More than 160 children in Phalak village, Kasy district, Vientiane province, will have a new primary school in September, thanks to funding from the Lao government.
The new building will have four classrooms and an office and will open at the start of the 2008-2009 academic year, a senior district official said.
District Governor Soulisack Asakittikhoun was speaking at a ceremony last week to mark the end of the 2007-2008 academic year and International Children's Day. On the same occasion he planted trees with children in recognition of Arbor Day.
On behalf of the local people Mr Soulisack thanked the government for their generous support in building the new school, which he said would enable the children to have a better education.
He said the school would be used not only by children but by ethnic groups who would take classes in the Lao language. Educational authorities are looking for three teachers to teach these classes.
“The development of our human resources is fundamental to economic progress,” he said. “Improved primary education will help to develop children's knowledge and abilities.”
Phalak village is 35km from the town of Kasy and has 67 families of more than 420 people.
During the ceremony, Mr Soulisack told guests about developments in the village, which was established by the government in June last year.
The village is home to Lao Hmong who were formerly engaged in slash and burn agriculture in upland areas.
Mr Soulisack encouraged other people who wanted to live in the village to come there at any time.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Yong Chanthalansy said the ceremony was attended by many children and their families.
He and his delegation presented them with gifts before joining them in planting trees around the village.
Mr Yong said guests watched traditional performances by local people, who sang songs, danced and played the traditional khaen . This was their ‘thank you' to the government, which had provided them with electricity, clean water and farmland.
Mr Yong said the government also planned to build a market for villagers so they could sell the crops they grew.
this is great great news, teaching our children will build our future and the part about teaching other ethnicities the lao language is superr!!! language will unite us all
