Luang Prabang to have Vietnam-funded secondary school
Construction of a secondary school in Luang Prabang province will soon begin after a stone-laying ceremony last week in the provincial capital's Pongkham village.
Provincial Governor Dr Khamphaeng Xaysomphaeng, Deputy Minister of Education and Sports Dr Kongsy Sengmany, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Education and Training Mr Tran Quang Quy, local officials and other invited guests were present at the ceremony.
The school is part of a gift from the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam to the people of Laos, especially for the people of Luang Prabang.
The new school, worth about US$2.8 million, will be built on a 4,778 square metre site, according to the provincial authorities.
The school is expected to be completed within 18 months, and will have 12 classrooms in a two-storey building, four laboratories, a staff room, an accounts room, meeting room, and toilets.
The project comes under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance plans for the year 2011 and formulate a strategic plan for 2011-2020.
The MoU was signed by Lao Minister of Education Dr Phankham Viphavanh and Vietnamese Minister of Education and Training Mr Pham Vu Luan during his working visit to Laos from April 21-24 this year.
The MoU aims to further develop academic and scientific interchanges between the ministries in the areas of education, training and research.
Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Kongsy said the project highlighted a new era of increasing cooperation in education, culture and technology between the Lao and Vietnamese governments and ministries.
Dr Kongsy thanked Mr Tran Quang Quy and his delegation for their generosity, particularly the assistance of the Ministry of Education and Training in developing basic infrastructure for Lao education.
He said cooperation will also take place through the exchange of academic materials, publications and information, and through special short-term academic programmes.
The two countries have been organising regular exchange visits for officials and experts over the past two decades, and consider their cooperation as key to national protection and development and essential to advancing their special friendship.
Laos and Vietnam share a long history of friendship and assistance, not only in education, but also through cultural exchanges as well as business, investment and tourism.
The Laos-Vietnam Friendship Secondary School in Vientiane was the first gift from former General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nong Duc Manh to the people of Laos.
This school became operational in 2010 through cooperation between the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam and the Ministry of Education and Sports of Laos.
The school has three floors with 21 classrooms and can accommodate about 800 pupils. The school is equipped with all the necessary tools for teaching, study, play and exercise.
