at school and higher education, even in TEI is teacher-centered and student learning passive. Standards are reportedly low reflecting staff’s weak academic qualifications and limited professional training. Upgrading academic qualifications off-the-job for promotion purposes means further exposure to this system. Research evidence suggests that very little knowledge acquired would be directly relevant for professional work, the essence of which is responsiveness to needs of those in unique situations. Professional skill is diagnosing need, identifying appropriate actions, and putting them into practice in a way that brings about desired outcomes. Where training has conditioned managers and teachers to theoretical knowledge and procedures learned receptively, they are not equipped to address client needs, resulting in ineffective management or teaching.

Experience with SREAC in the course of this consultancy has shown that an alternative concept of learning – workplace learning - hardly exists within MoE – though Quang and Thavisay (1999) report that it is widely used in Lao state owned enterprises (SOE). Workplace learning means providing on-the-job (OTJ) assistance, including structured assistance – S-OJT – or deliberate modeling - to staff to help them learn what their job involves and how to do it. The challenge facing newly appointed SREAC staff was described earlier. No structure exists within MoE to offer support in such situations. In a modern organization an HR manager would be assigned such responsibilities. S/he would meet with staff to identify what kinds of assistance they need. S/he would provide briefings, discussions, networking, assist in identifying short-term tasks including developing documentation and working procedures, coach in how to undertake them and provide constructive feedback. Such support can increase motivation, organizational commitment and sense of purpose, not to mention efficiency. This HR role was to some extent played by GIR and HR consultants. They offered assistance and raised topics for discussion that self-evidently were relevant for staff – what is ‘policy’? How, and by whom is policy formulated in MoE? How are policies translated into decrees and other forms of legislation? What is involved in implementing new legislation and how is its effectiveness evaluated? Senior management in DPC found this approach of interest and supported their proposal to hold workshops for veteran and novice staff. Their work could have gone further, but time ran out. Staff uncertainty indicated that whatever induction is currently provided on these issues has not been effective. Other newly established units face similar challenges: CEWED, for example - an enterprising unit established in 2008 - has ten policy issues related to inclusive education at different stages of development.

This target is perhaps the most ephemeral of those listed in this section, but it is also central to refocusing the work of MoE and indeed agencies at all levels of the system.

3.6 OPPORTUNITIES FOR MORE TO PROGRESS TO, AND SUCCEED WITHIN HIGH QUALITY POST-SCHOOL EDUCATION

This target encompasses ESDF goals of promoting greater participation in post-school education in the technical and vocational education and training sectors and in higher


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education in line with the expanding economy. It proposes expansion of the number of universities, with 80% of students paying full fees and 20% on presumably means-tested scholarships. It further proposes ‘full government support to private university development’, but does not elaborate on what that means. The proposal that 80% of university students pay full fees is likely to reduce demand for full-time courses and increase demand for part-time routes to qualifications that private colleges could meet. Government could assist their development by making loans for buildings available on special terms. ‘Special courses’ currently meet part-time demand, but low fees undermine private colleges and this should perhaps be changed.

In the context of this paper private universities, TEI and TVET are important issues. ESDF proposes that TTS are upgraded into TTC and that TEI become degree awarding institutions by 2012, that TVET also become degree-awarding institutions and that 22 Integrated Vocational Education and Training Schools (IVET) be established by 2015 with at least one in every province. If these developments take place an important issue is whether institutions should develop as mono- or polytechnics. ESDF does not address this. The idea of stand alone teacher training institutions has been rejected in most countries. Most have become faculties of universities though this does not necessarily mean on an integrated campus; it depends upon local circumstances. The benefits include education being given status as worthy of university study; however a disadvantage is that it can also promote academicism. Certainly there is a case for offering other cognate professional courses such as in educational psychology and social and community work alongside teacher training. Perhaps too where new institutions are planned TEI and TVET training could be on the same campus.

3.7 CONCLUSION

This section identified six targets for improving the education service in Lao PDR. It has shown how each requires to be considered from an integrated point of view. It has introduced ESDF goals and discussed them in relation to achieving the targets.

The next section addresses issues of strategies for ESDF implementation.


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4 PROPOSED STRATEGIES FOR ESDF IMPLEMENTATION

4.0 INTRODUCTION

The last section identified six targets for development of the education system in Lao PDR that are implicit in ESDF and reviewed priorities and challenges for achieving them. This chapter begins by describing how HRM consultants worked to support implementation. It then takes a macro view of the current situation to illuminate factors that are likely to decide priorities for implementation and reviews the potential contribution of CDF to HR for ESDF implementation. Finally it returns to the six targets discussed in section 3 and proposes specific strategies for implementation for each.

4.1 HRM CONSULTANTS’ APPROACH TO IMPLEMENTING ESDF

Desk study indicated that ESDF conceptualizes HR quite narrowly. Besides teachers’ salaries and conditions of service, ESDF explicitly refers to ‘strengthening HR’ by (a) upgrading managers and teachers, (b) organizational assessments and reviews of education management responsibilities at all levels from MoE to VEDC, (c) outlining teacher supply and demand guidelines, (d) establishing PTR-based school staffing norms, and (e) developing a PES capacity action plan setting out the authority and responsibilities of PES in managing teacher supply and demand planning. ESDF also has immediate, short-term and long-term priorities for implementation, some related to HR whose basis is rarely explicit. Closer reading of ESDF however identified 43 strategies and targets with direct HRM/D implications. These ranged from setting up new systems of financial distribution and performance management, to capacity building through training, to reviewing and developing curriculum frameworks. Overlap in wording suggested potential for integration; moreover some targets linked more clearly to line departments, such as TVET or DTT than others, so that identifying potential initiators and responsible agencies was also a consideration. HR implications of specific activities also needed articulation. Document 1 (Annex 1) reflected the outcome of this desk study which reduced the 43 strategies and targets to 18 implementable activities. At a Workshop at MoE on 24 February 2009 with HR Focal Group members and others to prioritize these activities, because of governance requirements only two were perceived to be implementable in 2009-10 though neither had guaranteed funding. These were:

‘MoE DTVE prepares plans to train 300 new TVET graduate instructors and teachers p.a. by 2012. A budget be identified’; and

‘MoE/PACSA/MOF review in 2010 pay and allowances for teachers and school directors, with special reference to those appointed to remote and incomplete schools to provide (a) Specific incentives for housing, advance payments and home visits, and (b) Tenure for 3-year probationary head teachers based on criteria of performance as school developer and financial manager’.

In addition to workshop evidence discussions with MoE and related provincial and district agencies indicated that ESDF implementation faced the following challenges:

Invisibility – ESDF targets are known to few staff

Lack of integration – ESDF targets are not included in MoE line department work plans

Lack of funding – ESDF is a vision and a shopping list only


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Plausibility - ESDF proposes ambitious new systems, such as block grants whose acceptability to government, feasibility and practicality are untested.

These findings directed fresh attention at policies implicit in ESDF. The best estimate at 9 April 2009 was 18 policies. Governance considerations require legislation to give expression to policy prior to interpretation for implementation. A legislative and regulatory policy planning matrix prepared by GIR consultants summarized more than 50 legal and regulatory instruments referred to, or implicit within ESDF (2009). The matrix was very positively appraised by the DG DPC and following a workshop that he chaired on 18 March he requested that HR implications of implementing proposed legislation should be added. A total of 17 pieces of proposed legislation appeared to imply HR to support implementation. These are listed in Text Box 3. Text Box 3: Legislative actions to implement ESDF recommendations

implying HR

Legislative actions to implement ESDF recommendations implying HR

1. Implementation of educational law and ministerial guidelines 2. Revision of Manual of Working Procedures of all departments 3. TEI governance and management 4. Revised school curriculum 5. Financial management e.g. block grants 6. Teacher education 7. Defining minimal standards of educational achievement 8. Progressive promotion 9. Non-formal education e.g. development of Community Learning Centres 10. Teacher supply management 11. Student performance monitoring 12. School inspection services development 13. Decentralized teacher supply management 14. Teacher deployment to remote and ethnic communities 15. Promotion systems for head teachers 16. In-service education and training 17. Pay and allowances for teachers and school directors

The matrix is in Annex 2.

The meaning of policy and respective roles of line departments, divisions and centers in MoE were further questions that arose, especially consequent upon the creation of SREAC. GIR and HRM ESDF Focal group members discussed these with consultants and SREAC staff. Workshops on 18 March and 1 April focused on policy development, legislation and implementation with a manual in Lao/English setting out issues for reference.

Thus, in the course of the consultancy the work of HR consultants shifted from identifying specific ESDF activities for implementation to supporting MoE policy makers to conceptualize policy making, legislation and its interpretation. Such assistance was still one remove from unpacking a specific ESDF target. DG DPC created this opportunity by authorizing a residential workshop on block grants for nominated MoE staff on 7 and 8 April 2009. (MOF agreement in principle was assumed). Systems for introducing block grants at school and MoE levels were identified as well as HR implications related to resource materials, training, monitoring and evaluation.


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4.2 A MACRO VIEW OF IMPLEMENTATION

A macro-level view of implementation involves identifying roles of leading players in Lao PDR for ESDF implementation and the strategies they could adopt in the months ahead.

The leading players appear to be government, including MoE development partners and consultants. DG DPC has supervised the work of consultants who initially developed ESDF in association with Lao Focal Groups and others. He also worked with ministers who secured its adoption by government. ESDF recommended setting up an implementation unit within MoE but instead it is understood that the high level inter-departmental committee that initiated development of ESDF will be recalled to oversee its implementation. It is also understood, however, that though government is contributing more to recurrent funding it has no new funds to commit to ESDF: it is consequently in the situation of Dickens’ Mr Micawber – ‘waiting for something to turn up’! If FTI funding is obtained it will be tied to promoting basic education towards MDG objectives: terms and conditions of this funding are, however unclear, as is its availability date. At 7-8 April workshop an unanswered question was whether FTI funds could be spent on block grant implementation. A new project - Basic Education Sector Development Project (BESDP) is currently mobilizing after a long delay and brings new players into the scene. Thus MoE has some options but its basic position appears to be ‘wait and see’.

MoE line departments have developed work plans for 2009-10. Information on these plans has been collected by an AusAID consultant who reports directly to DG DPC. Reference to ESDF targets is the exception confirming the ‘invisibility’ of ESDF as reported earlier. However, no doubt plans are now under revision.

Development partners – at least those from western countries - meet regularly chaired by AusAid and UNICEF representatives. The AusAid consultant referred to above is tasked with collecting information on development partner funding that could be channeled towards ESDF implementation. Significant funds are promised. He has a potentially strategic role in linking development partners, DPC and other departments in MoE.

Three ADB-funded consultants, including the writer have strategies for implementation in GIR, HRM and SDIE reports. A fourth consultant will work until June 2009 on TOR related to CB for ESDF and monitoring implementation performance.

Thus, from a macro point of view implementation of ESDF depends upon funding becoming available. Funding use would depend upon conditions. Government has many priorities expressed in EFA and NESRS as well as ESDF. Achievement of MDG goals by 2015 would appear to be highest priority, but recent decisions to extend secondary education in 2009-10 and build a fourth university show that it is not the over-riding one.

4.3 CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK (CDF)

WB CDF project resulted from meetings in 2005 between GOL PDR, ADB, Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) and WB. Their aim was to promote - as per Vientiane Declaration - agreement between government and development partners about who will contribute what and when to CD activity across sectors such as education. Included was identifying and proposing means to address needs at individual, organizational and institutional (i.e. sector) levels by 2008.


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CDF focused on primary education which it conceptualized as a ‘service delivery chain’ from MoE via PES/DEB/schools to students. The team held workshops in selected districts and provinces at which MoE staff was asked to self-diagnose gaps – ‘deficits’ - between current skills and those required to perform workplace tasks effectively.

The team identified many gaps in sector coherence, coordination and feedback mechanisms at institutional level; strategy and structure, procurement, financial and operational administrative systems at organizational level; information use, monitoring and evaluation and HRM at individual level. Specifics were described in section 2.

The CDF framework was developed as a plan to improve performance at each level over short, mid and long-term. The team recommended that CDF be integrated into a plan for implementing ESDF under MoE guidance - as per Vientiane Declaration – and that each broad capacity gap be included in the plan viz. ongoing CD activities, additional CD needed, time-frame, cost and key performance indicators to measure progress.

Text Box 4 illustrates capacity gaps that CDF identified in relation to individual HRM (column 1) and its proposals for meeting them over different time-frames (columns 2-4).

Comment: From the point of view of an HRM consultant beginning work in Lao PDR, CDF provides a thorough comprehensive long-term analysis of needs of staff at different levels involved in managing primary education up to the classroom door. Identifying ‘deficits’ from self-reports is one generally accepted, though somewhat negative way of undertaking job analysis for improvement. Its limitations as a sole methodology are obvious and it is regrettable that CDF did not adopt complementary methodological strategies such as case studies and shadowing both to verify deficit claims and also to illuminate exactly how officials at different levels coped given resource and other constraints that they described. Contrasting ‘best’ with ‘typical’ practice could have been helpful for training purposes, given that resource constraints, for example are likely to be prolonged. Such studies might also have identified staff with potential, interest and flair for providing colleagues with S-OJT to help them develop their practice.

A related concern is viewing education as a ‘service delivery chain’. While education is unquestionably a ‘service’ its essence is ‘customization’ to the needs of specific groups and individuals. Every province and district is different in some important ways and that explains why policies are implemented successfully in some sites and poorly in others. Clarificatory evaluation can help to explain why. For example, one of the problems of providing children in ethnic areas with education is exactly this: in some districts staff is skilled and motivated to communicate with local village representatives, even across language barriers, and persuade them to build schools; some teachers who speak the local language make the effort to provide relevant local curricula that promote pupil retention; progression for primary students who have failed tests depends upon a skilled teacher ‘customizing’ the lesson to enable the pupil to grasp the point to be learned in their own terms. It is consequently a mis-representation and over-simplification to view educational administration and classroom delivery as a ‘standardized’ even mindless operation like a supplier delivering parts to a factory where they are assembled into a product such as a car. Visits in the course of this consultancy suggest that many MoE staff at every level demonstrate ability, commitment and resourcefulness to achieve a lot with often limited resources.


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Text Box 4: CDF recommendations for bridging capacity gaps of individuals through HRM (supplied 20 March 2009)

Capacity Development Framework

Capacity Gap Short-term <1 year

Mid-term 1-3 years

Long-term >3 years

CDS7) Human Resource Management

Individual

Lack of timely relevant in-service training and appropriate follow-up support for effective implementation Recruitment system needs to be improved Staff recruitment not consistent with job needs

Introduce new review schemes in-service and out-service training schemes Distinguish mandatory and compulsory training programs outsourced advanced and technical trainings Systematic training on leadership and management (e.g. informed decisions, coordination and communication) Review and update job descriptions

Formulate MoE, PES, DEB and school staff development program with new organizational arrangements for training Review and improve and standardize teacher training curricula Integrate school management into the curriculum Make JD recruitment consistent with clarified mandates and re-engineered business- processes

Institutionalize teacher-upgrading networks through teacher training institutions Expansion of accredited professional development programs for school directors, deputy directors and key technical staff mandatory for promotion purposes Provide trainings according to new JDS

Since needs identified by CDF are consistent in a general way with what is known about staff employed in educational administration in developing countries, a question arises as to what additional knowledge the study contributes to those working in a Lao context. Cultural factors are not specifically explored unfortunately, though these are important for understanding the decision making process in Lao PDR (see: Governance and Institutional Reform Report ADB TA 4907-Lao (2009), Quang and Thavisay (1999).

CDF appears to take the same restricted view of HRM as did authors of ESDF. HRD for staff who will undertake most proposed activities is implicit rather than explicit. Many entries in Text Box 4 are cryptic: for example ‘introduce new review schemes in-service and out-service training schemes’. The Box purports to be about ‘individual’ development, yet some proposed activities, such as ‘Review and improve and standardize teacher training curricula’ might be considered more appropriately team, institutional or even organizational activities that individuals contribute to. Obscure technical wording also leaves the reader guessing: ‘Make JD recruitment consistent with clarified mandates and re-engineered business-processes’. The rationale for proposed activities in each time phase of the framework seems a further weakness: though it is proposed, sensibly enough, ‘to review and update job descriptions’ in year one, why is training according to new job descriptions postponed until year 3 or beyond? The reader is left to guess.

In this consultant’s view it not realistic to think that one can plan CD on this basis. Such planning may be appropriate in generic skills training in off-the-job ‘just-in-case’ contexts, but for those in employment faced with the need to undertake a specific task – such as


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managing the introduction of block grants across schools in a province - capacity development has generally to be ‘just-in-time’, based on a variety of skill development approaches, supported on-the-job as issues arise and assisted by constructive monitoring and evaluation.

4.4 STRATEGIES FOR ACHIEVING TARGETS

Section 3 identified 6 targets for Lao education implicit in ESDF. This section identifies strategies through which they may be realized.

4.4.1 Student participation, progress and achievement

Two aspects of participation are considered here: eliminating registration and tuition fees and providing scholarships. One seemingly certain means to increase student participation is to require primary schools to stop charging parents registration and admission fees and to introduce block grants. MoE needs to take the first steps to do this. Many relevant issues were discussed in the previous section. There are many stakeholders with a right to have their voices heard. Deep-seated cultural attitudes and long-standing practices need to be challenged. Successful implementation requires advocacy. HR to develop staff in managing the process is as essential as for making whatever system is established function effectively. A ‘green’ paper is required as part of the consultation process to be followed by a ‘white’ paper when strategies are decided. This process should begin as soon as possible.

4.4.1.1 Scholarships

In considering CB at the individual level a key strategic consideration where resources are limited is to focus on ‘multipliers’, or on those with potential to become multipliers. Multipliers are defined here as those with potential to lead, or those already influencing in valued ways the understanding, outlook, ways of thinking and practices of others in institutions and agencies that comprise the education system.

Scholarships are an example of sponsorship for potential multipliers at school, post-school and post-graduate levels. Scholarships are targeted at different groups and different criteria of selection are involved. One category of ESDF scholarship is for the disadvantaged, ethnic, gifted and post-graduate students to enable them to progress within an existing or enter a new stage of education. Such scholarships are both an important instrument of social policy to compensate for social disadvantage as part of an affirmative action recruitment strategy and a reward for achievement. Scholarships for teacher trainees, however exemplify strategic workforce planning.

The effectiveness of scholarships for recruiting talented persons depends upon the transparency of the recruitment and selection process and the validity of the criteria that decisions are based on. Academic performance is the usual criterion, but its predictive validity may be weak and criteria in addition to test performance may be considered. Follow-up of academic scholarship holders should be undertaken as a research study to identify predictive validity and to understand what factors in addition to scholarship support affects student achievement.

The effectiveness of scholarships for teacher trainees will depend upon how recruitment is managed to attract applicants with suitable qualities, especially those with academic background for shortage subjects. A different selection mechanism from academic


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scholarships is required that measures motivation for teaching rather than academic ability per se. TEI and universities will need to invest in developed selection systems; trainees on TTEST training could research the topic for their theses. Applicants might be followed up to establish the predictive validity of the criteria on which they selected. DTT should support the development of such systems

4.4.2 Recruitment of ‘best’ persons who become committed teachers

Resolving who employs teachers is a central issue that impacts on recruitment, image and status as well as salaries, conditions and incentives. Effective management of teacher supply is also important. A more comprehensive, disaggregated data-base and studies are required to provide a fuller picture at national, provincial and district levels.

Making provinces employers of teachers makes sense and is in line with practice in many countries. It makes for accountability. Several provinces already pay teachers’ salaries from locally raised taxes so this is a further argument for moving in that direction. Poorer provinces would continue to receive central government support. Such an arrangement could be compatible with a kind of civil service status though the role of PACSA in approving teacher nomination as civil servants and of DoP in maintaining a record of teachers would need to be further considered. National salary levels, supplements and pension rights should remain in force to prevent competition that might attract teachers to higher paying provinces, but there should be scope for provinces to introduce performance-based incentives that would enable teachers to progress faster on salary scales. MoE should issue a paper that sets out alternative professional arrangements for teachers’ status that are under discussion and the pros and cons of each, including how provinces becoming employers of teachers might affect their conditions of service. Such a paper could show that MoE recognizes the important contribution that teachers make to society and that it is genuinely concerned to improve salaries and conditions of service.

Salaries are low and should be increased to regional standards, but securing funds for this will remain a problem. Salaries will rise as schools recruit teachers with better educational qualifications and training. Incremental salary scales are too long and steps too small. Effective performance management should be adopted as a principle for faster stepping and tenure not merely for school principals but for all teaching staff whose work meets criteria of ‘good performance’ such as UNICEF’s criteria for Schools of Quality, achieving inclusive education in a district, improving participation in and completion of primary schooling. Teachers should get financial recognition for effort that results in quality work. A feasibility study would be needed to establish costs of such salary increase strategies. A further study is required of current and projected costs of upgrading poorly qualified and trained teachers. Projected expenditure might be better spent on funding early retirement schemes to encourage such teachers to ‘move on’ so that new better qualified and trained teachers can find jobs.

A career structure should be developed as recommended in TESAP (2006) with accreditation for salary purposes for completing in-service training that develops specialist skills for managerial, curriculum and special needs’ roles.

Currently supply and demand for primary teachers are unbalanced, with too many in some areas of Lao PDR and too few in others. No agency currently has overall responsibility for


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managing the teaching force. DTT should be given overall responsibility for this, perhaps establishing a new division to take over record keeping functions from DoP’s HRM division. The new division might be named simply ‘Teacher Division’. It would work with ESITC to produce disaggregated, accurate statistics by district and province that profile the number of teachers currently employed, including contract, volunteer and untrained teachers at pre-primary, primary and secondary levels. Such data would enable projections of future growth scenarios and overall better management of teacher supply.

4.4.3 A committed teaching force with enhanced professional skills

Recruitment and selection of able staff, individual capacity building, effective deployment and professional development opportunities create a better trained teaching force.

A recruitment problem may be emerging. DTT/NUOL should launch a recruitment campaign to attract secondary teachers. Research should be undertaken into graduate attitudes to a career in teaching.

In managing access to teacher training DTT‘s first priority should be to ensure that TEI admit students from remote and ethnic communities to study within ad hoc 8+3 programs. Second, as scholarships are introduced into secondary schools, DTT should progressively increase the proportion of students admitted by examination route to primary courses in TEI so that more trained teachers have mobility across Lao PDR. Third, provided sufficient scholarships are made available, it should make three year training the norm for primary teachers as soon as it has evidence that supply and demand are balanced. Fourth, the need for developed selection systems has already been mentioned.

With regard to developing pre-service teacher training curricula, the potential of The Charter of Teacher Competencies should be explored. It comprises the sole published guidance on competent teaching available to primary teachers in Lao PDR. The Charter is descriptive and lists exemplary behaviors rather than standards; further work is needed to develop criteria that would provide guidance on minimal standards that trainees might be expected to reach within pre-service teacher education and probation, and that could be incorporated within appraisal and performance monitoring systems; criteria for higher levels of performance might also be developed to inform decisions on ‘meritorious’ teaching. At the same time it should be recognized that competence is situation specific: competencies are guide to performance, not a guarantee of it.

For improving the quality of teacher training the most significant group is probably teacher educators. Studies in western countries suggest that few appreciate the significance of their role and this may contribute to perceived underachievement of the teacher training system. Their selection and development are consequently crucial. Harnessing skills developed by TTEST and SMATT and sharing with other teacher educators may be difficult in a context where seniority counts but DTT should assist management to do so.

Currently many primary teachers are not appropriately deployed as described earlier. Nationally, deployment might be facilitated if quota teachers were allowed to work across provinces. Since such a change would require national agreement, and possibly a decree, negotiations involving DoP, PES and PACSA would be required. This possibility should be explored.

Probationary teachers are a special case. Quota students should be guaranteed a year of


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teaching work in their province until they complete probationary requirements, on a job-sharing 50:50 salary basis perhaps. Examinee students should also have their needs considered by their home province, though they might be required to serve probation in a remote or ethnic school in a different province if opportunities in their home district were restricted, subject to agreement of the VEDC.

Allocation of teachers to primary schools is a matter for negotiation between DEB and school directors. The current multiple-choice test should be replaced by more valid selection. Competencies that applicants have developed through training should be taken account of. Primary trained teachers deployed to pre-school or lower secondary should be required to undertake further training.

New in-service training opportunities will enhance teachers’ career opportunities. NUOL should work with DTT and TEI to create an accreditation framework so that all planned in-service qualifications accumulate towards a national degree award. Acquisition of such an award, supported by performance indicator evidence of using skills acquired to bring about school improvement towards the ‘school of quality’ ideal should entitle a teacher to rapid progress within the incremental salary scale.

4.4.4 Better managed schools

Teachers in Lao PDR are conscientious. The primary classrooms visited in the course of this consultancy indicate that many apply what they learned from in-service training. Wall and ceiling displays show evidence of making their own resource materials. Classrooms have a standardized feel, however; furniture layout appears to reflect goals of student-centered learning, though in fact instruction is largely teacher-centered. Customization does not appear as a distinguishing feature of teaching or its management. The reported demand for in-service courses on lesson planning suggests that teachers and their school directors lack skills, confidence or perhaps simply time and support to develop locally relevant programs.

School directors are effective only if they have skills for the job and know how to help teachers develop. Better selection is required based on simulated tasks and role-plays to supplement standard measures of academic qualifications, teaching record and interview performance. In addition they need active practical induction training in how to identify and meet needs of communities and teachers, especially beginning teachers. Training needs to be supported by an up-to-date manual that provides guidance on management, work and lesson planning, classroom observation for improving teaching performance, study of students’ work as evidence of teaching quality, counseling, curriculum and resource material development. They should be supported post-induction by directors from lead cluster schools that have the relevant supervisory skills.

School directors could use The National Charter of Teacher Competencies to provide staff with development targets to be achieved through a combination of school-based and off-the-job in-service training.

Schools should maintain records of what their staff do and achieve: all staff is human resource with experience, talents and skills that line managers should endeavor to become aware of and to promote, thereby enriching the learning environment for both colleagues and students. Strategies for knowledge management at this level should be actively promoted in training for all management staff.


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ESDF recommends that a new education management training institute be established by 2011-12 to deliver staff development and training programs. Appropriate TTEST trained staff might immediately be given the task of leading this work.

4.4.5 Better managed education service

Varied current conceptions of HR alluded to in this report are summarized in Text Box 5 below.

Text Box 5: Current and alternative conceptualizations of HR in Laos PDR

A. Current concepts of HR

1. Traditional Lao concept of HRD

2. MOE concept of HRM 3. ESDF concept of HR 4. CDF concept of HR

Structure: Formal education for those within, or about to enter school and post-school education, including ‘upgrading’ Roles/functions: provide basic and advanced subject knowledge

Structure: DOP is a department within MOE. Roles/functions: provide administrative and clerical personnel management including quotas, recording civil service education staff, salaries, incremental promotion, transfer, selection of staff for upgrading, approving induction courses for PES/DEB & school directors, writing job descriptions, overseeing piecemeal restructuring of MOE departments/divisions as authorized by PACSA

Structure: ESDF largely accepts current administrative arrangements but proposes changes in funding and possibly teacher employers. Roles/functions: ESDF accepts that HR relates to pre- and in-service training for teaching, management and administrative level staff of the formal and non-formal education system from pre-school to university as well as teacher trainers, PES and DEB staff and VEDC members who implement the existing system

Structure: CDF focuses on PES/DEB staff. Roles/function: CDF assumes that HR function is to identify gaps between current and needed workplace skills of PES/DEB staff who manage education system to clarify what training and support such staff need to function more effectively.

B. Alternative concepts of HR

5. Modern HRD 6. Modern HRM 7. PACSA concept of Governance and Public Administration Reform

Structure: Modern HR function is an agency within an enterprise, represented at senior management meetings to develop policy. Roles/functions: Effective HR functions recognize that changing external environments require continuous strategic development of organizational structures and renewal of individual workplace competency for expert performance through varied opportunities that take account of holistic needs e.g. work-life balance and career development

Structure: HRM is a strategic division Roles/functions: HR works closely with senior managers on staffing issues related to maintaining and developing the work of the enterprise. These include scenario planning, recruitment, selection, induction and retention of valued staff, job structuring, coaching for enhanced workplace performance, mentoring, performance management, salaries and conditions of service including redeployment.

PACSA’s (2004) Governance and Public Administration Reform (GPAR) sees HR as making a key contribution to the development of a Lao PDR civil service that is: ethical, service-minded, accountable, efficient and modern in use of ICT. It aims to: ‘build an effective, efficient, well-trained, honest ethical public service that is capable of meeting the needs of the multi-ethnic Lao people within a peaceful, predictable and stable society, and that can promote sustainable economic development as a basis for eradicating poverty and gradually creating a modern industrial state’. Structure, roles/functions are encompassed in the six components of the CS Management strategy: A. Personnel Planning, B. Staff Management Practices, C. Pay and Conditions, D. Performance Management, E. Human Resource Development and F. Leadership and Communication. Source: Anon (2005)


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Text Box 5 above is in two sections: Section A indicates current concepts of HR observed in Laos in official publications, as practiced by MOE’s DOP and as reflected in ESDF and CDF. Section B indicates alternative concepts of HR as reflected in modern thinking and practice and in policies currently being pursued by PACSA as part of its civil service management reform strategy. Cell A1 is the current concept of HRD in Laos as reflected in government reports and general parlance. Cell A2 describes how MOE’s DOP conceives of its personnel and organizational functions. Interestingly DOP is a section within MOE with close links to the Vice-Minister, rather than as part of a civil service wide agency. Cell A3 describes the concept of HR underlying ESDF recommendations. The focus is on system maintenance though ESDF has numerous proposals for radical innovations in procedures, such as the introduction of block grants. The HR implications of introducing such innovations are not discussed. Cell A4 describes the concept of HR underlying the work of the WB CDF project. The project asked PES and DEB officials to describe the difficulties that they faced in ‘service delivery’ of education i.e. their current work. They took these descriptions at face value and subsequently made recommendations as to how this skill ‘gap’ might be bridged. CDF does not appear to have investigated how staff negotiated the alleged difficulties or how innovation was managed. Cell B5 describes a modern view of effective HRD. Actual practices reflect the nature of the enterprise. In a bureaucratic agency, such as a large government department e.g. MOE - operating within a civil service structure such as PACSA, there would be scope for negotiation on strategic goals, staff development needs, performance management and the means to realize them. Cell B6 describes a modern conception of the effective HRM function as a strategic partner to senior management in enterprises. The function seeks to align staffing to current and emerging market scenarios that have implications for recruitment, selection, induction, training and management of staff, including career development to ensure that the ‘best’ persons join and stay with the enterprise and contribute to its success in a changing context. Cell B7 describes features of PACSA’s Civil Service Management Strategy Framework as described in Anon (2005) and Bounnaphon (2008). Creating a better managed education service involves securing more resources to fund expansion, all staff having a clear sense of where the service is headed, knowing what contribution they are expected to make and feeling supported in making it. Achieving such goals requires skills in presentation and negotiation, communication, learning and performance evaluation. All these skills can be developed on-the-job. Yet no agency in MoE appears to do so. The context for introducing such an agency is auspicious as PACSA’s CSM Strategic Framework is designed to promote new approaches to HR. Modern HR agencies can develop knowledge management systems, promote workplace learning environments, assist line department managers to induct new staff and make senior managers more effective advocates for education at government level.

A main recommendation of this report is to create such an agency perhaps through restructuring DoP or creating a new center with in-house functions. The function would


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engage pro-actively with line managers – DG and DD - to assist them to examine the structure of their workplaces. It would aim to create work arrangements that promote on-the-job learning through discussion, assignments, job rotation and teamwork, supported by constructive feedback. If provided, such support would give a new meaning to ‘restructuring’, providing opportunities for workplace learning that would improve work quality and enhance employee motivation. Department staff with skills and interest in training could be identified and trained to contribute to this new role on a part- or full-time basis. Some of those already studying for Master’s in HRD might also be recruited.

The proposed agency could assist MoE in many ways. For example, MoE should consider how its own interests are represented in inter-agency negotiations within government. An example is whether and how DoP attempts to influence PACSA decision-making on quota allocation within MoE. A workshop proposed that SREAC be allocated 18 staff. What would be the process for securing PACSA’s support for such a staffing entitlement? What advocacy would be involved? How would it be managed? A strategic HR function could assist senior MoE management – DG level and above - to prioritize new posts. Such prioritization might be welcomed by PACSA which may lack a clear view of future MoE staffing needs.

Another need in a time of rapid transition is effective record keeping systems that can serve strategic purposes; they can document know-how and expertise that those leading the system may find useful. International trained staff acquires significant expertise. It is a potential resource. An HR function could support introduction of a database on which expertise may be recorded as the start of a ‘knowledge management’ system that could be tapped for specific development work. It could contribute to succession planning for senior posts. A recently returned HR specialist could be assigned the development task or scholarship funding could be used to train someone for this purpose. A restructured DoP could collect information routinely from returning graduates and also provide them with a career management counseling service.

Another area for development is performance monitoring, currently undertaken by DoP’s division of HRM every two years to decide whether civil servants are entitled to progress on the incremental scale. Such monitoring provides little or no feedback for professional growth. ESDF proposes developing quality assurance systems ‘to support regular internal and external monitoring and evaluation’. Such systems could be trialed in parallel with introduction of block grants.

In short there are many arguments for creating a strategic HR function on the above lines.

4.4.6 Opportunities for more to progress to and succeed within high quality post-school education

University staff are potential multipliers, depending upon their willingness and capacity to deploy developed knowledge, skills and attitudes for the benefit of their clients. Fulfilling planned staff development programs is crucial and development partner support can assist: Strengthening Higher Education PPTA will set the direction for the years ahead. NUOL should be encouraged to consider introducing academic study and research of HRD and workplace learning so that information about current practices can be developed and best practice ideas introduced.


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Full fee-paying higher education for 80% of students raises the question of alternative modes of learning. ESDF says little about the potential of distance or e-based learning and some initiatives should be considered. An analysis should also be undertaken, perhaps by NUOL Faculty of Education or by SREAC on how ‘special’ courses affect the work of institutions that provide them and what options they have in the emerging system.

Finally in planning the development of TEI and TVET as higher education institutions options for developing integrated campuses should be explored.

4.5 CONCLUSIONS

This section reviewed the strategies employed by the HR consultant to promote implementation of ESDF. It also reviewed the macro context for implementation and showed that funding sources and development partner conditions are likely to play a major role in deciding what will be implemented when. It reviewed CDF as a tool to guide HR initiatives. Finally it has proposed strategies for realizing six targets implicit and explicit in ESDF.

Development partners represent institutions - foreign government and NGO interests – that have contributed significantly to development of Lao education in the past and will no doubt continue to do so. ESDF aims to provide a basis for a coordinated approach. This report recommends that development partners plan their projects to invest significantly in developing skills of those in institutions able to exert strategic influence on the quality of the system – ‘multipliers’, as discussed above - and to do so by introducing a wider range of HR strategies including OJT. If development partner assistance could assist MoE staff to develop a strategic HR orientation, interactions with development partners on project priorities and their design might be not only even more stimulating than at present but also highly productive for the development of the education system.

The final section sets out the recommendations for Human Resource Management.


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5 RECOMMENDATIONS

Recommendation 1: MoE prepares a paper that sets out options, advantages and disadvantages for the teaching profession of a change from civil servant status including implications of making PES their employers.

Issue: Status and conditions of teachers. Remarks: Government is considering changing the status of teachers from civil servants. No information has been provided on what new status is proposed and how this might affect teachers or teaching. ESDF proposes PES have responsibilities for teacher supply.

Recommendation 2: DTT with support of ESITC and DoP’s HRM Division prepares a profile of the age distribution and qualifications of all teachers, including contract, volunteer and untrained teachers and consider options on introducing an ‘early retirement’ scheme for poorly educated and trained teachers.

Issue: Newly-trained well qualified primary teachers cannot find teaching posts. Remarks: Many serving teachers in primary and secondary schools are poorly educated and qualified; better educated and qualified teachers cannot find teaching jobs in some provinces. Options for encouraging poorly qualified teachers to leave teaching should be explored.

Recommendation 3: Teachers’ salaries should be increased to 2.5 times GDP by 2015.

Issue: Teachers’ salaries Remarks: Teachers in Lao PDR are paid on the poverty line. In neighboring countries teachers earn 2.5 times GDP and this salary level should be introduced in Lao PDR.

Recommendation 4: Head teachers who make an incomplete school complete within three years should receive rapid incremental advancement on their salary scale, as should teachers in schools that achieve significant outcomes such as meeting criteria for Schools of Quality and reaching excluded children.

Issue: Incentives for head teachers and teachers. Remarks: Current incentives appear to be ineffective. ESDF proposes that head teachers who achieve significant physical improvement effects in their schools within three years should be rewarded by confirmation of post.

Recommendation 5: MoE DTT is given overall responsibility for managing teacher supply in Lao PDR and uses data collected for (2) above to develop accurate forecasts of teacher supply.

Issue: Supply and demand for teachers. Remarks: The total number of persons currently teaching in primary school needs to be established to predict future supply needs and manage access to teacher training.

Recommendation 6: DTT should increase the proportion of students admitted to pre-service teacher training by the examination route as soon as scholarship provision is made for poor students in primary and secondary schools as recommended by ESDF.

Issue: Access to pre-service teacher training. Remarks: Quotas seem to be ineffective for securing quality teacher supply since many


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quota trained teachers do not apply for teaching posts. Quotas also require trained teachers to teach in their home province, thus restricting their mobility. Selection by examination is an alternative means of accessing a teacher training place.

Recommendation 7: DTT should define 12+3 as the standard for primary teacher training.

Issue: Raising standards of primary teacher training. Remarks: Depending upon teacher supply projections DTT should channel increasing numbers of primary trainees into 12+3 routes of primary teacher training, while retaining the 8+3 route to a primary teaching qualification for selected groups of trainees, including those from ethnic communities.

Recommendation 8: DTT should collect better data from PES/DEB on teacher shortage in such communities, fund ‘best practice’ ad hoc teacher training courses for students from such communities and monitor subsequent careers of graduates.

Issue: Teacher supply for schools in remote and ethnic communities. Remarks: It is known that remote and ethnic communities lack teachers, but the scale of the problem is not documented though DEB officers in some districts could provide reliable estimates. Such estimates would indicate how many students from such communities should be trained on special 8+3 teacher training courses. Monitoring of graduates would indicate how many trained teachers return to their communities to teach and persist in teaching.

Recommendation 9: MOE DTT should draft a decree to allow VEDC and communities that lack teachers to recruit students prior to training on a legal contract basis, subject to a right of review by the trainee on graduating.

Issue: Recruitment of teachers for ethnic and remote schools prior to teacher training. Remarks: Remote and ethnic communities lack teachers. ESDF proposes that VEDC and communities that lack teachers should be allowed to recruit students prior to training on a legal contract basis. Persons signing the contract would be guaranteed a place in a teacher training program. To protect the interests of young persons who are persuaded to sign such a contract a right of review subsequent to obtaining a teaching qualification should be included in the legislation.

Recommendation 10: MoE DTT should commission NUOL FOE to research graduate attitudes to teaching as a career, and consider how actively to recruit teachers for secondary schools.

Issue: Recruitment of secondary teachers. Remarks: Extension of secondary education to seven years will increase demand for teachers, especially in shortage subjects. Few graduates, including those ‘bonded’ by the quota currently apply for teaching positions. Research could illuminate why graduates are reluctant to apply for teaching positions.

Recommendation 11: Newly trained quota teachers emerging from training institutions should be guaranteed a teaching position by their ‘home’ province for one year to enable them to complete probation requirements.

Issue: Selection and deployment of trained teachers. Remarks: Trained teachers leaving TEI require one year of probationary training to achieve


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full teacher status. Many cannot find jobs and so cannot complete their training. PES nominates students to the quota but teacher appointment policy denies them the opportunity to complete their training.

Recommendation 12: Newly trained non-quota teachers emerging from training institutions should be supported by their ‘home’ province in accessing a teaching position for one year to enable them to complete probation requirements.

Issue: Selection and deployment of trained teachers. Remarks: Trained teachers leaving TEI require one year of probationary training to achieve full teacher status. Many cannot find jobs and so cannot complete their training. Trainees who enter teacher training by the examination route deserve the opportunity to complete their training.

Recommendation 13: DTT should work with NUOL to develop an accredited program of in-service education and training that DoP should negotiate with PACSA to secure agreement that it counts for salary upgrading.

Issue: In-service education and training Remarks: Little in-service training is currently provided but a rapid expansion is proposed in the next two years. No structure exists to accredit training. Professional training does not count as ‘upgrading’ for salary purposes.

Recommendation 14: MoE review the effects of current restructuring and consider what further restructuring may be needed to increase the efficiency of its operations.

Issue: MoE restructuring. Remarks: MoE has undergone significant restructuring in the past year with new departments and centers being created. Review would enable information to be collected about how new departments and centers are managing their work and what workplace support they need. It would also identify where further restructuring is required to improve efficiency of MoE operations in the light of ESDF policy and legislation demands.

Recommendation 15: MoE establish a unit to assist DG in different departments to manage restructuring and new work demands.

Issue: MoE restructuring. Remarks: MOE restructuring has not been supported by any HR unit, yet there is evidence that a need for such a unit exists to assist on-the-job learning of staff to cope with new and emerging roles.

Recommendation 16: TA should be considered to assist MoE to develop a modern HR function

Issue: A modern HR function in MOE Remarks: MoE DoP is primarily an administrative unit. To manage policy, system and institutional change implicit in ESDF a modern HRM function able to provide strategic advice and on-the-job training to senior managers and DG is required

Recommendation 17: Each PES establish an HR unit to assist its and related DEB departments to manage the effects of realignment and introduce modern HR practices.


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Issue: PES and DEB re-alignment. Remarks: PASCA is promoting realignment of PES/DEB functions but no modern HR unit is assisting this process at provincial level.

Recommendation 18: NUOL be invited to consider introducing academic study of HRM/D and workplace learning in Lao PDR.

Issue: Introduction of modern thinking about HRD. Remarks: MoE is the agency responsible for HRD in Lao PDR. Government has asked DPC to advise on modern conceptions of HRD. There is no academic study of HRD in Lao PDR. Introducing such study at NUOL could create a supply of persons trained in modern HR thinking.

Recommendation 19: MoE prepare a paper setting out issues in replacing registration and tuition fees in primary and secondary schools and introducing block grants and a timetable for doing so.

Issue: Access to primary schooling. Remarks: Registration and tuition fees discourage parents from enrolling children in primary school and keeping them there. ESDF proposes block grants to replace fees. Block grants will be based on a per capita rate that may means that some schools lose income. These and other issues need to be addressed in the proposed paper.

Recommendation 20: Development partner project design should introduce and train in modern HR learning strategies.

Issue: Design of development partner projects. Remarks: Development partners play an important role in HRD in Lao PDR. Their projects often could incorporate a wider range of ‘best practice’ off- and on-the-job learning strategies. Projects should be designed to do so.


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REFERENCES

ADB (2009) Preparing the Strengthening Higher Education Project: TA 7124 – Lao PDR: Draft Inception Report January

Anon (2005) Human Resource Management in the Civil Service, Lao PDR: A Critical Driver in Reform Paper presented at 13th ACCSM Main Conference, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 20-22 December 2005 Downloaded 1 April 2009 at www.bkn.go.id/arcie/acssm/Web/LaoPDR/cf.pdf

Atikom, K. & Wilson, J.D. (2007) Talent development through workplace learning in Thailand: The case of talent management of Office of the Civil Service Commission Proceedings of 6th Asian Conference of Academy of Human Resource Development, Beijing 3-5 November

Bounnaphon, A (2008) Government and public reform and One-Door-Service Downloaded 1 April 2009 at www.oecd/korea.org/Download/Governance/Manager/GeneralFile/2008.10/Laos(i).pdf

European Union (2002) Basic Education in Northern Communities Project 2004-2010 Vientiane, Ministry of Education

Government of Lao PDR (2008) Mid-term review of the implementation of the sixth National Socio-Economic Development Plan (2006-10). First Draft. Vientiane, Ministry of Planning and Investment, Lao PDR

Government of Lao PDR (2005) Education for All: Mid-decade assessment Vientiane

Ministry of Education

Harbin, C. and Davies, L. (1998) School management and effectiveness in developing countries, London, Continuum

Hough, J (2008) Economic relevance study: An analysis of the capacity of the education system to meet the employment needs of a Lao modern economy, December Vientiane, Ministry of Education

Japan International Cooperation Agency (2007) Joint terminal evaluation report on project for improving science and mathematics teacher training (SMATT)

Lally, M (2006) Teacher deployment to primary schools Vientiane, mimeo

Lao-Australian Basic Education Project for Girls (2008) Activity Completion Report February

Lao PDR MoE (2009) Education Sector Development Framework 2009-2015 Vientiane, Ministry of Education

MoE (2008) Education for All: National Plan of Action 2003-15: Mid-Term Review Vientiane, Ministry of Education, Lao PDR

MoE (2005) Education for All: National Plan of Action 2003-15 Vientiane, Ministry of Education, Lao PDR

MoE Department of Planning and Cooperation (2008) Distribution plan of students and civil servants to different fields of studies 2008-9 Vientiane, Ministry of Education


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MoE Working Group (2008) Improving the status of teachers through salaries and incentives (with support from TTEST) Vientiane, Ministry of Education

MoE (2006) Teacher Education Strategy 2006-15 and Action Plan 2006-2010 Vientiane, Ministry of Education

MoE, UNICEF and Partners (2006) Lao PDR: Teacher Upgrading Project Vientiane, Ministry of Education

National Socio-Economic Development Plan (2008-9) Vientiane, Lao PDR

Noonan, R and Visiene Xaiyasensouk (2007) Alternative models of teacher training for remote areas Vientiane, Swedish International Development Agency

Quang, T and Thavisay, C (1999) Privatization and Human Resource Development Issue: A Preliminary study of State-Owned Enterprises in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic Research and Practice in Human Resource Management 7(1), 101-23

Tibi, C. (2009) Final Synthesis Report Secondary Education Development Project – Technical Assistance and Capacity Building in Education Policy Analysis, March

Tibi, C. (2007) Basic Education in Northern Communities (BENC) Project: Mid-term review, June

TTEST (2006) Teacher Education Institution Capacity, Operational Study 4, March

Vientiane, Ministry of Education

TTEST (2004a) Teacher training and recruitment into the teaching profession Operational Study 3, February Vientiane, Ministry of Education

TTEST (2004b) School clusters Operational Study 2, February Vientiane, Ministry of Education

TTEST (2004c) Teaching performance in Lao primary schools, Operational Study 1, February

Willsher, M. (2008) Primary Teacher In-Service Training in Lao PDR Vientiane, UNICEF

World Bank (2001) Decentralised Education Management TA-3871

World Bank (2007) Teaching in Lao PDR Vientiane, Ministry of Education

World Bank (2009) Capacity Development Framework, March Vientiane, Ministry of Education

Lao PDR ESDF Sector Study: Human Resource Management – Annex 1

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Annex 1

Document 1 was presented to around 40 participants from MOE and related agencies at an HRM Focal Group workshop on 24 February 2009. Participants were asked to validate the 34 ESDF strategies and targets (Column A) and their re-interpretation as 18 integrated activities (Column B) with HRM implications (Column C) to be led by nominated agencies in MOE (Column D). Subsequently participants individually rated proposed activities in terms of priority, difficulty and feasibility and identified constraints in implementation, with special reference to governance issues.

Sixteen of the 18 proposed activities were judged to require governance related actions prior to implementation. None of the participants could provide information on costs or sources of funds for proposed activities. Only two activities were perceived to require no governance actions for implementation in 2009-10. These were:

‘MOE DTVE prepares plans to train 300 new TVET graduate instructors and teachers p.a. by 2012. A budget be identified’; and

‘MOE/PACSA/MOF review in 2010 pay and allowances for teachers and school directors, with special reference to those appointed to remote and incomplete schools to provide (a) Specific incentives for housing, advance payments and home visits, and (b) Tenure for 3-year probationary head teachers based on criteria of performance as school developer and financial manager’.

Annex 1a: Report of Workshop on HRM Implications of ESDF for 2009-2010 Room 425 Ministry of Education, Vientiane, Tuesday 24 February 2009

Executive Summary

Thirty-four participants from Ministry of Education and related agencies attended a workshop in Vientiane on 24 February 2009 to consider HRM implications of the report of ESDF 2009-15 for implementation in 2009-10. Participants validated a summary of 43 ESDF strategies and targets identified by the HRM consultants and their re-interpretation as 18 integrated activities. They then individually rated proposed activities in terms of priority, difficulty and feasibility. They also identified constraints in implementation, with special reference to governance issues. Sixteen of the 18 proposed activities required governance related actions prior to implementation. None of the participants could provide information on costs or sources of funds for proposed activities.

The two activities that were perceived to require no governance actions as priority for implementation in 2009-10 were:

1. ‘MOE DTVE prepares plans to train 300 new TVET graduate instructors and teachers p.a. by 2012. A budget to be identified’.

2. ‘MOE/PACSA/MOF review in 2010 pay and allowances for teachers and school directors, with special reference to those appointed to remote and incomplete schools to provide (a) Specific incentives for housing, advance payments and home visits, and (b) Tenure for 3-year probationary head teachers based on criteria of performance as school developer and financial manager’.

HRM implications for implementing the above two activities are discussed briefly.


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Sixteen other activities are listed as prioritized by workshop participants.

The report recommends that:

1. The 18 activities identified as summarizing ESDF strategies and targets with HRM implications be adopted as a working document.

2. Activities 1 and 2 above (3.2 and 4.1 in the original list of 18) be given priority for implementation in 2009-2010, and MOE Department of Planning and Cooperation (DPC) be advised accordingly.

3. DPC be informed of governance issues relating to 16 other prioritized activities, and discussions entered into about how these might be addressed in the light of other ESDF targets.

4. On the basis of a timetable for resolution of governance issues and other factors, HRM-related activities be re-prioritized and HRM implications spelled out in more detail within a time plan.

5. Funding sources for implementing HRM-related activities in 2009-10 be reviewed in the light of proposals in the ‘Costed Sector Development Plan for 2009-10’.

Introduction

The Education Sector Development Framework (ESDF) 2009-15 was adopted by Government of Laos PDR in April 2009. Implementation will commence on 1 October 2009.

A workshop on Human Resource Management (HRM) implications of ESDF recommendations for implementation in the first year of ESDF, was held on 24 February 2009 at Ministry of Education (MOE), with participants from departments in MOE, teacher training institutions, Vientiane Capital Provincial Education Service (PES) and donor representatives. All documentation (Annex 2) was provided in both English and Lao.

The TA provided a short background to HRM and Human Resource Development (HRD) in an international context and introduced workshop aims and objectives. The workshop involved participants in individual and group tasks:, to validate consultants’ summary and interpretation of ESDF strategies and targets with HRM implications;, to rank proposed actions on priority, difficulty and feasibility and to identify constraints on implementation and needed HRD.

Background paper

Lao and English versions of a background paper identifying the 43 strategies and targets with HRM/HRD implications were provided categorized under trained teacher supply and demand, teacher education system development of managers and teachers, conditions of service of teachers and head teachers; and other ESDF targets

This paper also reviewed the ESDF’s 43 strategies and targets. This review indicated repetition and overlap and suggested that some strategies and targets might be integrated and represented more succinctly and effectively as 18 proposed actions Some actions, for example, implied system development, others training or other forms of staff development. The paper made explicit some of the HRM implications of these 18 proposed actions. Finally, since actions relate to spheres of assigned responsibility, the paper proposed an agency within MOE that might lead implementation of the action in 2009-10.


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Workshop tasks

Task 1 was a morning task that required participants to work in sub-groups of 5-8 persons. Each sub-group was invited to consider ESDF strategies and targets for a different aspect of education provision. Allocation to sub-groups was on the basis of participants’ knowledge and interest in the concerned topics.

Participants were asked to validate, for their assigned topics, the accuracy of (a) the list of ESDF strategies and targets, (b) consultants’ interpretation and (c) likely HRM implications. They were also invited to judge whether (d) appropriate MOE agencies had been identified to lead implementation of the action in 2009-2010. Within groups C and E specific topics were grouped together, and these were considered by two or more participants. Each sub-group was invited to write comments in answer to questions on Paper 2, and also to report briefly.

Task 2 was undertaken in the afternoon with participants grouped as in the morning. Task 2 involved individual and group tasks. The individual task, using Paper 3, was to rank each action proposed by HRM consultants as reflecting ESDF strategies and targets – column B of paper 1 – in terms of priority, difficulty and feasibility. Rankings were on a scale of 1-5 with 1 as ‘low’ and 5 as ‘high’. In addition, participants were invited to note other issues relevant for implementation in 2009-10. These included governance issues and factors such as workload or political aspects, HR capacity development needed to enable staff in the lead agency to initiate actions, and, where HRD was required, who should provide it and what form it should take. Participants were also asked to identify costs of the proposed actions and funding sources. A final question requested information on any other factors that should be considered such as starting date, person responsible and prior initial actions. Subsequent to recording their individual views on the above matters, each group was asked to share views and discuss prior to reporting.

Participants evaluated the workshop prior to departure.

Workshop outcomes

Analysis of documentation on Task 1 indicated little disagreement with what consultants had proposed. Some comments questioned ESDF targets; others provided additional information not supplied in ESDF; others again indicated additional agencies that should be involved or consulted in regard to implementation. These points have been incorporated in the summary of workshop outcomes in Table 1 below.

For Task 2 group ratings are reported of priority, difficulty and feasibility of ESDF proposed actions with HRM implications. Individual reports on governance, HR costs and other issues are in process of analysis. Reports on group discussions indicated that participants thought that 16 of the 18 proposed actions raised governance issues, requiring MOE decrees, regulations or other actions. The two items not requiring decrees or regulations were 3.2 viz. ‘Training 300 new TVET graduate instructors and teachers per annum by 2012’ and 4.1 ‘Review in 2010 of pay and allowances including specific incentives for housing, advance payments and home visits, and tenure for 3-year probationary head teachers based on criteria of performance as school developer and financial manager’.

The outcomes of the workshop are summarized in Table 1 below.


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Table 1: Summary of ratings and comments on proposed ESDF actions with HRM Implications

Interpretation Rating#

Comment No.

P D F 1.0 Trained teacher supply

and demand for schools G*

issue MOE-DOP – responsible and could start in 2009 – staff can access all existing official documents. PACSA should be informed.

1.1 National direction to PES and TEI in 2010 through Ministerial decree, regulations and guidelines developed by MOE DTT Pre-service to ensure that recruitment of teacher trainees is: (a) Incentives and contract-based, aimed at securing sufficient enrolled students, including girls and those from ethnic and remote communities who have committed to teach in a named school, to meet their future school staffing needs;

5 3 4 * Need for a Ministerial decree, regulations or guideline to endorse a new national recruitment strategy with incentives. Skill development for recruitment required.

1.2 National direction to PES in 2010 through Ministerial decree, regulations and guidelines developed by MOE Personnel to provide for: (a) Exemption from examination for approved civil service (quota) teaching posts of trainees with contracts signed prior to training, and qualified trained teachers willing to teach in remote ethnic schools (b) Ministerial decree in 2010 of PTR of 34 (primary), 30 (lower secondary), 25 (upper secondary)

5 4 4 * Need for a Ministerial decree, regulations or guideline to change deployment of teachers to schools. Need to insist that graduates go to teach in assigned schools. Staff training and study visits for DoP and staff from DPP and DSE required to develop alternative selection system. PTR for crèche should be 1:15, kindergarten and pre-school 1:20/25. PTR should be flexible between urban and rural areas.


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Comment No.

P D F 2.0 Teacher Education

System

Proposal 2.2 (a) is in line with TESAP (2006) and could be undertaken by 2011.

2.1 MOE DTT Pre-service prepares regulations and operational guidelines to ensure: (a) Quota pre-service places and scholarships are available for ethnic trainees contracted to schools, and (b) Number of persons in training matches national needs

5 3 4 * Needs government and ministerial decree etc. Need technical assistance.

2.2 MOE DTT prepares by 2011: (a) National Teacher Education Plan incorporating a road map on teacher education, and (b) By 2012/2015 a flexible teacher training curriculum with close attention to requirements of women and ethnic groups.

5 4 4 * Need for a Ministerial decree etc to specify a flexible gender sensitive curriculum for ethnic groups. DTT Pre-Service will lead with TTC/S staff but needs cooperation of DPP and DSE. Role of NUOL Faculty of Education needs clarified.

3.0 Development of managers and teachers by 2015

P D F

3.1 System management review

3.1 Relevant MOE departments and agencies in 2010 review current system functioning and plan for system integration, organizational and staff development at central, provincial, district and school levels drawing on CDF to enable: (a) Revised management and operations by end of 2010 incorporating developed budget management units and schools (b) Redefined role of pedagogy/inspection

4 2 4 * DOP is lead agency; needs Ministerial decree; budget unspecified; needs short and long-term training in-country and overseas


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Comment No.

P D F services to improve efficiency in school performance monitoring planning and management by 2011

3.2-3 Training: TVET instructors and teachers and in service training for school teachers

3.2 MOE DTVE prepares plans to train: (a) 300 new TVET graduate instructors and teachers p.a. by 2012

5 2 4 A development centre for TVET exists, but TOT is needed for existing staff. The teacher quota to be trained should be increased. Budget is needed.

3.3 MOE DTT develops plans to: (a) Provide 20% of teachers with INSET annually - date and nature unspecified

5 2 4 * Regulations needed to implement this.

3.4-7 Training for school directors

3.4 MOE DPP, PES and DEB develop training in school performance monitoring planning and management by 2010/2011 for: (a) Primary and lower secondary school heads

3 2 4 * Regulations needed to implement this; also planning staff need trained, and a training centre established with TOT

3.5 MOE DTT and DPP develop training in school/community development planning by 2015 for: (a) 2,500 school heads and 15,000 teachers

4 2 4 * Ministerial decree required. DoP should organize training

3.6 MOE DoPM establishes in 2011: (a) criteria and incentives-based schemes for head teacher promotion in different categories of school

5 2 5 * A budget and regulations for implementation are required. In addition Centre for Quality Assurance should be involved.

3.7 MOE establishes: ( a) New Education Management Training Institute from 2011/2 to

5 2 5 * A plan is prepared but a budget is needed together with a decree from the Ministry. Staff needs to be identified and trained. DoP should


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Comment No.

P D F deliver staff development training and programs in leadership training, induction, probation and performance appraisal

plan with technical departments e.g. NFE, PPandP and DSE.

4.0 Conditions of service of teachers and head teachers

4.1 MOE/PACSA/MOF review in 2010 pay and allowances for teachers and head teachers, with special reference to those appointed to remote and incomplete schools to provide: (a) Specific incentives for housing, advance payments and home visits (b) Tenure for 3-year probationary head teachers based on criteria of performance as school developer and financial manager

5 3 4 Need to review salaries of teachers against cost of living and to convince other sectors of society of merit of paying teachers more. A decree and regulations providing for additional pay exists, and if government agrees it could be introduced in 2010, but implementation difficulty is due to lack of funds. A possibility is to increase value of increment (or introduce annual promotion increase). Another possibility under consideration is different pay for working in different settings as e.g. in Vietnam. DoP with DTT should submit incentives plan recognizing difficulty of recruiting for pre-school and from BA graduates. DoP needs to draft a handbook with topics for head teacher training and train Master Trainers. A training centre needs to be established.

5.0 Other ESDF targets 5.1 CLC 5.1 Strategy and action plan for

CLC

4 4 4 * A Prime Minister’s decree is required; new staff would be required from different departments with analysis of training needs; RIES should be involved as well as NFE.

5.2-3 K-12 Curriculum and assessment

5.2 Improved curriculum for K-12 and definition of minimum standards of student achievement for grades 3, 5, 9 and 12

5 4 5 * Ministerial decree required and extra staff.

5.3 Action plan to develop new arrangements for nationwide student

5 3 4 * New regulations would be needed for this and extra staff identified and trained.


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Comment No.

P D F performance monitoring and admission requirements

5.4-6 Personnel planning and management systems, including financial management

5.4 Action plan developed to strengthen central and provincial technical, personnel and financial EMIS system against agreed performance indicators

5 3 4 * Ministerial decree needed; Centre for Statistics and Personnel should also be involved.

5.5 Strengthened district-level personnel planning and management system

5 3 4 * Ministerial decree required.

5.6 Plan and guidelines for strengthened technical and financial management systems in post-secondary institutions

4 3 5 * New regulations required. Ministry of Finance and DoHE should be involved.

KEY: #P: Priority, D: Difficulty, F: Feasibility *G: Governance

Table 2 shows that 13 out of 18 aspects were rated ‘high priority’ (5) for implementation and none of ‘low’ or ‘quite low’ priority; 7 aspects were rated of relatively ‘low difficulty’ (2) and 4 of relatively ‘high difficulty’ (4); 4 aspects were rated of ‘high feasibility’ (5) and the remainder only slightly lower.

Table 2: Ratings on priority, difficulty and feasibility of aspects for implementation

Ratings Priority Difficulty Feasibility

Aspects to be implemented 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5N = 18 1 4 13 7 7 4 14 4

Table 3 shows items ranked by priority, difficulty and feasibility.

Table 3: Ranking of activities on basis of participant ratings

Aspect

Priority (1) Low-High (5)

Difficulty (1) Low-High (5)

Feasibility (1) Low-High (5)

1.0 3.6/3.7 5 2 5 2.0 3.2/3.3 5 2 4 3.0 1.1/1.2/2.1/2.2/4.1/5.3/5.4/5.5 5 3 4 4.0 5.2 5 4 5 5.0 5.6 4 3 5 6.0 3.1/3.5 4 2 4 7.0 5.1 4 4 4 8.0 3.4 3 2 4


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The items rated of highest importance, least difficulty and highest feasibility were:

1. 3.6 ‘MOE Personnel establishes in 2011 criteria and incentive-based schemes for head teacher promotion in different categories of school’; and

2. 3.7 ‘MOE establishes a new Education Management Training Institute from 2011/12 to deliver staff development raining and programs in leadership training, induction, probation and performance appraisal’.

Both involve Ministerial decree and/or regulations and identification of a budget. A staff development plan is also needed.

Also of high priority, but with a similarly low level of perceived difficulty and a slightly lower level of feasibility, were:

3. 3.2 ‘MOE DTVE prepares plans to train 300 new TVET graduate instructors and teachers per annum by 2012’; and

4. 3.3 ‘MOE DTT develops plans to provide 20% of teachers with INSET annually’.

The TVET initiative was one of only two activities not perceived to require ministerial decree or regulations.

The aspect regarded as of least priority - ranked only 3 on priority, though 2 on difficulty and 4 on feasibility – was 3.4 viz. ‘MOE DPP, PES and DEB develop training in school performance monitoring planning and management by 2010/11 for primary and lower secondary school heads’.

Interpretation

The workshop brought together senior staff from concerned departments within MOE and related agencies viz. PES, teacher training and donors to consider for the first time HRM implications of 43 ESDF strategies and targets as summarized by consultants. Those participating confirmed consultants’ summary of ESDF strategies and targets as accurate; they also endorsed their integration of several related ESDF strategies and targets into 18 activities for 2009-10 that relevant Ministry agencies should initiate. In some cases they made suggestions as to appropriate lead agencies or raised questions about the relationship between external agencies and Ministry departments. These comments are incorporated in this report.

Participants also identified priorities for action, difficulties that such actions might present, and feasibility of implementation through individual ratings. Action is likely to be ineffective unless it addresses pre-requisites, and considers how to overcome such obstacles as level of financial support and trained staff who can lead the activity.

Reports indicated that a pre-requisite for implementation of 16 of the 18 proposed activities was a decree, legislation or some other formal governance action. Relevant lead agencies need to initiate action to arrange this.

The two activities perceived as free from governance constraints were:

3.2 ‘MOE DTVE prepares plans to train 300 new TVET graduate instructors and teachers p.a.by 2012’; and


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4.1 ‘MOE/PACSA/MOF review in 2010 pay and allowances for teachers and school directors, with special reference to those appointed to remote and incomplete schools to provide (a) Specific incentives for housing, advance payments and home visits, and (b) Tenure for 3-year probationary head teachers based on criteria of performance as school developer and financial manager’.

Participants were unable to provide any indication of what proposed activities would cost or who would pay. In some cases e.g. for the proposed new Education Management Training Institute, the workshop was informed that a plan was prepared, but a budget had yet to be assigned. Information from the ‘Costed Sector Development Plan: 2009-10’ may illuminate what government and donor funds are being committed to ESDF HRM-related activities. However, in passing, it may be noted that lack of any financial sense serves to confirm the administrative rather than managerial functions of staff in MOE departments and divisions. Modern organizations operate through units which act as cost centers where managerial staff is responsible for a specific range of expenditure. Senior managers – certainly those operating at Deputy Director level – would be expected to be aware of organizational policies and their budgetary implications over a 1-3 year period or longer. Institutional reform of MOE to create a modern organization would create such awareness.

These two fundamental constraints viz. governance and funding raise questions about which re-interpreted ESDF strategies and targets may actually be implemented in 2009-2010.

A third aspect explored was participants’ views on HR capacity development requirements to undertake proposed activities. Reports indicated in some cases that training needs analysis of staff was required, training of trainers, and training of staff to implement new systems of, for example, financial management. Within teacher education there appeared to be more confidence that existing MOE and TTC/S staff had required skills to lead proposed training. Some reports indicated awareness that existing HRM practices required development. For example, with regard to teacher ‘recruitment’ (1.1) it was acknowledged that ‘skill development’ was required; in 3.4 it was recognized that staff needed to be trained for school performance monitoring, planning and management. However, current practices in MOE indicate a generally undeveloped notion of HRM practices. The workshop provided little indication that staff was aware of the size of this gap between traditional and modern practices.

Future HRM-related Actions

ESDF-related activities 3.2 and 4.1 above seem to be areas where progress might be initiated. The report on activity 3.2 indicated that a TVET development centre is established, but that training of trainers is required. A costed training plan would need to be developed and sources of potential funding identified. With regard to HRM, Paper 1 – topic 3 Column C point 2 - indicates that staff involved in implementing this action would need skills in (a) analyzing trainee needs, and (b) identifying cost-effective strategies for meeting these needs through training and other HRD strategies. Point 3 in the same column suggests, further, that a process and criteria for defining skills of trainers is required, together with the development of a system for recruiting, selecting and deploying trainers. Such development would normally start with a review of the effectiveness of the current system


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The report on activity 4.1 indicated that the controversial issue of teacher salaries was already under discussion, as is a proposal to separate teachers’ salaries from civil service pay scales. Resolving such issues may take time. However, two actions were proposed that could be initiated immediately viz. (a) DOP, along with Department of Teacher Training (DTT) submitting an incentives plan that recognized the difficulty of recruiting for pre-school teaching and of attracting Bachelor degree holders to teaching as a career; and (b) DOP drafting a handbook with topics for school director training, and for training Master Trainers. The handbook would presumably replace the currently used, and rather dated, EDP2 manual and provide guidance to probationary head teachers specifically on their role as school developers and as financial manager of the block grants proposed under ESDF. With regard to HRM, Paper 1 - topic 4 Column C points 1 and 2 - indicates that MOE staff involved in negotiations with PACSA and MOF would require to be fully conversant with current annual salary costs of the teaching force. Moreover, they would have to be able to provide realistic projections of costs of different proposed modifications to current salary arrangements, including proposed incentives, over a given time-scale e.g. to 2015, taking account of projections of the growth of teacher numbers as primary and secondary education expands. Developing such projections implies investment in appropriate software packages and training relevant staff to use them. It involves an iterative internal process, too, until DOP is satisfied that it has the ‘best’ mix of salary and incentives to be attractive for recruitment purposes while being affordable to take to negotiations with other government departments. Moreover, to succeed in best representing one’s case in negotiations with such agencies, a modern organization would prepare its key negotiators through empowerment, assertiveness and negotiation training. Development of the proposed handbooks also provides an opportunity to incorporate modern thinking about school management for communities with different attitudes to schooling and needs, especially ethnic communities, and the role of Master Trainers. The handbooks also provide an opportunity to democratize the process of development by involving successful school directors and head teachers of incomplete schools in the development process. The development process might be jointly led by DOP, DTT and staff who have developed both theoretical and practical understanding of the issues through, for example Masters study under TTEST and other development opportunities.

Ratings indicated different priorities, as noted above, with 3.6 and 3.7 rated as highest on importance and feasibility and least in difficulty, despite the need to resolve governance and funding issues.

Conclusion

This report shows that workshop participants endorsed HRM consultants’ interpretation of 43 ESDF strategies and targets as 18 activities with HRM implications. Sixteen of these activities require prior governance actions. For none was amount or source of funding identified. Ratings indicated that participants attached highest importance to developing criteria and incentives for head teacher promotion, and establishing an Education Management Training Institute. Other highly rated targets were TVET training and INSET training for 20% of the teaching workforce annually. The lowest priority was attached to training in school performance monitoring and management for primary and lower secondary heads.


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On the basis of feasibility i.e. freedom to act without governance changes or identifying funding sources, activities related to 3.2 and 4.1 could be initiated immediately at low cost. For 3.2 this would involve TVET managers identifying a group to review current arrangements and prepare a costed training plan for trainers of trainers.

For 4.1, this would involve two activities: (a) DOP and DTT setting up a group to consider incentives for attracting trainees to pre-school and secondary teaching; and (b) DOP leading the drafting of a handbook with topics for training probationary head teachers and for training Master Trainers who, it is presumed, would provide such training.

The consolidated list of activities prioritized on the basis of (a) freedom from constraints and (b) participants’ rankings is in Table 4.

Table 4: Prioritized actions to achieve ESDF targets with HRM implications

Rank Activity Comment

1 = 3.2 MOE DTVE prepares plans to train 300 new TVET graduate instructors and teachers p.a. by 2012. A budget to be identified’. 4.1 MOE/PACSA/MOF review in 2010 pay and allowances for teachers and school directors, with special reference to those appointed to remote and incomplete schools to provide: (a) Specific incentives for housing, advance payments and home visits, and (b) Tenure for 3-year probationary head teachers based on criteria of performance as school developer and financial manager.

No governance legislation required

3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

3.6 MOE DOP establishes in 2011 criteria and incentives-based schemes for school director promotion in different categories of school. 3.7 MOE establishes a new Education Management Training Institute from 2011/2 to deliver staff development training and programs in leadership training, induction, probation and performance appraisal. 3.3 MOE provides 20% of teachers with INSET annually - date and nature unspecified. 1.1 National direction to PES and TEI in 2010 through Ministerial decree, regulations and guidelines developed by MOE DTT Pre-service to ensure that recruitment of teacher trainees is incentives and contract-based, aimed at securing sufficient enrolled students, including girls and those from ethnic and remote communities who have committed to teach in a named school, to meet their future school staffing needs. 1.2 National direction to PES in 2010 through Ministerial decree, regulations and guidelines developed by MOE Personnel to provide for (a) Exemption from examination for approved civil service (quota) teaching posts of trainees with contracts signed prior to training, and qualified trained teachers willing to teach in remote ethnic schools, and (b) Ministerial decree in 2010 of PTR of 34 (primary), 30 (lower secondary), 25 (upper secondary). (PTR for pre-school to be identified)

On basis of ranking on priority, difficulty and feasibility but governance legislation required


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8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18.

2.1 MOE DTT Pre-service prepares regulations and operational guidelines to ensure (a) Quota pre-service places and scholarships are available for ethnic trainees contracted to schools, and (b) Number of persons in training matches national needs. 2.2. MOE DTT prepares (a) By 2011, a National Teacher Education Plan incorporating a road map on teacher education, and (b) By 2012/2015, a flexible teacher training curriculum with close attention to requirements of women and ethnic groups. 5.3 Action plan to develop new arrangements for nationwide student performance monitoring and admission requirements. 5.4 Action plan developed to strengthen central and provincial technical, personnel and financial EMIS system against agreed performance indicators. 5.5 Strengthened district-level personnel planning and management system. 5.2 Improved curriculum for K-12 and definition of minimum standards of student achievement for grades 3, 5, 9 and 12. 5.6 Plan and guidelines for strengthened technical and financial management systems in post-secondary institutions. 3.1 Relevant MOE departments and agencies in 2010 review current system functioning and plan for system integration, organizational and staff development at central, provincial, district and school levels drawing on Capacity Development Framework to enable (a) Revised management and operations by end of 2010, incorporating developed budget management units and schools, and (b) Redefined role of pedagogy/inspection services to improve efficiency in school performance monitoring planning and management by 2011. 3.5 MOE DTT and DPP develop training in school/community development planning by 2015 for 2,500 school directors and 15,000 teachers. 5.1 Strategy and action plan for Community Learning Centers. 3.4 MOE DPP, PES and DEB develop training in school performance monitoring planning and management by 2010/2011 for primary and lower secondary school directors.


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Recommendations to ESDF Focal Group for HRM

1. The 18 activities identified in Table 4 as summarizing ESDF strategies and targets with HRM implications be adopted as a working document.

2. Activities 3.2 and 4.1 be given priority for implementation in 2009-2010, and MOE Department of Planning and Cooperation (DPC) be advised accordingly.

3. DPC be informed of governance issues that need to be addressed prior to implementation of other listed activities, and discussions entered into about prioritization in the light of other ESDF targets.

4. On the basis of resolution of governance issues other HRM-related activities be re-prioritized and HRM implications spelled out in more detail within a time plan.

5. Funding sources for implementing HRM-related activities in 2009-10 be reviewed in the light of proposals in the ‘Costed Sector Development Plan for 2009-10’.


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Annex 1b Workshop Program - ESDF: Working Group on HRM

Workshop: ESDF Priorities for 2009-2010 with HRM/HRD Implications

Thursday 24 February 2009, Ministry of Education: Conference Room 425

Rationale

An English language Education Sector Development Framework (ESDF) 2009-2015 – now available in Lao translation - identified numerous strategies and targets for Lao education. The HR consultancy team has summarized and interpreted strategies and targets with HRM implications. This 1-day workshop brings together key Ministry of Education department and agency staff, teacher educators and administrators, donor representatives and consultants to review these interpretations, establish priorities for implementation in 2009-2010, and identify constraints.

Aims

The aims of the workshop are to:

Introduce ESDF strategies and targets with HRM/D implications

Provide opportunity for comment and discussion on interpretation of these ESDF strategies and targets

Rank priorities for action in 2009-2010

Identify strategies to overcome perceived constraints on achieving priorities, with implications for other ESDF consultants

Promote understanding of how HRM can harness capacity development to enhance quality of education in Laos.

Objectives

By the end of the workshop participants will be able to:

Recognize ESDF strategies and targets with HRM/D implications

Evaluate interpretations of these strategies and targets as proposed by consultants

Identify constraints on implementing prioritized ESDF targets and advise on means to overcome them.

Outputs

A report on workshop participants, based on bio data information and HRD experience

A reworked summary paper incorporating participants’ evaluations of consultant interpretations of ESDF strategies and targets – English and Lao versions: for DPC, DOP, participants and ESDF consultants

A paper with prioritized actions involving HRM/D for 2009-2010 with constraints identified - Lao and English versions: for DPC, DOP participants and ESDF consultants

An evaluation report.


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Participants: 30

See attached list

Support materials

Biodata proforma

Summary of ESDF Strategies and Targets with HRM Implications – English version

Summary of ESDF Strategies and Targets paper in Lao translation (35 copies)

Prioritization/constraints proforma

Evaluation proforma.

Program:

08.30-08.45 Welcome: Mr Thong Phiou Boutsady, DG Personnel of Organization and Personnel

08.45-09.00. Dr Sisamone, Deputy DirectorGeneral, DPC

09.00-09.15 Introductions: Mr Khamhoung, National HRM Consultant

09.15-09.45 HRM/HRD in the Lao education service: ESDF 2009-2015 strategies and targets: Dr John Wilson, International HRM Consultant

Break

10.15 Interpretation of ESDF targets with HRM/HRD implications – Group discussion (5 groups)

11.15 Reporting and discussion

12.00 Lunch

13.00 Prioritising ESDF targets and strategies for action: Dr John Wilson, International HRM Consultant

13.30-14.30 Prioritising ESDF targets: feasibility, HR, governance and resource implications – Group discussion (5 groups)

Break

15.00 Reporting and discussion

16.00 Review, conclusions and follow-up suggestions

16.15 Evaluation

16.30 Close of workshop


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Groups and sub-groups with proposed allocation of participants

Group A: Trained Teacher supply and demand for schools (N=5)

e.g. Personnel, TEI, Pre-primary and primary education, secondary education, school director, donor

Group B: Teacher Education system (N=5)

e.g. DTT, TEI, pre-primary and primary education, secondary education, school director, donor

Group C: Development of managers and teachers (N=6+)

3.1 System management review, integration and development at central, province, district and school levels

3.2-3 Training for TVET instructors and teachers and in service for serving school teachers

3.4-3.7 Training for school directors

e.g. Personnel, TEI, TVET, PES, Control and Inspection, pre-primary and primary, secondary, school director, donor

Group D: Conditions of service of teachers and head teachers (N=5)

e.g. Personnel, School director, Finance, PES, donor, NGO

Group E: Other ESDF targets (N=6+)

CLC development e.g. NFE, NGO, donor

5.2-5.3 K-12 curriculum and assessment

e.g. Personnel, pre-primary and primary, secondary, RIES, CQA, NGO, donor

5.4-5.6 Personnel planning and management systems, including financial management

e.g. EMIS, Higher Education, Centre for Gender etc, Control and Inspection, Personnel, school director, donor


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Annex 1c: Workshop Documentation

(a) Summary of ESDF Strategies and Targets, Interpretation with HRM Implications and Proposed Strategies

ESDF Strategies and Targets (numbers in brackets,

December 2008)

Interpretation HRM Implications

Possible actions 2009/10

1. Trained teacher supply and demand for schools

(a) New recruitment

guidelines in TEIs from 2011 (41)

(b) Newly certified female and teachers with ethnic language posted to schools with vacancies from 2011 with expanded appointments from 2012 (41)

(c) TEI graduates from remote villages given preference for scholarships and remote setting appointment with incentive allowances. Expansion maintained until sufficient teachers in remote and ethnic group schools (41)

(d) Decree outlining supply and demand guidelines and respective central, provincial, district and TEI responsibilities by end 2010 against agreed PTR norms (17)

(e) Demand-led approach to teacher recruitment and deployment to ensure adequate supply to underserved districts by 2012 with Action Plan by 2010 (36)

(f) Graduates with ethnic language given priority for quota places in teacher training (39)

(g) Demand driven appointment with majority of TEI graduates posted to under-served and remote areas with gender and ethnic population

1.1. National direction to PES and TEI in 2010 through Ministerial decree, regulations and guidelines developed by MOE DTT Pre-service to ensure that recruitment of teacher trainees is: (a) Incentives and contract-based, aimed at securing sufficient enrolled students, including girls and those from ethnic and remote communities who have committed to teach in a named school, to meet their future school staffing needs; 1.2. National direction to PES in 2010 through Ministerial decree, regulations and guidelines developed by MOE Personnel to provide for: (a) Exemption from examination for approved civil service (quota) teaching posts of trainees with contracts signed prior to training, and qualified trained teachers willing to teach in remote ethnic schools (b) Ministerial decree in 2010 of PTR of 34 (primary), 30 (lower

1. Development of system, skills and procedures to identify national teacher number targets related to PTR 2. Development of system, skills and procedures to create, manage and implement national policy and procedures on recruitment to teacher training 3. Development of system, skills and procedures to create and manage national policy and procedures on recruitment to remote and ethnic schools

MOE Personnel to lead with DTT, DPP, DSE and other agencies MOE DTT Pre-service leads MOE Personnel leads


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parity in teacher deployment (37)

(h) Teachers with ethnic language given priority for fill remote school vacancies in place by 2010 (39)

(i) Criteria developed with emphasis on deployment of female teachers and teachers with ethnic language by 2010/2011 (40)

(j) Newly certificated teachers enabled to make direct applications to remote area schools with vacancies subject to compulsory probation by 2011 (40)

(k) PTR-based school staffing norms implemented in 2010 (17, 18)

(l) A decree issued in 2010 for teacher quota system and budgeting based on a PTR of 34 for primary, 30 for lower secondary, 25 for upper secondary, 20 for TVET and higher education with targets reached by 2015 (38)

secondary), 25 (upper secondary)

2. Teacher Education System

(a) Department of Teacher

Training (DTT) becomes responsible for general management and coordination of teacher education (42)

(b) DTT responsible for preparation of operational and strategic plans (42)

(c) Revise regulations and operational guidelines for matching teacher supply and demand within teacher education institutions (18)

2.1. MOE DTT Pre-service prepares regulations and operational guidelines to ensure: (a) Quota pre-service places and scholarships are available for ethnic trainees contracted to schools, and (b) Number of persons in training matches national needs 2.2. MOE DTT prepares by 2011:

1. System evaluation, strategic management and planning skills to develop and operationalize a national plan for teacher education – based on TESAP (2006)? 2. Evaluation and development skills for

DG TE leads and should involve project (e.g. SMATT) and TTEST trained teachers TEED leads and should involve TTEST and project trained teachers (e.g. SMATT)


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(d) Prepare a National Teacher Education Plan by 2011 (36)

(e) New teacher training curriculum developed over 2010-2012 reflecting 5+4+3 school organizational structure (14)

(f) Preparation of road map on teacher education systems development by 2011 (based on Objectives 6.1-6.12 of EFA NPA)

(g) Develop comprehensive but flexible teacher training curriculum by 2012 with close attention to requirements of women and ethnic groups by 2015 (36)

(a) National Teacher Education Plan incorporating a road map on teacher education, and (b) By 2012/2015 a flexible teacher training curriculum with close attention to requirements of women and ethnic groups

updated teacher training curriculum 3. Skills and procedures of admissions staff at TEIs developed to manage trainee selection to meet national supply targets

DTE Pre-service leads, but depends on implementation of 1.1 above

3. Development of managers and teachers by 2015

(a) MOE to set parameters

for upgrading of managers and teachers by 2015 with Capacity Development Framework (CDF) drawn on as baseline for determining targets (15)

(b) Complete organizational assessments and functional reviews of central MOE, provincial PES, DEB and VEDC and formulate guidelines for revised operations by end of 2010 (16)

(c) PES capacity development action plan formulated taking account of provincial capacity building actions detailed in CDF (53)

(d) Prepare criteria and scheme over 2009/10 for accelerated promotion for potential school head

3.1.Relevant MOE departments and agencies in 2010 review current system functioning and plan for system integration, organizational and staff development at central, provincial, district and school levels drawing on CDF to enable: (a) Revised management and operations by end of 2010 incorporating developed budget management units and schools (b) Redefined role of pedagogy/inspection services to improve efficiency in school performance monitoring planning and management by 2011

1. System evaluation, strategic planning, development, management and operationalizing skills (e.g. job descriptions) at each level, with staff development for new roles and functions for e.g. directing proposed Education Management Institute, budgeting, inspection and performance monitoring 2. Skills and processes in establishing trainee needs

DPC leads and identifies key planning groups in 2009/10 e.g. for Management institute, budget units and plan from 2010/11 TEED/TVE lead and identifies evaluators, process and alternative HR strategies for meeting needs, using e.g. TTEST trained staff


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teachers based on leadership programs, planned performance appraisal, special induction programs and new head teacher allowances with implementation from 2011 and review and revision in 2013 (43)

(e) Introduce 3-year probationary head teacher program in incomplete schools (44)

(f) 20% of teachers receive INSET annually (14)

(g) 15,000 teachers and 2,500 school heads trained to develop school-community plans and whole school development plans by 2015 (47)

(h) 300 new TVET graduate instructors and teachers per annum (p.a.) by 2012 (10)

(i) Redefined role of pedagogy/inspection services at central, provincial and district levels to improve efficiency in school performance monitoring planning and management by 2011 with primary school heads and lower secondary school heads trained in school management based on a phased, incremental, time bound plan commencing 2010/2011 (47)

(j) Revised Action Plan and guidelines by 2010 for strengthened district and school program management systems through additional capacity building for budget management

3.2.MOE DTVE prepares plans to train: (a) 300 new TVET graduate instructors and teachers p.a. by 2012 3.3.MOE DTT develops plans to: (a) Provide 20% of teachers with INSET annually - date and nature unspecified 3.4.MOE DPP, PES and DEB develop training in school performance monitoring planning and management by 2010/2011 for: (a) Primary and lower secondary school heads 3.5.MOE DTT and DPP develop training in school/community development planning by 2015 for: (a) 2,500 school heads and 15,000 teachers 3.6.MOE Personnel establishes in 2011: (a) criteria and incentives-based schemes for head teacher promotion in different categories of school 3.7.MOE establishes: ( a) New Education Management Training Institute from 2011/2 to

in respective areas (e.g. TVE, primary) and in identifying cost-effective ways of meeting these through training and other HRD strategies 3. Process and criteria for defining skills of trainers and for their recruitment, selection and deployment 4. Curriculum development, planning, management, delivery and evaluation skills 5. Organizational planning, development, budgeting and HRM skills 6. Knowledge and skills of performance appraisal systems development and management

DTT Pre-service leads and identifies process for selecting and orienting Trainers of Trainers (TOT) RIES leads and involves TTEST trained and experienced successful teachers: budget required MOE DOF leads but financial planning skills training depends upon approval of ‘block’ grants MOE – Personnel leads but need for donor/private sector input?


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units and schools (50) (k) Establish new education

management training institute from 2011/2 to deliver staff development training and programs (49)

deliver staff development training and programs in leadership training, induction, probation and performance appraisal

4. Conditions of service of teachers and head teachers

(a) In 2010 joint MOE/PACSA/MOF review of teacher pay and allowance system to create more incentives for assuming responsibility and career progression (54)

(b) New guidelines relating to conditions of appointment to remote and difficult postings – including 100% housing allowances, payment in advance of taking up post and regular home visits – developed, appraised and issued for implementation by 2010/2011

(c) School head teachers appointed to remote schools provided with additional incentive allowances (43)

(d) Provide 3-year probationary head teachers in incomplete schools with incentive of confirmation in head teacher position if school offers Grades 1-5 after 3 years (44)

(e) Provide 3-year probationary head-teachers in incomplete schools with allowances alongside annual performance review and effectiveness in handling block grants over 2011-

4.1.MOE/PACSA/MOF review in 2010 pay and allowances for teachers and head teachers, with special reference to those appointed to remote and incomplete schools to provide: (a) Specific incentives for housing, advance payments and home visits (b) Tenure for 3-year probationary head teachers based on criteria of performance as school developer and financial manager

1. Knowledge of current salary and incentives’ costs, skills to negotiate new national teacher salary and incentives framework 2. Planning and financial management skills to identify annual recurrent costs of proposed incentives

MOE DOF leads – but decision on salaries by 2010 optimistic MOE DOF leads


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2015 using a phased incremental modality (44)

5. Other ESDF targets that involve HRM/HRD :

(a) Detailed operational strategy and action plan by 2011 for restoration and expansion of community learning centers (CLC) network through support for community education development (30)

(b) Improved 1-9 curriculum framework finalized from 2015 (34)

(c) K-12 curriculum framework finalized by 2012 with emphasis on revised and strengthened Grade 1, Grade 11 and Grade 12 curriculum (35)

(d) Define minimum standards of student achievement for grades 3, 5 and 9 and assure shared understanding of minimum standards amongst teachers, parents and other stakeholders from 2011 (45)

(e) Action Plan for Centre for Quality Assurance (CQA) to develop new arrangements for nationwide student performance monitoring and admission requirements to improve ongoing education and employment opportunities with reference to Grades 3, 5, 9 and 12 standards from 2010 (46)

(f) Action Plan formulated by EMIS, Centre for Promotion of Women, Ethnic Groups and Disabled etc. over 2010-2012 to strengthen central and provincial

5.Summary of targets with HRM implications:

5.1.Strategy and action plan for CLC Improved curriculum for K-12 5.2.Definition of minimum standards of student achievement for grades 3, 5, 9 and 12 5.3.Action plan to develop new arrangements for nationwide student performance monitoring and admission requirements 5.4.Action plan developed to strengthen central and provincial technical, personnel and financial EMIS system against agreed performance indicators 5.5.Strengthened district-level personnel planning and management system 5.6.Plan and guidelines for strengthened technical and financial management systems in post-secondary institutions

1. Knowledge and skills of modern personnel management i.e. HRM/D systems, staffing norms, job descriptions, performance indicators, student performance monitoring 2.Knowledge and skills of management information systems 3. Knowledge and skills of curriculum development process and frameworks for schools and CLC 4. Knowledge and skills to plan financial management systems in post-secondary institutions

MOE Personnel leads but implies rethinking function as HRM/HRD, and recruiting staff skilled in staffing, job descriptions etc – so long-term process EMIS leads and donor projects could contribute REIS leads with DPP/NFE staff contributions MOE DHE /MOF lead by identifying ‘best practice’ and developing face-to-face and computer assisted training processes


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technical, personnel and financial management information systems against agreed performance indicators with implementation from 2013 onwards (49)

(g) Strengthened district-level personnel planning and management systems against agreed staffing norms with annual district staffing supply and demand plans from 2010 (51)

(h) Preparation of a plan and guidelines for strengthening technical and financial management systems in post-secondary institutions from 2010 (52)

(b) HRM Workshop: ESDF HRM Priorities for 2009-2010: Thursday 19 February 2009: Task 1: Group A Trained Teacher supply and demand

Column A Key question Your response

1. Column A summarizes ESDF strategies and targets for an aspect of policy

Is this an accurate summary?

Column B Key question Your response

2. Column B is consultants’ interpretation of the above ESDF strategies and targets

Is this an accurate interpretation?

Column C Key questions Your response

3. Column C is likely HRM implications of

Are these necessary implications? Are


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adopting the interpretation in Column B

there other implications?

Column D Key question Your response

4. Column D is possible actions by MOE agencies in 2009/10 to begin implementing ESDF targets as interpreted in Column B

Are the relevant agencies identified?

(c) HRM Workshop: ESDF HRM Priorities for 2009-2010: Thursday 19 February 2009: Task 2: Prioritizing and evaluating implementation possibilities in 2009-10 of ESDF targets as interpreted by HRM consultants

Group A: Teacher supply and demand for schools

A. Ratings: please rate – circle 1 (low) – 5 (high) - the priority, difficulty and feasibility of implementing this ESDF target in 2009-10

Ratings

Interpretation

Priority Difficulty Feasibility

Comment

1.1 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

1.2 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5


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B. Governance issues: What decrees/regulations etc would be required in 2009-2010, and what difficulties (e.g. political, workload) might there be?

1.1

1.2

C. Human capacity development:

(i) What human capacity development would staff in the lead agency require to initiate actions?

1.1

1.2

(ii) Who should provide capacity development and what form should it take?

1.1.

1.2


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D. Costs: What would this cost in USD$, and who would pay (e.g. MOE, donors, community etc)? (If sharing, indicate % each would pay)

1.1

1.2

E. Other factors: Identify any other factors that MOE should consider (e.g. starting

date, person responsible, prior initial actions etc)

1.1

1.2


Legend & Explanations: P: Priority – A Immediate Priority (start in 2009), B – Short term priority (start in 2010), C – medium term Priority (start 2011 - 2015); LI: Legislative Instrument (Laws and Regulations) / HRD here refers to identified priorities according to an ESDF HRD workshop on February 24th 2009 / P-WS1: MoE Regulatory Drafting Prioritization Workshop on March 3rd 2009 / BESDP: Basic Education Sector Development Project – Policy Matrix ADB started the Basic Education Sector Development Program in 2009 (BESDP) with a program loan of US$8.9 million for 2007-2010 and a project grant of US$12.66 million for 2007-2012 aimed on expansion of equitable access to, and improving the quality of, school education, particularly lower secondary education.

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Annex 2 Education Sector Development Framework – Policy and Regulatory Drafting Matrix (including all references to legislative instruments required under ESDF, references to the HRD workshop on February 24th 2009 and to the BESDP Sector Core Policy Matrix)

Reference # P Policy Issue Lead

ESDF HRD BESDPProposed Drafting Action

Type of LI Comments, Process & HR implications

Start Responsibilities

1 A Inclusive Education for ‘out of reach children’ (Equitable Access)

CPEGEGD X Development of guidelines and strategy for mobile teaching

Guidelines enacted through a Ministerial Decision combined with the appropriate staffing and teacher deployments/ assignments

ESDF urges mobile teaching strategies as an immediate priority to reach the ‘out of reach children’

2009 DLHRD, Center for the promotion of education for girls, ethnic groups and disabled, Department of teacher education, SREAC, RIES, Department o Primary and Preschool Education (DPP) NFE

3 B Inclusive Education (Equitable Access)

CPEGEGD X Inclusion of students from poorer or disadvantaged backgrounds through provision of an expanded scholarships program for primary, lower and upper secondary education.

Ministerial Decision or other regulation and, and guidelines on criteria for the inclusion of students.

The ESDF aims on: 20% of all Grade 4 and Grade 5 students receive pro-poor scholarships from 2010. And 20% of all lower and upper secondary students receive pro-poor scholarships against agreed eligibility criteria from 2010 The criteria for inclusion should be realistic and flexible taking into account the personal situation of the beneficiaries.

2010 Center for the promotion of education for girls, ethnic groups and disabled DPP, DSE, DOP, DOF,

3 B Pro Poor (Equitable Access)

CPEGEGD X Provision of pro-poor subsidies and scholarships to children from poorer families for school Grades 6-9 and targeted Grade 1-5 subsidies

PM Decree The ESDF targets Expansion of primary school feeding program to cover the 47-poorest districts by 2015. Expanded Grades 6-9 scholarships program for 20% of students from 2010 onwards beginning with the 47-poorest districts.

2010 DPP, DSE, NFE, DOF, DOP, Center for the promotion of education for girls, ethnic groups and disabled Min. of Finance ,



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4 A Governance and Management

DEI X X X (C3) Realigned functions and operational guidelines for the implementation of revised responsibilities at all levels to strengthen education management1. Revised expenditure and service assignment at each level of education administration with school block grants assigned under the central MoE budget.

Ministerial Decision Complete organizational assessments and functional reviews of central MoE, provincial PES, DEB and VEDC and the formulate guidelines for revised operations by the end of 2010 are proposed by the ESDF. HR: Training for district-level personnel in the new personnel planning & management system BESDP: MOE shall have issued a directive requiring PESs to prepare provincial plans based on school mapping carried out pursuant to the EFA Plan and aligned with the new budget format and processes.

2009 Dept. of Education Inspection (DEI)

5 B Decentralization (Governance and Management)

DEI X X Redefined role of inspection services at the central, provincial and district levels and introduction of performance measures for all

Ministerial Decision(s)

ESDF targets improved efficiency in school performance monitoring planning and management / Revised staff planning and

2010 Department of Education Inspection, DOP

1 Implementation planning for the ESDF will take account of progress in the BESDP. The BESDP has strategies in support of capacity development and institutional reform including: (i) approved regulations and revised manuals to strengthen the role and responsibilities of PES and DEB in relation to decisions to the primary and lower secondary school network; (ii) support for ensuring that national policy is executed at the local level; (iii) MoE issuing directives to PES to report their budget and actual expenditure in an outcome oriented budget format and processes, and (iv) MoE issuing regulations and revised manuals for teacher recruitment and deployment. The BESDP will also work with MoE on a directive requiring the PES to prepare provincial plans based on school mapping and aligned with a new budget format and processes.



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education staff at all levels agreed education officer responsibility by end 2011. Introduction of performance appraisal across the national education system HR: Training of staff for review of current system functioning to enable revised management operations & redefined role of pedagogy/inspection services; training of staff to operationalise the system

6 A Cross cutting DLHRD X Regulations required by the Education Law from 2007

Different Implementation plan for the Education Law has been developed with international assistance. This plan includes concrete recommendations for the implementation and required regulations.

2009 DLHRD and Departments concerned

7 A Financial Management (Governance and Management)

DoF X (C4) MTEF for Education Appropriate LI necessary for implementation

BESDP: MOE shall have initiated development of a medium term expenditure framework for education. -> 2009 MOE shall have developed an education sector MTEF. -> 2010

MoF


DoF X X (C2) Regulation of Block Grants and Implementation Guidelines

PM Decree or MoE/MoF Inter Ministerial Decision on Block Grants in Education

According to an analysis undertaken by the ESDF GIR team there seems to be no need to amend the Budget Law from 2006 especially looking at the PM Decree No 25/PM -

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National Budget Law Implementation Decree from 2008-02-14. However, there is an urgent necessity to draft the regulations for the introduction of block grants, because they are a central tool for the implementation of ESDF. This should be accompanied by Implementation Guidelines for the different types of block grants envisaged in the ESDF. Add Unit cost and Recurrent expenditure in each level (preschool - Higher Education) BESDP: MOE shall have piloted the new financial management system, which incorporates budget preparation and submission at provincial level, in the three BESDP target provinces -> 2009 MOE shall have adopted the revised financial management systems for implementation at the national level.


DoF X X X (A3) Formulation of regulations and operational guidelines for the design, management and implementation of proposed ECE and school block grants

Ministerial / Inter Ministerial Decision(s) and Guidelines

HR: Staff development to create an action plan to strengthen financial EMIS system against agreed PI; staff development to strengthen

2009-2010

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alongside a focus on capacity building at central MoE, district and school levels for accounting and reporting; implementation of revised guidelines for the current block grant mechanisms for TVET, TEI and higher education institutions taking account of the need for a better defined sets of performance results and proposed revisions to cost sharing.

district level personnel planning & management systems; staff development for planning & developing guidelines for strengthened technical & financial management systems in post-secondary institutions BESDP: MOE shall have issued guidelines for the management and use of education development funds allocated to schools. MOE shall have identified criteria and issued guidelines for selection of scholarship recipients. -> 2009

10 A Equitable Access DoF X Free Compulsory Education Decree or Instruction on Abolition of School Fees for Compulsory Education (Primary Education)

The MoE has to determine its position to free compulsory Education and develop a policy and proposals for a decree or the amendment of the Education Law adding the provision of free compulsory education.

2009-2012

MoE, MoF DPP, NFE, DOP,DOF, SREAC

11 B Abolition of fees for education (Equitable Access)

DoF X Abolition of registration and instructional fees for students in early childhood playgroups, primary, lower secondary, Issue of a decree, regulations and compliance monitoring guidelines in 2010. Issue of a decree, regulations

Decrees, compliance & monitoring guidelines and other regulations (instructions) for a nationwide information and advocacy campain

47 poorest districts are proposed for a pilot This has to be combined according to the ESDF with the Introduction of formulae and unit cost based non-salary school block grants to all primary and secondary schools to offset loss of school income through abolition of fees.

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and compliance monitoring guidelines in 2010, with a nationwide information and advocacy campaign. MoE guidance on a pilot scheme for the phased and incremental introduction of fee abolition. MoE instructions and guidance on a pilot scheme for the phased and incremental introduction of fee abolition.

- We agree on the abolition of fees for basic education, but should replace by other thing (block grant…) - For TVET and Teacher education the fee is necessary - For the special needs the government should establish the credit principle

12 B Pay & allowances for teachers & school directors (Governance and Management)

DoF X HR: MOE/PACSA/MOF review in 2010 pay & allowances for teachers & school directors

2010 MOE/PACSA/MOF

14 B PPP (Equitable Access)

DoF X Regulation of Cost sharing for post-basic education

PM Decree on the modality of Cooperation with Partnership.

This regulation should give clear guidance on how to implement the cost-sharing arrangements, what the maximum burden on students and parents have to take and what criteria are applied.

2010 TVET, Higher Ed. Dept. of Private Ed. and Private, DOP, DOF

13 C School Support (Governance and Management, Equitable Access)

DoF X Provisions in support of expanded 6-9 schools

Ministerial decision 2011 DPC, DOF

15 C School Management (Governance and Management

DoF X HR: MOE, DTE & DPP develop In Service Training in school/community development planning for 2,500 school directors & 15,000 teachers.

2015 MOE/DTE/DPP



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16 A Governance and Management

DOP X (C5) MOE shall have revised the current regulation on the management of MOE assets (Decision No. 66, 28 January 2004) for effective management of such assets.

Ministerial Decision DOP

18 A Public Private Partnership (Governance and Management)

DoP X (B2) Strategy, and action plan appropriate LI necessary for implementation

MOE Dept of Private Education shall have developed a strategy, incentives and action plan for facilitating participation by the private sector (e.g. public trusts, private bodies, charitable institutions etc.) in the provision of school education. -> 2009 PMO shall have approved the strategy, incentives, and action plan for facilitating participation by the private sector (e.g., public trusts, private bodies, charitable institutions) in the provision of school education. -> 2010

2009 MoE, DoP, SREAC

28 A Strengthened institutional arrangements (Governance and Management)

DOP X X Revision of Manual of Working procedures of all departments according to the Structure of MoE and ESDF needs

Working procedures introduced through the usual regulation Ministerial Decision

The MoE introduced a new organizational structure, but the working procedures of many departments are still the old ones from 2001-2002 HR: System development & training implications

2009 DOP and Departments concerned

26 A School Management (Governance and

DOP X Revised school organizational structure

Ministerial Decision, Instruction letter or Guidelines MoE On

This drafting activity has to be linked to adequate capacity development activities

2009 Division for Legislation and HRD (DLHRD) as Lead Deparment,



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Management) organizational structure of schools

necessary to strengthen the capacity of the school principals … to fulfill their new obligations according to the ESDF(from No 9) The current organizational structure of schools should be analyzed. A study could be undertaken by SREAC in cooperation with other departments concerned. The work should draw on available experience and concepts such as the School of Quality concept.

SREAC, Center for education quality and quality assurance, other Departments

2 A Teacher Deployment (Equitable Access)

DOP X Introduction of new regulations in support of teacher deployment encouraging new TEI graduates to be appointed to underserved schools in underserved districts,

Ministerial Decisions, Guidelines Ministerial Instruction on assignment of the responsibility for each Department

This is an area where most likely different line ministries and agencies will be involved.

2009 MoF, PACSA DOP, DTE, Faculty of Education

27 A Decentralization (Governance and Management)

DOP X X Revised legislation and regulations consistent with revisions to staff functions, responsibilities and mandates at the central, provincial and district levels including primary and secondary school education responsibilities for VEDCs.

Decree on the Implementation of Education Law.+ Ministerial guideline

Target: MoE to set parameters for the upgrading of managers and teachers by 2015. The Capacity Development Framework drawn on as a baseline for determining targets. Additional technical assistance provided by the ESDF in Governance and Institutional Reform over first quarter of 2009. HR: System development &

2009- DOP and Department concerned / HRD



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training implications 17 A Remuneration &

Incentives (Governance and Management)

DOP X Measures in support of effective staff (non teaching personnel) remuneration and incentives to ensure quality improvements in education service delivery

Revision and amendment of remuneration and incentive schemes -> amendment of decrees (especially PM Decree 82) and performance based Remuneration and Incentive Guidelines New PM decree on teacher education The teacher will separate of civil servant

Amendment of Decree 82 and other regulations allowing for more flexibility for remuneration and incentive schemes motivating the management staff of the MoE at all levels to improve the quality of service delivery and administration. This can be combined with appropriate guidelines for MoE, PoE and DEB. This can only be done in cooperation with the MoF, the PM Office and PACSA in a coordinated approach.

2009- 2010

DOP, DLHRD, SREAC & PACSA, PM Office

22 B Personnel (Governance and Management)

DOP X Introduce new staffing norms for schools, based on a pupil: teacher ratio formula with a staff salary budget planning based on this formula

Ministerial Decision ESDF targets a decree for a teacher quota system and budgeting based on a PTR of 34 for primary, 30 for lower secondary, 25 for upper secondary, 20 for TVET and higher education in 2010 with targets reached by 2015.

2010 DOP, DLHRD, SREAC, PACSA

32 B Teacher Supply (Equitable Access)

DOP X X Revised policy and regulations for delegating authority to provincial education authorities for teacher supply planning. Issue a decree outlining supply and demand guidelines and respective

Ministerial Decision and Ministerial Instruction

Provide enough teacher in accordance with the Norm HR: System development & training of staff in how to manage (a) recruitment of students for teacher training & (b) selection of trained teachers for teaching posts

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central, provincial, district and TEI responsibilities by the end of 2010 against agreed pupil: teacher ratio (PTR) norms.

30 B Teacher Supply (Equitable Access)

DOP X X Establish a PTR-based school staffing norm with implementation planned for 2010. Revise regulations and operational guidelines for matching teacher supply and demand within teacher education institutions.

Decree and guidelines

The ESDF aims on equitable deployment and distribution of better qualified teachers across urban, rural and remote schools. Provide enough teachers in accordance with the norm HR: Training of DEB & school staff in implementation of new process for school teacher appointment

2010 DOP, other Department concerned

31 B Teacher Deployment, Decentralization (Governance and Management)

DOP X X Revised regulations setting out the authority and responsibilities of the provincial education service in managing teacher supply and demand planning

Ministerial Decision on Organization and Functioning of MoE or Decree on Implementation of Decentralization in Education or complementing regulations

The implementation of revised regulations is combined with a PES capacity development action plan formulated taking account of provincial capacity building actions detailed in the Capacity Development Framework. HR: Training in developing new processes for managing teacher supply & demand planning & in implementing it

2010 DOP, DTE

33 B VEDC/ Participation and Involvement/ Decentralization

DOP X Establishment of a regulatory framework for VEDCs to enable them to support enhanced school-community

Decrees, Instructions and Guidelines eventually changes of budget law or PM

There is already existing the Ministerial Decision 2300/MOE.DOP.08 On the adoption of lessons learned

2010 DOP, DPP



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(Governance and Management))

management … regulations enabling VEDCs to enable them to play as community agencies a crucial role in the management of school block grants, school operational budgets and school development planning …

decrees or inter Ministerial Decisions with MoF The regulations for block grants have to be designed accordingly allowing the VEDC to play the envisaged role

from Feunag and Xanakham Districts, Vientiane Province, Vientiane Capital, 2008-09-03 (MDoDEDC&VEDC). This decree so far is relatively general and more support for VEDCs or amendment and adding to the current regulation will be needed.

29 B Teacher Deployment (Equitable Access, Governance and Management)

DOP X Introduce new conditionalities related to remote and difficult postings including 100% housing allowances and newly posted teachers receiving a payment in advance of taking up their post. Regular home visits are included as part of an incentive program.

PM Decree ESDF targets new guidelines developed, appraised and issued for implementation by 2010/11. Criteria developed with an emphasis on the deployment of female teachers and teachers with ethnic language by 2010/2011. Newly certified teachers enabled to make direct application to remote area schools with vacancies subject to compulsory probation by 2011

2010-2011

DOP, Department of Finances, PACSA DPC, DEI, Province, District

24 B Equitable Access DOP X Introduce new guidelines for remote and under-served area teacher deployment with increased school posting allowances for remote and disadvantaged schools

Ministerial Decision or Instruction

ESDF: Teachers with an ethnic language given priority for fill remote school vacancies in place by 2010. Graduates with an ethnic language given priority for quota places in teacher training (immediate priority). This process will need consultations with local levels.

2010-2011

DOP, DLHRD

23 B Decentralization (Governance and Management)

DOP X X X (A2 & C1)

Revised regulations for reorganization of core central, provincial and district organization/ management

Decrees, guidelines and other Regulations

Combination and strengthening of institutional arrangements for ESDF implementation. The core functions include

2010-2014

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functions as well as revised governance arrangements.

expenditure assignment and personnel management as well as decision making processes. Improvement of provincial and district level management in line with national policies with revised budgeting procedures including the use of school block grants as well as defining central MoE and provincial authority capacity to set and monitor agreed norms for provincial, district and school staffing levels and an associated salaries budget with increased delegated authority to provincial authorities to manage salaries budgets. HR: Training to develop staff to implement an action plan to strengthen EMIS against agreed performance indicators. BESDP: MOE shall have approved regulations and revised manuals to strengthen the role and responsibilities of PES and DEB in relation to decisions about changes to the primary school network (including new schools, school closures, change in school status, e.g., multigrade schools offering 5 primary grades etc.)



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The MOE shall have issued guidelines for standardizing data collection, data processing and data analysis. -> 2009

20 B Personnel (Governance and Management)

DOP A Nationwide introduction of a staff performance appraisal system

Ministerial Decision This works might need coordination with PACSA and consistency with PM Decree 82 and others HR: Support for development of an appraisal system, training in its use & evaluation of its effects

2010-2015

DOP, DLHRD & PACSA

19 C Teacher Deployment (Governance and Management)

DOP X X Introduce accelerated promotion for school head teachers based on leadership programs, planned performance appraisal, induction programs and new head-teacher allowances

Ministerial Decision Target: Prepare criteria and scheme over 2010. Implementation from 2011. Review and revise criteria and the scheme in 2013. Impact evaluation studies conducted over 2014. School head teachers appointed to remote schools provided with additional incentive allowances. HR: Support needed to develop new criteria & incentives for school director promotion. ESDF proposes (priority 4 for HR Focal Group) that GOL establish a new Education & Management Training Institute from 2011/2 & induction of staff would be required to support this.

2011 DOP, PACSA



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35 C School Management (Governance and Management)

DOP X School management Principle

Ministerial decision The K-12 school structure is determined in the Education Law from 2007 (Article 16-18) and should be enacted by now according to Article 79 EL. However, the change process from the current 11 years of schooling system to the new system takes some time for transition and the MoE. The MoE has developed a time phased schedule for the introduction of K-12.

2011 DOP and Departments concerned

34 B Teacher Deployment (Equitable Access, Governance and Management)

DOP X X (B1) New guidelines for ensuring the more effective deployment and use of teachers including expanded multi-grade teaching, teachers trained in 2 or 3 subjects, and working across more than one school. Introduce new guidelines for ensuring the more effective deployment and use of teachers including expanded multi-grade teaching, teachers trained in 2 or 3 subjects, and working across more than one school

Ministerial Decision ESDF: New guidelines introduced in schools and TEIs over 2010-2012 including guidelines on minimum teaching hours. Department of Teacher Training becomes responsible for the general management and coordination of teacher training (immediate priority). Department of Teacher Training responsible for the preparation of operational and strategic plans (immediate priority). BESDP: MOE shall have prepared and submitted to the PMO for approval a Teacher Recruitment and Deployment Policy Framework, action plan and supporting guidelines for the management, recruitment, deployment and career development of teachers. -> 2009

2011-2012

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PMO shall have approved the Teacher Recruitment and Deployment Policy Framework, action plan and supporting guidelines. -> 2010

25 C Personnel (Governance and Management)

DOP X Agreement between MoE and the provinces on education officer/teacher promotion systems

Ministerial Decision Precondition for this drafting task is the underlying agreement

2011-2015

DOP, DLHRD, SREAC

21 C Language of instruction/ teaching-learning tuition (Equitable Access/ Inclusive Education)

DOP X Introduction of Lao as language of instruction in grade 1 and 2

Implementation Guidelines for the implementation of the Education Law enacted through a Ministerial Decision of the MoE This might have to be combined with an appropriate curricula development.

This provision is included in the Education law Article 33, but not followed in practice. The issue of the language of instruction has to be seen in context with the large number of ethnic groups. Here a sensitive approach is needed. Article 33 EL should not be seen as an obstacle for Inclusive Education.

2012 DOP, SREAC, RIES

36 B Progressive Promotion (Quality and Relevance, Management and Governance)

DPE X Drafting a degree combined with a guideline on automatic promotion providing for a phased introduction in primary school

Ministerial Decision or Ministerial instruction on progressive promotion

There is a need for the MoE to determine its policy for automatic/ progressive promotion taking into consideration quality aspects of primary education. It is recommendable to pilot automatic/ progressive promotion to verify approaches to be introduced. SREAC could produce a research study on automatic promotion, to summarize and analyze

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international experience. The target of ESDF is 98% automatic/ progressive promotion rates in primary and lower secondary education from 2015 onwards. HR: Training of primary teachers & school directors in how to manage promotion is essential

37 B ECE (Equitable Access)

DPP X Clarification of requirements for different types ECE institutions and establishment of requirements

Ministerial Decision on ECE establishments in detail defining different terms like community based play groups, play grounds and Kindergartens & Guidelines and Requirements for the establishment and operation of ECE institutions.

Terms like community-based play groups, play grounds and others are widely used and might even be introduced through different projects and pilot approaches, but are not defined in the law. The Education Law Art. 14 provides only for Nurseries and Kindergartens. That’s why there is clearly a need for clarification and regulation of these forms of ECCD

2010 Department of Primary and Preschool Education, Department of Private Education, DLHRD, SREAC, RIES, Center for the promotion of education for girls, ethnic groups and disabled

41 B Multi-grade Teaching (Equitable Access, Quality)

DPP X 1. Drafting a policy on multi-grade teaching combined with a regulation on implementation, methodology and implementation guidelines as well as an amendment of remuneration and

Ministerial Decision on multi-grade teaching, Implementation and methodological guidelines and technical guidelines. TEI Curriculum for multi-grade teaching

The MoE should establish an appropriate policy for the introduction of multi-grade teaching taking into account that this measure is thought to be of temporary character. According to the ESDF. However, it can be assumed that multi-grade teaching will be important for remote and

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incentive schemes 2. Development of

technical guidelines for multi-grade classrooms + setting standards for multi-grade classrooms

3. Establishment of an appropriate multi-grade teaching curriculum for TEIs

underserved areas in a longer perspective.

40 B Reducing barriers (Equitable Access)

DPP X Reducing Cost barriers for basic education Elimination of primary and lower secondary school registration and instructional fees.

Ministerial Decision To be seen in conjunction with the regulation to make primary education free. So the issue here is to reduce the cost barriers for Lower Secondary Education. ESDF proposes a phased approach accompanied by a nationwide public information campaign

2010-2011

DPP, DSE, DOP, DOF

39 B School enrolment and ECE (Governance and Management, Equitable Access)

DPP X Improved regulation of age 6 entry into Grade 1 and increased ECE opportunities for 5 year olds.

Ministerial Decision ESDF targets Expanded school feeding program for 6-year olds from 2010 onwards. Expanded community-based nutrition programs for 5-year olds from 2011/2012.

2010-2012

DPP, DOP

38 A School Management (Governance and Management) (for general Education)

DSE X Guidelines on the strengthened role of school principals, school boards/committees and senior teachers of combined lower and upper secondary schools (school management

Elaborate new Regulation and revise the existing document about school management

This drafting activity has to be linked to adequate capacity development activities necessary to strengthen the capacity of the school principals … to fulfill their new obligations according to the ESDF

2009-2010

Department of Secondary Education, DLHRD, SREAC DPP, DPE, DOP



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guidelines) Revised school organizational structure (from No 13)

The current organizational structure of schools should be analyzed. A study could be undertaken by SREAC in cooperation with other departments concerned (Dep. Of Primary and Secondary Education, RIES). The work should draw on available experience and concepts such as the School of Quality concept.

42 C Teacher Training (Quality and Relevance)

DTE X HR: MOE provides 20% of teachers with In Service Training (INSET) annually

MOE, DTE

43 A TEI (Governance and Management)

DTE X X Transforming provincial teacher education institutions into award bearing Degree institutions for trainee teachers Decrees issued over 2010 in support of strengthening teacher training and enabling TEI to offer a 12+3 degree program from 2012 onward (with a total enrolment of 15,000)

Ministerial Decision Strengthening TE

Issue the rule on strengthening the institutions HR: Skills for developing a National Teacher Education Plan & new teacher education curriculum

2009-2015

DTE, Faculty of Education, TEI, RIES

44 B Teacher Training (Governance and Management)

DTE X Revisions to the structure and function of provincial teacher education institutions (TEI) for teacher training of Grade 12 graduates. Add Non Formal Education

- Ministerial Decision - Agreement within the government (donor)t and the trainee teacher

- Government(donor): + Monitor + Provide incentive/ welfare/scholarship + Upgrading + staffing after finish the study

2010 DOP, DTE, DPC, DOF, Faculty of Education, DTE, TEI



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46 B Teacher Education (Equitable Access)

DTE X X Increased level of scholarship provision for trainee teachers based on acceptance of remote posting and pro-poor scholarship allocation to other sub-sectors.

Ministerial Decision or Inter Ministerial Decision MoE and MoF and guidelines

All students entering teacher training on scholarships by 2010. Preparation of a road map on teacher education systems development by 2011 (based on Objectives 6.1-6.12 of the EFA NPA). Around 20% of students in upper secondary school, TVET and university awarded scholarships. HR: Development of staff to manage teacher supply planning to ensure that it matches national needs

2010-2011

DTE, TTis, Faculty of Education, DOF

45 C Teacher Training DTE X X Specific school postings for trainee teachers at the beginning of training linked to a signed agreement to take up the post within the identified school (Pre-service Training)

PM decree Introduce new recruitment guidelines in TEIs from 2011. Newly certified female and teachers with an ethnic language posted to schools with vacancies from 2011 with expanded appointments from 2012. TEI graduates from remote villages given preference for scholarships and remote setting appointment with incentive allowances. Expansion maintained until there is sufficient teachers in remote and ethnic group schools. Province that send the students to TEI should provide incentive: + Monitor the student learning + In the practical period the province should provide the allowance (food, travel…) for more attractive and avoid the flow brain HR: Support needed to

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develop a national teacher training plan & for managing & monitoring the new system

47 A Inclusive Education – Reentry of out-of-school children (Equitable Access)

NFE X Criteria for reentering the formal school system for out-of-school children

Ministerial Decision on Criteria for reentering formal schooling for out-of-school children

This regulation should be harmonized with NFE approaches. NFE could be used as a vehicle to help out-of school-children back to formal schooling.

2009 DLHRD, SREAC, Department of Non Formal Education DPP, DSE

48 B Non Formal Education (Quality and relevance)

NFE X X Development of a NFE curriculum

Ministerial Decision on NFE curriculum

HR: Strategy & action plan for CLC includes orientation & training of new & existing staff

2010 NFE, Center NFE

49 A Quality Assurance (Quality and Relevance)

QAC X Implementation of national certification and accreditation standards, procedures and systems … implementation of the teacher certification and accreditation system

Ministerial Instruction, regulations

According to TESAP. The drafting action will be triggered by the development and introduction of underlying standards, procedures and systems

2009 DOP, Education quality and assurance Center

51 B School Management (Governance and Management)

QAC X X Nationwide school performance monitoring systems

Ministerial Decision Precondition is the development of the school performance monitoring system HR: Training of primary & lower secondary school directors needed for school performance monitoring planning & management

2010 DOP and Departments concerned, QAC

53 B Quality and Relevance

QAC X X Develop new institutional arrangements for nationwide student performance monitoring requirements to improve learning outcomes

Ministerial Decision or Instruction

Underlying are an action plan for the Centre for Quality Assurance and steps to monitor Grades 3, 5, 9 and 12 standards from 2010.

2010 DOP, DLHRD, Education quality and assurance Center , DOP



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and employment opportunities.

HR: Staff development required to enable development of new arrangements for nation-wide student performance monitoring

52 C Quality and Relevance

QAC X X Define minimum standards of student achievement for Grades 3, 5 and 9 and assure a shared understanding of minimum standards amongst teachers, parents and other stakeholders.

Ministerial Decision ESDF targets defined learning outcomes to be introduced from 2011 School and community agreements and standard report cards in place by 2012. HR: Action plan needed to train staff how to develop & implement new arrangements for nationwide student performance monitoring; training for teachers needed to help them understand minimum standards of student achievement & how to work towards achieving them

2011-2012

DOP, Center for Education quality and assurance Center

50 C Curricula development (Quality and Relevance)

QAC X X Introduction of new education standards monitoring in Grades 3, 5 and 9 including Grade 9 as a nationwide examination.

New Standards and implementing decree have to be developed Ministerial Instruction on evaluation

This task needs a complex approach HR: Staff development needed to assist staff to develop K-12 curricula & define minimum standards of student achievement

2015 RIES, DPP, DSE, DEI, QAC

54 B ECE (Quality and Relevance)

RIES X Development of an ECE school readiness curriculum

Ministerial Decision on ECE curriculum

The curriculum for ECE should enable the children for the first grade / Preschool education

2010 RIES, Department of Primary and Preschool Education

55 A Curricula Development (Quality and

RIES, VEDC

X X X (B3&4) Revised curriculum, strengthened teaching, and improved learning with

Revise the Ministerial Decision on the Curriculum

The curricula have to be developed/ changed in the ‘usual’ way and adopted

2009-2015

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Relevance) learning outcomes more closely aligned to employment

development for TVET and Higher Ed.

according to MoE procedures HR: Skills for curriculum development & definition of minimum standards BESDP: MOE shall have approved the revised curricula for primary (Years 1-5) and lower-secondary education (Years 6-9). GOL shall have approved the revised lower secondary curriculum (Years 6–9). MOE shall have developed a revised upper secondary curriculum (Years 10–12) taking account of the revised curricula for Years 1–9. & MOE shall have approved the use of new LSE textbooks and teachers guides. -> 2009 MOE shall have approved a revised upper secondary curriculum (years10-12). -> 2010

56 A Teacher Training (Quality and Relevance)

TEI X Developing a comprehensive but flexible teacher training curriculum reflecting 5+4+3 schooling structure

Ministerial Decision Revise the appropriate curriculum HR: Staff trained under TTEST may contribute to this process

2009 TEI, Faculty of Ed. Education quality and assurance Center, RIES,

57 B School Managemet (for TVET and

TVET DHE X Ministerial Decision on Education management (TVET

The current organizational structure of schools should be analyzed. A study could be

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Higher Education)

and Higher Education)

undertaken by SREAC in cooperation with Dep. of Higher Education.

58 A TVET and Higher Education (Quality and Relevance)

TVET DHE X Development of degree level courses for TVET and Higher Ed. teachers in training Develop Institutional standard, Curriculum standard ,staff standard for expl. The degree of Director? ,

Decision of Minister 2009 TVET, Higher Education, Dept. Private Ed., DOP

59 B TVET and Higher Education (Vocational Training) (Quality and Relevance)

TVET VEDC

X X Setting new education and training Standards for the vocational training and technical education syllabus including new curricula programs meeting social demand

Ministerial Instruction

HR: MOE DTVE prepares plans to train 300 new TVET graduate instructors & teachers p.a. by 2012, but a budget identified

2009-2015

TVET, Higher Education, DPE, DOP, Education quality and assurance Center

Education Sector Development Framework Sector Study …

Documents

Transcript of Education Sector Development Framework Sector Study …