The government has issued a decree that separates teachers from other public servants by providing better incentives and comprehensive measures to develop teaching standards.
Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong inked his signature on April 5 enabling the landmark Prime Ministerial Decree on Public Servants for Teachers to come into effect. It is hoped this will improve the long-standing issue of poor teaching standards in Laos.
The teaching profession is now attracting more interest on the part of students.
The decree stipulates that teachers at higher level vocational institutions, colleges and universities will be given 10 percent of their basic salary as a supporting allowance.
Those teaching at intermediate and elementary-level vocational institutions will be rewarded with 15 percent of their salary, while those teaching in secondary schools will receive an additional 20 percent. Teachers at primary schools and kindergartens will receive 25 percent of their basic salary. In addition, those teaching longer than official teaching hours as stipulated in the decree will be paid overtime in line with the Ministry of Education and Sport's appropriate regulation.
Teachers holding administrative positions and degrees will be additionally rewarded.
Although supporting allowances were previously provided to teachers, policies in different institutions were not the same, the ministry's Office Head Associate Professor Dr Sisamone Sithirajvongsa said.
The new decree aims to develop teachers more comprehensively, by in-troducing uniform policies and offering greater incentives, he added.
“The decree will definitely provide teachers with better incentives,” he stated.
The decree also stipulates that those teaching in rural and hardship posts will be provided with a special policy from the government, but gives no further details.
Officials in charge are working on documents necessary to draft the new decree into a detailed plan.
Recruiting students for teacher training will be done in line with the need for teachers in particular subjects as requested by educational institutions at various levels in order to fill existing gaps.
Laos has overproduced teachers in some subjects, but there are insufficient numbers in other subjects. “We have too many, but face shortages at the same time due to improper planning,” Dr Sisamone said.
Those to be recruited for teacher training under the government's teacher development plan will be given government scholarships.
With the state-funded scholarship, the recruited students will be obliged to return to teach in their home communities.
Officials admitted that in the past many state-funded graduates of teaching courses ignored this obligation and refused to return to teach in their home communities.
Dr Sisamone was optimistic that the new decree would draw interest from more potential trainee teachers who would previously have ignored the subject.
“In fact, it can be seen that more students are interested in training as teachers, and the status of teachers has been raised,” he added.
