Lao Education Vice-Minister visits Fit for School sites

Lao Education Vice-Minister Lytou Bouapao and Lao Country Director Ernst Hustaedt of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) visited model schools of the Regional Fit for School Program where they gained a better understanding of the program and its desired impact on health and education outcomes. The program began in Lao PDR three years ago with the building of group facilities by the school community with the help of GIZ. The schools are now looking for financing solutions to sustain supplies throughout the school year. Throughout the project, research has been an important component that provides evidence of the interventions’ impact on Lao children.

UNICEF is scaling up using the same model and a learning exchange with stakeholders has been scheduled. Vice-Minister Bouapao expressed intention to include the Fit for School interventions as basic requirement of schools for implementation in the next five-year plan of the education sector. This opens the doors for the roadmap to a nationwide scale-up. He also said that the Ministry of Education and Sport will strengthen ties with the Ministry of Health as he was impressed by the intersectoral collaboration for the research activity. Lastly, he added that it is important to give feedback to parents on the results of the examinations and appropriate measures to improve identified health problems.

SEAMEO INNOTECH has been providing technical assistance to the Regional Fit for School Program.