Internet access for Vientiane Secondary School
I thought this is a happy news coming out of Laos. I hope the students at Vientiane Secondary School will take advantages of the computer lab and language lab. With internet access, the world is at their fingertips.
Vientiane students say ‘merci’
More than 4,300 students at Vientiane Secondary School now have a new computer laboratory and a language listening room in which to enjoy their French lessons, thanks to funding from France.
Vientiane Secondary School Deputy Director and French teacher, Ms Khamsoy Vongsamphanh, said the laboratories cost 30,000 euros to build, including computers, Internet access, televisions, CD recorders, tables, chairs and headsets. Midmixay Construction Company finished building the labs last month.
“Good facilities help provide students with a better education, especially using French as a second language in the classrooms,” Ms Khamsoy said at the opening ceremony last week.
Vientiane Education Department Deputy Director, Mr Khamphuang Choummaly, said the project’s aim was to integrate bilingual programmes in local educational systems by offering French as a foreign language in primary and secondary education in Laos. This allows students to learn French at school without having to resort to private channels.
“This equipment has been designed for use in bilingual classes and French departments in schools,” he said. “We hope the programme will result in more job opportunities for French speakers.”
Mr Khamphuang said the ministry had established a taskforce to draft a paper about developing human resources to meet the French language needs of the labour market.
He said the project also strengthened financial resource development, as well as the skills of all the players involved in the fields of education and francophone culture in all three countries of the francophone area of South East Asia ( Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam ).
Mr Khamphuang thanked the French people for their generosity in helping to raise the standard of education in Laos.
He said France not only supported schools, but also presented computer sets, a printer, CD recorders and a laptop to the Ministry of Education recently.
This support helps meets the goals of the National Action Plan for Education for All, which is one of the four priority plans of the government in eliminating poverty by 2020.
T he opening ceremony for the laboratories took place at the school last week and was attended by the school’s Director, Mr Bounthom Khenaphoum, representatives from the French Embassy to Laos and other senior officials.
Vientiane Secondar y School Deputy Director, Ms Khamsoy Vongsamphanh, said the ceremony demonstrated the significant cooperation between French and Lao people.
Today there are around 20 schools, including primary and secondary, across the country teaching French as a second language, while others offer only English.
By PHAISYTHONG CHANDARA
April 17, 2008
Vientiane Times – Vientianetimes.org.la
