VIENTIANE, June 7 (Xinhua) -- The number of secondary school students across Laos has declined for the third consecutive year.
In the 2023-2024 academic year, there are 1,852 state high schools and 140 private schools across the country, with more than 115,500 secondary school students preparing for their final exams in June, Lao National Radio reported on Friday.
The number of Grade 4 students has fallen to 68,850 this academic year, down from 76,322 in the 2022-2023 school year and from 83,544 people in the 2021-2022 academic year.
The number of final year Grade 7 students has also fallen significantly, dropping to 46,744 this year from 50,276 exam takers in the 2022-2023 school year and 55,828 in 2021-2022, according to the report.
In response, the Lao Ministry of Education and Sports is taking steps to get more children to attend school, raise the school enrollment rate, and reduce the high dropout rate.
The ministry has identified ways to help remedy the situation and plans to work with local administrations to allocate farmland, create jobs, and strengthen labor management in an attempt to reduce poverty levels so that children are not forced to become workers.
The ministry will circulate the regulations on school attendance among students and their parents, and team up with all sectors to encourage more children to attend school.
Education authorities will also upgrade school buildings to improve the learning environment and make schools more attractive to students. ■
