School project to instil moral values



In a bid to combat drug use in schools the Physical Education Department of the Ministry of Education will continue the Friends Help Friends project, to encourage better behaviour in schools, a ministry official said.

The department's Deputy Director, Mr Singkham Naline, told Vientiane Times yesterday that the aim of the project was to provide continual training for schoolchildren, to improve their skills and to build their capacity and their sense of morality.

Another objective was to teach them about the country's socio-economic development goals, the importance of a clean school environment and a healthy society, and hygiene practices.

“Above all we want to reduce the anti-social behaviour in our schools, to improve learning, and make sure that schools are drug free,” Mr Singkham said.

He said other goals were to set schoolchildren on the path to community and school leadership, to give them the opportunity to protect traditions and culture, and to achieve the standards set by the ministry's national education reform programme and three work plans.

Mr Singkham said the ministry was developing education in keeping with the government's continuing strategic vision for the next 12 years. The ministry's recent focus has been on the development of teachers, curriculums and textbooks, and other teaching and learning materials.

“At present education is not well integrated between schools and households, and society contributes little to the stimulation of teachers, parents and children in regard to learning,” he said.

The department is working with training development centres, the Vientiane Education Service and provincial education departments across the country to implement the project, under the supervision of the Ministry of Education.

Mr Singkham explained that groups of volunteer children were running several activities in schools and institutes, including sports, game playing and art competitions.

Project staff held short training sessions for children and group leaders and wrote handouts for them to use.

“We also encourage the sharing of views and experiences with other groups of volunteer children, both in and out of the country,” he said.

Mr Singkham said the department and provincial education staff would evaluate the project's progress in the future.

The department will run the project in Luang Namtha and Phongsaly provinces to offer better opportunities to children there, especially in the rural areas.



Students taking part would become good examples for their friends in the classrooms, Mr Singkham added.

At present, there are more than 1,980 volunteer children, around 160 trainers and some 35 provincial officials involved in the project since it began at the end of 2006.


By PHAISYTHONG CHANDARA
Vientianetimes