VIENTIANE, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank has approved a project to strengthen the performance of primary education and health workers through improved staff management and training, helping Laos address long-term challenges in education and healthcare.
The 35-million-U.S.-dollar project, titled Improving Frontline Workers Performance in Education and Health, will provide comprehensive, continuous professional development for teachers, including classroom observations and learning assessments. In the health sector, it will expand health worker registration and licensing and strengthen pre-service and in-service training.
According to the World Bank report released on Thursday, the six-year project will also introduce measures in both sectors to attract and retain professional staff in rural and underserved areas, while improving overall staff management systems.
The project aims to enhance the performance of primary education and health frontline workers by building their skills and improving management and workforce distribution. For teachers, it includes upgrading teacher training colleges with smart classrooms, supporting a two-year continuous bachelor's program, and modernizing online professional development.
In the health sector, the project will provide training and staff retention packages at district hospitals and health centers in eight target provinces. It will also strengthen national frameworks for health workforce recruitment, deployment, and personnel management. ■
