Glossary

Historical Glossary of
Education Development
in Lao PDR
Continuously
Updated
Since 1995

Richard & Vithanya Noonan

Latest
Update
Copyleft Richard & Vithanya Noonan
July 27, 2017 Vientiane: Samizdat, 2017
Cover: Ari Vitikainen
 Table of Contents

Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ i

List of Annex Figures ..................................................................................................................... i
List of Annex Tables...................................................................................................................... ii
List of Annex Boxes ....................................................................................................................... ii
Preface ........................................................................................................................................... iii
Glossary.......................................................................................................................................... vi
0 9.............................................................................................................................................. 1
A................................................................................................................................................... 2
B ................................................................................................................................................... 7
C ................................................................................................................................................... 9
D................................................................................................................................................. 16
E ................................................................................................................................................. 20
F ................................................................................................................................................. 25
G................................................................................................................................................. 29
H................................................................................................................................................. 32
I .................................................................................................................................................. 33
J .................................................................................................................................................. 37
K................................................................................................................................................. 38
L ................................................................................................................................................. 39
M ................................................................................................................................................ 44
N................................................................................................................................................. 48
O................................................................................................................................................. 53
P ................................................................................................................................................. 54
Q................................................................................................................................................. 59
R ................................................................................................................................................. 60
S ................................................................................................................................................. 62
T ................................................................................................................................................. 69
U................................................................................................................................................. 74
V................................................................................................................................................. 76
W................................................................................................................................................ 78
X Y Z ...................................................................................................................................... 79
ANNEX .......................................................................................................................................... 81
ANNEX FIGURES ........................................................................................................................ 82
ANNEX TA BLES ......................................................................................................................... 89
ANNEX B OXES ........................................................................................................................... 99

List of Annex Figures

Figure 1: School System Structure as of School Year 2015/2016........................................ 82

Figure 2: System Reform Period Enrollment in Lower & Upper Secondary School ....... 83
Figure 3: Alternate School Forms as of School Year 2015/2016 ......................................... 84
Figure 4: Double Cohort, Alternate Year Intake Multi-Grade Form................................ 85
Figure 5: Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Forms .................................. 86
Figure 6: Typical Primary School Cluster: Core School and Satellite Schools ................ 86
Figure 7: Implementation Plan for Teacher Education 2010/10 to 2014/15 ..................... 87
Figure 8: General, TVET, and IVET Streams after Lower Secondary Education.......... 87
Figure 9: MOES Organization Chart (September, 2014) .................................................... 88

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i
 List of Annex Tables

Table 1: PESS and DESB Organization.................................................................................. 89

Table 2: Universities and Faculties .......................................................................................... 89
Table 3: Teacher Education Institutions................................................................................. 90
Table 4: Ethno-Linguistic Groups and their Population Distribution, 2015 .................... 91
Table 5: EFA National Plan of Action (EFA-NPA) - Objectives, Targets, Activities ...... 92
Table 6: Lao National Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for Education .............. 92
Table 7: Lao Adaptation of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) for 2030 .............. 93
Table 8: Official Student/Teacher Ratio Targets by Level of Educational Institution ... 94
Table 9: National Qualification Framework Standards for Vocational Teacher............. 94
Table 10: TVET Institutions under MOES Supervision, with Enrollments, 2011/12 ..... 95
Table 11: Public TVET Delivery System under Other Ministries and Organizations.... 96
Table 12: Official Names of Lao Government Structure, as of July 2014 ......................... 97
Table 13: Spelling of Administrative Divisions and Common Place Names ..................... 98

List of Annex Boxes

Box 1: Summary Timeline for Major Education Policy Development, from 1990 .......... 99
Box 2: Vientiane Declaration on Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation,
2016-2025........................................................................................................................... 100

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ii

PREFACE
Aims and Scope. This Glossary is intended as an
aid for reading and writing English language
documents about education development in Laos.
It lists more than 3000 abbreviations, terms,
expressions, and definitions in official or common
usage found in literature specifically concerning
development of education and training in Lao
PDR.
Where usage is primarily associated with one
organization, that fact is noted. No organization
has a monopoly on words, however, and terms
originating in one organizational context can
migrate to others, sometimes with slightly
modified form or meaning. Wherever possible,
such variations are noted. Terms originating in
individual projects are entered into the Glossary
only if they gain significant usage outside the im-
mediate project context.
UN expert agencies and NGOs are listed but
consulting firms are not. Universities are listed
when the role involves academic research or
teaching. Private schools are listed if they often
appear in the English news media.
Standardization of Terminology. The reader
is encouraged to avoid proliferation of out-of-date
or non-standard terms and abbreviations, such as
use of FD (Finance Department) to refer to DOF
(Department of Finance) or TTD (Teacher Train-
ing Department) to refer to the DTE (Department
of Teacher Education). We have tried to note out-
of-date terminology and to give references to
relevant current terminology. The use of upper
and lower case letters follows standard English
lexicographical convention.
New terms and abbreviations are entered as
the authors find them relevant and their usage sig-
nificant. A liberal approach has been taken with
regard to meanings. Language is organic,
constantly changing as new concepts emerge and
old concepts fall into disuse. This Glossary is
continuously updated, as new abbreviations,
terms, and expressions come into usage. We aim
to achieve both formal accuracy in the use of
official abbreviations and representative coverage
of the way terms are used in wider practice.
Cross-references are given where needed. Hyper-
links facilitate cross-referencing on electronic
media.
A conservative approach has been taken in
retaining older terminology, even long after the
R. & V. Noonan
iii
terms have fallen into disuse, in order to facilitate
reading of older documents. Whenever possible,
where old abbreviations have officially fallen
from usage, that fact is noted, but the entry is
retained.
Dates are given in the format yyyy-mm-dd.
Historical terms and abbreviations included
here are noted as such in square brackets:
[Formerly], referring to relatively recent
changes;
[History], referring to changes in the more
distant past, usually before the Revolution in
1975;
[Dated], referring to terms outdated by more
modern terminology but still in use in some
vernacular writing.
Note that in September 2011 the Ministry of
Education (MOE) was reorganized and renamed
Ministry of Education and Sports (MOES). In the
references below we always use the contempor-
aneous abbreviations.
All document references are to English
language publications unless otherwise noted.
Some historical terms are in French, which
was used in school system nomenclature and
English language documents well into the 1970s
before the Revolution in 1975 and in some
documents even long after the Revolution. Such
terms in French are listed here only if they appear
in English language documents. Note also that the
French language is still used in the names of
government schools in some areas.
Some writers mix lower- and upper-case
letters in abbreviations (e.g., MoES for Ministry
of Education and Sports), while others use full
upper case abbreviations (e.g., MOES). For
simplicity no such distinctions are made here, and
with some few exceptions full upper case
abbreviations are used.
Many organizations have Lao as part of the
official name, e.g., Lao Womens Union (LWU).
The abbreviations of some Lao organizations,
however, are modified for use in international
context, such as conference presentations. For
example, the National Commission for the
Advancement of Women, abbreviated in the Lao
context as NCAW, can be found in international
context abbreviated as LaoNCAW or LNCAW.
For the sake of simplicity we record here only the
national form, e.g., NCAW.
2017-07-27
 Statistical Terminology. We find that
common statistical terms and abbreviations are
often confused by readers and sometimes misused
by writers. We therefore include here not only the
abbreviations and the names of indicators but also
the formal definitions. This document, however,
is intended only as a glossary, not a technical
reference manual. In all cases we have taken the
definitions directly from the UNESCO Institute
for Statistics (UIS) website: www.uis.unesco.org
Note that not all valid and well-defined
statistical indicators commonly found in the
literature and listed here are defined by UIS. With
some few exceptions, in such cases no formal
definitions are given. Where possible, we
reference what we consider to be the nearest
equivalent UIS indicator. For the sake of
standardization of indicators, we urge all parties
to use only those indicators that are defined by
UIS where possible and to follow the UIS
definitions rigorously. This may not be possible
in the case of household surveys or other studies
that do not access school records.
Mathematically, a rate is also a ratio, but with
education statistics, a distinction is usually made
between a rate, as a proportion of some quantity,
which ranges from 0 to 100 percent (e.g., NER),
and a ratio, as simply a quotient of two
quantities, which can exceed 100% (e.g., GER).
It should be understood, however, that the
UIS technical guidelines are revised from time to
time. Moreover in some cases an indicator is
defined on the website but not in the most recently
published technical guidelines. It is beyond the
scope of this Glossary to track these changes, but
they are recorded where they have been noted.
Language Issues. Some organizations are
known by abbreviations based on their official
names in languages other than English. If an
official or widely used English translation has
been found, it is reported here. If no such
translation has been found, we have provided our
own direct translation together with the note
Author trans.
Many Lao organizations do not have official
English names, and even where they do they are
often not widely known or used. Instead trans-
lators and other writers often make up their own
translations and abbreviations, which leads to a
proliferation of English names and abbreviations
for the same organization. Where possible,
reference is made below to the official names and
R. & V. Noonan
iv
abbreviations. It is likely nevertheless that some
redundancies appear due to the same organization
appearing under different names.
For simplicity, no distinction is made between
pupil and student, and the broader term student
is used throughout except where it appears as part
of an established definition. Similarly, no
distinction is made between teacher, instructor,
and trainer, and the term teacher is used
throughout.
Some Lao words and expressions frequently
found in English language texts are included in
this Glossary. It should be noted, however, that
there is no standard transliteration between the
Lao script and the Latin alphabet (writing Lao in
karaoke). The spellings given here are those
often appearing in English language writings.
Graphics. All graphic images shown in the
Annex are available in electronic format (*.bmp
or *.png) on request. Images can also be provided
in *.jpg format, but *.png (Portable Network
Graphics) is superior for line diagrams such as
those used here because it is a lossless com-
pression format that can be read by all Microsoft
products and most other standard software.
Keeping Up-to-Date. The focus of this
Glossary has always been within the ambit of the
Ministry of Education and Sports (MOES), but
today, many ministries and other agencies provide
educational services to the public as Laos moves
gradually toward an education society (see
Annex, Table 10 and Table 11). This Glossary
has therefore also moved beyond the ambit of
MOES into a wider discoursal space.
We include definitions of special terms
originating in specialized international organiza-
tions, such as UNESCO. Except for statistical
terminology referred to above, no attempt is made
to provide authoritative definitions, but only to
reflect informed usage in the discourse in Laos.
We also include short general definitions of
emergent terminology in the Lao context, such as
blended learning, cognitive mobility and
grit. They are listed in quotation marks. For
more precise and contextually valid definitions,
the reader is encouraged to consult the relevant
academic literature. If and when they enter
mainstream terminology in the literature on
education in Laos, we will remove them from this
Glossary.
2017-07-27
 In recognition of the significant contribution
of Buddhist education, we include abbreviations,
terms, and expressions from the literature on
Buddhist education in Laos. We have no expertise
in this field, and we take no position on
theological, ideological, or linguistic issues.
Definitions we provide are taken from the relevant
literature, but the reader should be aware that
words with very concrete meanings can also have
religiously significant symbolic meanings. Our
sole aim is to help the informed lay reader gain a
general understanding the Buddhist education
system in Laos to aid in reading and writing
English documents.
In keeping with the widening of the focus of
the Glossary, we include some references to
copyrighted materials (indicated by in the
entries) when they appear in literature falling
within the aims and scope of the Glossary as noted
above.
In view of the continued use of very outdated
terminology related to ethnicity, we have added
Annex Table 4 with a historical note on ethnic
groups in Laos.
Because we often find incorrect and/or
outdated names used in reference to the various
ministries, we include a list of official English
language names of Lao ministries (Annex Table
12). Similarly a list of provinces and common
place names is also provided (Annex Table 13).
Finally, in Annex Box 1 we provide a brief
historical timeline of seminal events in the
development of national education policy since
1990. This will gradually expand as gaps are
filled in.
Appreciation. We would like to thank our
many colleagues in the Ministry of Education and
Sports, development partner agencies, NGOs, and
others who have contributed over the years to the
development of this Glossary, the first edition of
which was prepared in 1995. Inevitably, errors
and omissions remain, for which we alone take
responsibility. We invite readers to kindly inform
us of any flaws they find, either where relevant
terms are missing or where errors are found.
We would like to thank Ari Vitikainen for the
cover collage and design. We would also like to
thank Nanludet Moxom for providing the Lao
script for selected Lao words used in English.
Additional Sources. This Glossary is
intended to cover the education sector, even
R. & V. Noonan
v
though sometimes we have been compelled to
widen the scope somewhat. For much wider
reference, the best single source would be Martin
Stuart-Fox, Historical Dictionary of Laos,
published in numerous editions, including the title
The A to Z of Laos.
The reader is also encouraged to visit the
MOES website at: www.moe.gov.la. For an
English-Lao bilingual glossary of selected terms
related to education system organization and
management, published by the Ministry with
UNESCO support in 2003, see:
http://www.moe.gov.la/data/publications/9-
Glossary-Education-Terms-Bul1(6x9).pdf
For further information on NGOs, the reader
should consult the NGO Network website at:
http://directoryofngos.org/ingo_demo/pub/index.
php#
For general statistical data, the reader should
consult Lao DECIDE Info at:
http://www.decide.la/en/
This Glossary is updated continuously, and
the latest edition is usually uploaded weekly. The
latest edition of this present Glossary will always
be available for downloading at:
http://tc.academia.edu/RichardNoonan
A collection of resources for education
research in Laos can be found in the Dissertations
and Research Dropbox (link below). This Drop-
box was initiated by Ari Vitikainen and is
maintained by the authors of this Glossary.
Readers are invited to recommend other research
reports for inclusion.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6kumvq9i31c6i92/
AADT5vIo_Pq0NjUhD0l7xxcQa?dl=0
R. & V. Noonan
r.d.noonan@gmail.com
Vientiane, July 27, 2017
2017-07-27
 GLOSSARY

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vi
 09
Note to readers of this section: Beginning in the
2009/2010 school year the structure of the school
system was changed from an 11-year 5+3+3 system
to a 12-year 5+4+3 system. Thus all references to
the 11-year system (e.g., 5+3, 8+3, 11+2, etc.) are
historical. Corresponding current references reflect
this reform (e.g., 5+4, 9+3, 12+2, etc.).
0. [Formerly]. See Grade 0.
11+1. [History]. 1. Qualification for primary school
teachers, based on completion of upper secondary
schooling (eleven years of schooling) plus one year
of teacher education and training. 2. Any combin-
ation of schooling involving five years of primary
school, three years of lower secondary school,
three years of upper secondary school, and one
year of additional education or training. (See
Annex Figure 7).
11+2. [History]. 1. Technician Diploma level
course. 2. Qualification for pre-school and
primary school teachers, based on completion of
upper secondary schooling (eleven years of
schooling) plus two years of teacher education and
training. 3. Any combination of schooling
involving five years of primary school, three years
of lower secondary school, three years of upper
secondary school, and two year of additional
education or training. (See Annex Figure 7).
11+3. [History]. 1. Technician Diploma level
course. 2. Qualification for pre-school and
primary school teachers, based on completion of
upper secondary schooling (eleven years of
schooling) plus three years of teacher education
and training. 3. Any combination of schooling
involving five years of primary school, three years
of lower secondary school, three years of upper
secondary school, and three years of additional
education or training. (See Annex Figure 7).
12+2. TVET Technician Diploma program based on
a two-year program after completion of upper
secondary schooling.
12+3. TVET Diploma program based on a three-year
program after completion of upper secondary
schooling.
1-6-3 Rule. For every 10 teachers at institutions
offering Bachelors degree programs, 1 should
have Ph.D. degree, 6 should have Masters
degrees, and 3 should have Bachelors degree.
2 Solidarities, 3 Goods, 4 Developments. See Two
Solidarities, Three Goods, Four Developments.
2, 3, 4. See Two Solidarities, Three Goods, Four
Developments.
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2020 Goal. The long-term goal of exiting the status
of Least Developed County by 2020, set by the 6 th
Party Congress in March 1996, refined and re-
affirmed by each succeeding Party Congress.
(Also referred to as the 2020 Strategy, the 2020
Vision, and Vision 2020). (See LDC definition
1 and Notes).
2020 Strategy. See 2020 Goal.
2020 Vision. See 2020 Goal.
2030 Agenda. Reference to 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development from the Sustainable
Development Summit at the UN headquarters in
New York in 2015. Also Agenda 2030.
2030 Vision. Vision set in 8th NSEDP, including
Laos ranking as upper-middle income developing
country by 2030. (See Vision 2030, LDC, MIC
definition 2).
3 Builds. See Three Builds.
3 Characteristics of Education. Lao: 3 Laksana.
See Three Characteristics of Education.
3 Competitions of the Education and Sports
Sector. See Three Competitions of the Education
and Sports Sector.
3 Laksana. Lao: . See Three
Characteristics of Education.
3 Pillars. See Three Pillars of Education Sector
Development.
3 Revolutions. See Three Revolutions.
3+3. [History]. Primary school cycle under the RLG
comprising three years of lower primary and three
years of upper primary.
3Ps. Public-Private Partnership. (Also PPP,
definition 3; compare with 4Ps).
4 Breakthroughs. See Four Breakthroughs.
4 Pillars of Education. See Four Pillars of
Education.
4 Pillars of Poverty Eradication Strategy. Also
Four Sectors of Poverty Eradication Strategy. See
Four Pillars of Poverty Eradication Strategy.
4+1+1. School construction design that includes four
classrooms, one multi-use room that supports
science teaching and provides space for a library,
and one teacher-resource room.
4+2. [History]. Four years of primary schooling
followed by two years of lower secondary
schooling, in the Liberated Zone from the early
1960s until 1975.
4Ps. Public, private, and peoples partnerships.
(Compare with 3Ps, PPP, definition 3).
2017-07-27
5 Domains of Education. Also 5 Principles of
Education. Lao: 5 Lakmoun. See Five Domains of
Education.
5 Lakmoun. Lao:
. See Five Domains of
Education.
5 Pillars [or Principles] of Education. Lao: 5
Lakmoun. See Five Domains of Education,
especially Note 1.
5 Priority Programs. See Five Priority Programs.
5+3+3. [History]. Eleven year school system
structure comprising five years of primary, three
years of lower secondary, and three years of upper
secondary schooling, to be replaced in school year
2009/2010. (See 5+4+3).
5+4. [History]. Qualification for primary school
teachers based on completion of primary school
(five years of schooling) plus four years of teacher
education and training, targeted specifically on
preparing teachers from remote and ethnic com-
munities. (See Annex Figure 7).
5+4+3 [Reform]. Twelve year school system
structure comprising five years of primary, four
years of lower secondary, and three years of upper
secondary schooling. The reform was imple-
mented from school year 2009/2010. (See Annex
Figure 1).
5-Pointed Star. See Five Pointed Star.
5S [model]. [Japanese]. Seiri (Clearing, Sorting,
Tidiness), Seiton (Organizing, Orderliness), Seiso
(Cleaning, Cleanliness), Seiketsu (Standardizing),
Shitsuke (Discipline, Commitment). (Slogan used
in TVET instruction).
6 Principles of Education Reform. See Six
Principles of Education Reform.
6 Principles of Education. See Six Principles of
Education.
6+1. [History]. Under the RLG until 1964, primary
teacher qualifications, comprising completion of
six years primary school plus one year of teacher
training. (See Annex Figure 7; see also 6+4).
6+4. [History]. Under the RLG 1965-1968, primary
teacher qualifications, comprising completion of
six years primary school plus four years of teacher
training. (See Annex Figure 7; see also 6+1,
6+4+1).
6+4+1. [History]. Under the RLG after 1968, upper
primary teacher qualifications, comprising com-
pletion of six years primary school plus four years
of teacher training for lower primary qualification
plus one additional year. (See Annex Figure 7; see
also 6+1, 6+4).
R. & V. Noonan
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8 Priorities. See Eight Priorities.
8+3. 1. Vocational Certificate course. 2. [History].
Any combination of schooling involving five years
of primary school, three years of lower secondary
school, and three years of additional education or
training. (See Annex Figure 7). 3. [History].
Qualification for primary school teachers, based on
completion of lower secondary schooling (eight
years of schooling) plus three years of teacher
education and training.
8NSEDP. 8th NSEDP.
9+1, 9+2, 9+3. TVET Certificate program based on a
three-year continuous curriculum program after
completion of lower secondary schooling. (See
TVET Certificate, VC I to VC III).
A
AAA. Analytical and Advisory Activities. (WB).
AAC. Academic Advisory Committee.
AACTE. [History]. American Association of
Colleges for Teacher Education.
AAEA. Advanced Education in Asia.
AAF. Australia Awards Fellowships. (Formerly
ALAF. See also AAS).
AANZFTA. ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand
for a Free Trade Area.
AAOU. Asian Association of Open Universities.
AAP. 1. Annual Action Plan. 2. Annual Action
Program.
AAR Japan. Association for Aid and Relief. (NGO,
Japan).
AAS. Australia Awards Scholarship. (Formerly
ADS; see also ALA, EP, definition 2).
ABEL. 1. Access to Basic Education in Laos (2006-
2011). (External financing by AusAID, through
partnership with UNICEF and WFP). 2. Adult
Basic Education and Learning.
Abhidhamma [Pitaka]. Pali: [literally Basket,
hence collection of] Scholarly discourses on the
doctrinal material appearing in the Suttas,
providing summaries or enumerated lists. (See
also Tipitaka).
ABV. Australian Business Volunteers. (NGO).
AC. Academic Committee.
Academy. 1. Private education institution for
specialized professional development, including
distance learning. 2. Private education institution
serving at any level from kindergarten through
upper secondary. 3. An institution or society for
2017-07-27
 the advancement of literature, art, or science (e.g.,
see LASS). 4. Specialized public post-secondary
institution to serve special needs outside the
authority of MOES (e.g., Army Academy, Police
Academy).
ACCP. ASEAN Common Competence Program.
ACCU. Asia-Pacific Cultural Center for UNESCO.
(UNESCO Bangkok).
ACD. Association for Community Development.
(CSO).
ACDA. Aid for Children with Disability
Association. (Lao NPA, definition 2).
ACESP. Annual Costed Education Sector Plan.
(Also ACSEP; ACSP).
ACF. French: Action Contre la Faim. [Action
Against Hunger]. (NGO, France).
ACFID. Australian Council for International
Development.
ACR. All Children Reading. (Partnership between
USAID, Australian Aid and World Vision).
ACRES. Animal Concerns Research and Education
Society. (Singapore).
ACS. Average Class Size.
ACSEP. Annual Costed Sector Plan. (Also ACESP,
ACSP).
ACSP. Annual Costed Sector Plan. (Also ACESP;
ACSEP).
ACSS. ASEAN Community Statistical System.
ACTD. Association for Community Training and
Development. (NPA, definition 2).
Action skills. Skills in applying knowledge in
practice, including planning, organizing, setting
goals, and implementing; doing, as opposed to
knowing.
ACTS. ASEAN Credit Transfer System. (Facilitates
physical and virtual student mobility among AUN
member universities. See also ECTS).
ACU. ASEAN Cyber University. (International
project under AUN).
AD. Assistive Device.
ADB. Asian Development Bank.
Historical Note: The Kingdom of Laos joined
ADB as a founding member in 1966 and was
succeeded by Lao PDR in 1975. ADB began
operations in Laos in 1968 under the RLG.
ADBI. Asian Development Bank Institute.
R. & V. Noonan
3
ADDP. Asian Development with Disabled Persons.
Note: Active in Laos since 1992.
ADF. Asian Development Fund. (ADB).
Adjusted Net Attendance Rate. See Net Attendance
Rate (Adjusted).
Adjusted Net Enrollment Rate (NERA; also
ANER). UIS Definition: For primary level, it is
defined as the total number of students of the
official primary school age group who are enrolled
at either primary or secondary education levels,
expressed as a percentage of the corresponding
population. (Compare with Age-Specific
Enrollment Rate, GER, NER).
ADOR. Average Dropout Rate. (Note: UIS does not
define this statistic. See DR).
ADPC. Asian Disaster Preparedness Center.
(Pathumthani, Thailand).
ADR. Assessment of Development Results.
(Evaluation of UNDPs contribution).
ADRA. Adventist Development and Relief Agency.
(NGO, international).
ADS. [Formerly]. Australian Development
Scholarship. (See AAS).
ADTA. Advisory Technical Assistance (ADB; see
also AOTA).
AE. 1. Adult Education. 2. Art Education.
(Compare with PE, definition 2).
AEAi[I]. French: Aide et Action [International].
[Aid and Action [International]]. Author trans.
(INGO, Switzerland).
AEA [SEA]. French: Aide et Action. [Aid and Action
s ea
Southeast Asia]. Author trans. (INGO; see
AEAI).
AEC [2015]. ASEAN Economic Community. (To
2015
be established December 31, 2015). (Sometimes
incorrectly given as Asian Economic
Community. See also AFTA).
AED. [Formerly]. Academy for Educational
Development. (NGO, USA. See FHI 360).
AEEID. ASEAN Environmental Education
Inventory Database.
AEFE. French: Agence pour l'enseignement franais
l'tranger. [Agency for French Education
Abroad]. (See also LFIV, LFJH).
AEIF. Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund. (Grant
from the US State Department).
AETC. Administrator Education Training Center.
(See CFAE, EATC, IEMD).
2017-07-27
AF. Additional Financing. (WB).
AfA. Association for Autism. (Lao NPA, definition
2).
AFAM. Administrative, Financial, and Accounting
Manual.
AFC. 1. Asian Football Confederation. 2. [AfC].
Angels for Children. (NGO, Germany, Engel fr
Kinder).
AFD. French: Agence Franaise de Dveloppement.
[French Development Agency].
AFESIP. French: Agir pour les Femmes en Situation
Prcaire. [Acting for Women in Distressing
Circumstances]. (NGO, Cambodia).
AFMU. Administration and Financial Management
Unit.
AFS. Audited financial statement.
AFSC. American Friends Service Committee.
(NGO, USA). (See also QSL).
AFTA. ASEAN Free Trade Area. (Compare with
AEC, CAFTA).
Historical Note: Established 1992, with Lao
membership since 1997.
Age 6 entry into Grade 1 [policy]. Policy
introduced in the ESDF and strengthened in EDSP
to regulate age of entry to reduce under-age or
over-age entry into primary Grade 1.
Agenda 2030. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development. (Based on 17 SDGs and 169
targets).
Note: There are 17 UN SDGs, and Laos has added
its own, SDG18: Remove the UXO obstacle to
national development.
Age-Specific Enrollment Rate. UIS Definition:
Percentage of the population of a specific age
enrolled, irrespective of the level of education, or
sometimes applied to individual levels of
education, e.g., primary. (Compare with Adjusted
Net Enrollment Rate, Gross Enrollment Ratio, and
Net Enrollment Rate).
AGI. Adolescent Girls Initiative. (Under YEAL).
AgriNet. Agricultural Learning Network [for the
Northern Uplands].
AIA. ASEAN Investment Area.
AIDAB. [History]. Australian International
Development Assistance Bureau. (Renamed
AusAID in 1995 and Australian Aid in 2013).
AIDS. Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome.
(Sometimes incorrectly given as Auto Immuno-
deficiency Syndrome; see also HIV).
R. & V. Noonan
4
AIIB. Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Agreed
October 2014; to be established 2015.
AIM. Asian Institute of Management. (Manila)
AIMS. Assessment, Information Systems,
Monitoring and Statistics Unit. (UNESCO
Bangkok).
AIP. Annual Implementation Plan.
AIR. See Apparent Intake Rate.
AIS. Australian International School. (Vientiane).
AIT. Asian Institute of Technology. (Hanoi).
Aj. Lao: See Ajan.
Ajan. Also Achan, Ajarn. Lao: . 1. Teacher,
typically at secondary or higher level. (Compare
with Ku). 2. Title used to address education
officials respected for their knowledge. (Compare
with Maha).
ALA. Australian Leadership Awards. (See also
AAS)
ALAF. [Formerly]. Australian Leadership Awards
Fellowship. (See AAF).
ALAS. Australian Leadership Award Scholarship.
ALC. Action with Lao Children. (NGO, Japan and
Laos; sometimes referred to as Action for Lao
Children; formerly ASPB).
Historical Note: Founded 1982 as ASPB, renamed
ALC 2005. (See also CCC).
ALE. Adult Learning and Education. (See also
GRALE).
ALM. Audio-Lingual Method [of second language
teaching].
ALMM. ASEAN Labor Ministers Meeting.
ALSA. Asian Law Students Association Laos.
AM. Aide Memoire. (Also A-M).
AMA. Art Major Asian Scholarship. (Korean
National University of Arts).
AMD. Asset Management Division (DOF/MOES).
AME. French: Association des Mres ducatrices.
[Mothers [Educational] Association]. Author
trans.
AMEC. Asia Math Engineering Competition.
(Annual robotics competition in Singapore).
AMMS. ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Sports.
AMMST. ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Science
and Technology.
2017-07-27
AMPM. APPEAL Manual for Planning and
Management [of Literacy and Continuing
Education].
AMS. ASEAN Member State.
ANAR. Adjusted Net Attendance Rate. (See Net
Attendance Rate, Adjusted, NARA).
ANCP. Australian NGO Cooperation Program.
(Supports accredited Australian NGOs).
ANER. Adjusted Net Enrollment Rate.
ANFE. Adult non-formal education.
ANOBS. Alfred Nobel Open Business School
Limited (Hong Kong).
ANOVA. Analysis of Variance. (Statistical analysis
method).
ANPAP. French: Acadmie Nationale de Politique et
d'Administration Publique. (See also NAPPA).
ANPRO. Analysis and Projection. (UNESCO model
for education planning). (See also LANPRO).
AOG. Also AG. Assemblies of God. (NGO, USA).
AOP. Annual Operation Plan.
AOPB. Annual Operational Plan and Budget.
AOR. Annual Operation Review.
AOTA. Advisory and Operational Technical
Assistance (ADB; also see ADTA).
AP. 1. Action Plan. 2. Action Program. 3. Annual
Plan. 4. Authorization to Pay. 5. Affected person.
(ADB).
APA. Audited project account.
APARNET. Asia Pacific Academic Recognition
Network.
APASWE. Asia Pacific Association for Social Work
Education.
APCEIU. Asia-Pacific Center of Education for
International Understanding. (See also EIU).
APEC. 1. Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.
2. Asia Pacific Economic Conference.
APEFE. French: lAssociation pour la promotion de
lducation et de la formation ltranger.
[Association for Promoting Education and
Training Abroad]. (Belgium).
APEID. Asia-Pacific Program of Educational
Innovation for Development. (UNESCO
Bangkok)
APEL. Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning.
(See also APL, definition 2; RPL).
APEN. Asia Professional Education Network.
R. & V. Noonan
5
APHEDA. Australian Peoples Help in Education
and Development. Also known as Union Aid
Abroad-APHEDA. (NGO, Australia).
APL. 1. Adaptable Program Loan (WB).
2. Accreditation of Prior Learning. (See also
APEL, RPL).
APLHIV. Association of People Living with
HIVAIDS. (CSO).
APP. 1. Annual Procurement Plan. 2. Association
for Poor People. (CSO).
Apparent Intake Rate. (AIR). UIS Definition:
Total number of new entrants in the 1st grade of
primary education, regardless of age, expressed as
percentage of the population at the official primary
school-entrance age. Note that this definition
appeared in the 2003 technical guidelines for the
term AIR and in the 2009 guidelines for the term
GIR. (Compare with NIR).
APPEAL. Asia and Pacific Program of Education
for All. (UNESCO Bangkok).
Historical Note: Launched in 1987, aiming through
regional cooperation to facilitate national efforts
in:
(a) Achieving universal primary education;
(b) Eradicating illiteracy; and
(c) Providing continuing education in support of
(a) and (b) above.
(Compare with Colombo Plan, 1950; Karachi Plan,
1960; Jomtien, 1990).
APPREB. Asia-Pacific Cooperative Program in
Reading Promotion and Book Development.
APQN. Asia-Pacific Quality Network. (See also
AQAN).
APSC. ASEAN Political Security Community.
APT. ASEAN Plus Three. (ASEAN plus China,
Japan, and the Republic of Korea).
APU. Asia Pacific University. (Japan).
AQAF. ASEAN Quality Assurance Framework.
(Compare with AQRF).
AQAN. ASEAN Quality Assurance Network. (See
also APQN).
AQF. ASEAN Qualification Framework.
AQRF. ASEAN Qualification Reference
Framework. (Compare with AQAF).
ARC. Asia Research Center. (NUOL).
ARMI. Association for Rural Mobilization and
Improvement. (Lao NPA, definition 2).
2017-07-27
ARNEC. Asia Pacific Regional Network for Early
Childhood (UNICEF, Bangkok).
ARO. Asia Regional Office.
ARQ. Above required qualification. (Compare with
BRQ, RQ).
ARR. Average Repetition Rate. (Note: UIS does not
define this statistic. See TRR, especially Note.
See also RR).
ARTC. APPEAL Resource and Training
Consortium. (UNESCO Bangkok).
ASA. Association of Southeast Asia. (Established in
1961 by the Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand).
ASAIHL. Association of Southeast Asian Institu-
tions of Higher Learning.
ASC. ASEAN Skills Competition.
ASCC. ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community.
ASCF. Annual School Census Form.
ASCOE. ASEAN Sub-committee on Education.
(See also SEAMEO).
ASD. Autistic Spectrum Disorder.
ASEAN . Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos,
Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore,
Thailand, Vietnam).
Note: These ten countries are referred to as Core
ASEAN. The secretariat is in Jakarta, Indonesia).
(See also AEC, APT, ASCC, ASEAN plus 1,
ASEAN plus 3, ASEAN plus 6).
Historical Note: Formed in 1967 (as an outgrowth
of ASA) by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Singapore, and Thailand. Laos obtained observer
status in 1992 and membership in 1997.
ASEAN plus 1. ASEAN plus China.
ASEAN plus 3. ASEAN plus China, Japan, Republic
of Korea. (Also APT).
ASEAN plus 6. ASEAN plus Australia, China,
India, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand.
ASED. ASEAN Education Ministers Meeting.
(Compare with SOMED).
ASER. Age Specific Enrollment Rate.
ASG. Asian School Games. (Compare with NSG).
ASLO. Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes.
(National assessments are conducted by RIES,
based on the curriculum-based approach of IEA.
Contrast with the PISA approach). (Continued)
R. & V. Noonan
6
National samples, survey date, level, subjects:
ASLO I 2006, Grade 5, Lao, Math, WAU
ASLO II 2009, Grade 5, Lao, Math, WAU
ASLO III 2011, Grade 3, Lao, Math
Other samples:
Plan ASLO, Bokeo. 2010, Grade 3, Lao, Math,
WAU.
ASOER. ASEAN State of Education Report.
ASP. [Dated]. Association of Students Parents.
ASPB. Association for Sending Picture Books [to
Lao Children]. (NGO, Japan. Renamed ALC).
ASPBAE. Asia South Pacific Association of Basic
and Adult Education.
ASPnet. Associated Schools Project Network.
ASPR. 1. Annual Sector Performance Report.
2. Annual Sector Progress Report.
ASSI. ASEAN Safe Schools Initiative. (A DRM
initiative).
Assistant Minister. A senior official serving below
Vice Minister and above Director General. (See
Annex Figure 9. Not to be confused with Deputy
Minister).
Associate Degree. Qualification below Bachelors
Degree. (Lao: San Kang. Also known as
Undergraduate Diploma).
AsTEN. ASEAN Teacher Education Network.
(Established 2014).
ASV. American School of Vientiane. (Private).
AT. Academic teacher.
ATBU. Association of Theravada Buddhist
Universities.
ATLP. APPEAL Training Materials for Literacy
Personnel.
ATP. Attapeu Province. (Also ATT).
ATR. Annual Thematic Review.
ATRUP. Annual Teacher Recruitment and
Utilization Planning.
ATS. Agriculture technical school.
ATT. Attapeu Province. (Also ATP).
AUCC. Association of Universities and Colleges of
Canada.
AUD. Australian Dollar.
AUF. French: Agence Universitaire de la
Francophonie. [Association of Universities of the
Francophonie]. Author trans. (Montral,
Canada).
2017-07-27
AUN. ASEAN University Network. (Established
1995; NUOL is a member since 1997).
AUN/SEED-Net. Southeast Asia Engineering
Education Development Network (an autonomous
sub-network of AUN).
AUN-QA. AUN Quality Assurance [initiative].
AusAID. [Formerly]. Australian Agency for Inter-
national Development. Integrated November
2013, into the Department of Foreign Affairs and
Trade (DFAT). (See Australian Aid).
Australian Aid. [Officially]. Department of Foreign
Affairs and Trade - Australian Aid. (Formerly
AusAID).
Australian Union Aid Abroad. See APHEDA.
Automatic Promotion. Also Progressive Promotion.
(Often used in Lao documents, although Automatic
Promotion is far more widely used in UNESCO
and UNICEF documents; see also PPP, definition
4.)
Average Annual Growth Rate. Geometric growth
rate, commonly expressed as a percent. Calculated
as (EXP(LN(Y2/Y1)/N)-1)*100, where Y1 is the
value of a variable in the initial period, Y2 is the
value in the final period, and N is the number of
periods. (Contrast with YOY).
AVID. Australian Volunteers for International
Development. (Note on language: As an adjective,
avid means enthusiastic, eager).
AVLRC. ASEAN Virtual Learning Resources
Center.
AWP. Annual Work Plan.
AWPB. Annual Work Plan and Budget.
AY. Academic Year. (1st semester: Early September
to early January; 2 nd semester: Mid-January to late
May or June. Compare with CY, FY, SY.)
AYAD. Australian Youth Ambassador Development
[program].
AYSA. Adolescent and Youth Situation Analysis.
B and well-functioning primary school, including
B.A. Bachelor of Arts [degree].
B.Ed. Bachelor of Education [degree].
B.Tn. [History]. French: Brevet de technicien.
[Technician Diploma]. (Awarded on completion
of the second cycle of technical education.
Compare with CAP).
B.TVE. Bachelors degree in TVE.
BA. See B.A.
R. & V. Noonan
7
BAC. 1. Buddhist Aid Center. (NGO, Japan).
2. Baccalaurat. Le Bac .
Baccalaurat. [History]. Also Bac, definition 2.
French: Baccalaureate. School-leaving examina-
tion upon completion of Lyce that qualifies the
successful candidates for university entrance.
BAFIS. German: Beschftigungsorientierte Aus- und
Fortbildung fr Zielgruppen aus dem Informellen
Sektor. Employment Oriented Training for Target
Groups from the Informal Sector. Author trans.
(External financing by GTZ in late 1990s).
Ban. Lao: . Village. (Compare with Khumban,
Naiban).
BarCamp. International network of participant-
generated conferences or open workshops, focused
primarily on technology and the Web. (See
EDUCAMP 2014).
BASE. Broadening Access to Sustainable Education.
Baseline Assessment. Assessment prior to an inter-
vention. (Compare with Midline Assessment,
Endline Assessment).
Basic education. 1. Pre-school, primary, lower
secondary education. 2. [Sub-sectors in EFA
context] Pre-school, primary, lower secondary, and
non-formal. (Compare with Non-basic education
and PBE).
Historical Note: The concept Of Basic Education
has varied over time. Until the publication in 2005
of the EFA NPA, 2003-2015, basic education
was understood to include only primary, although
inclusion of lower secondary as part of basic
education was foreshadowed in the Education
Strategic Planning document of August 2001
(Part II, Sect. V, Para. 5). This was a reflection of
the outcomes of the 7 th Party Congress in March
2001. With the Education Law of 2007, basic
education was formally extended to include lower
secondary education (Articles 17 & 18).
Basic education cycle school. School covering
Grades 1-9 by adding Grades 6-9 to a complete
those using multi-grade approaches or other
approaches (see Annex Figure 3 and Figure 4) to
expand education access in remote areas. (See
Basic education).
Basic education school. See Basic education cycle
school; Basic education).
Basic Education Teacher. [History]. Under the
USAID education program before the Revolution,
teacher sent to Community Rural Education
Centers, mainly to teach adults basic literacy,
2017-07-27
 numeracy, and other basic knowledge and skills.
(See CREC. See also USAID, Historical Note).
BBM. Big Brother Mouse. (Lao NPA, definition 2).
BC. Bidding Committee.
BCI. Behavioral Change Initiative.
BCS. Basic Computer Skills. Alt. Basic Computing
Skills.
BD. [History]. Budget Department.
BDEA. Buddha Dharma Education Association.
BDP. Buddhism for Development Project.
BE. 1. Basic education. 2. Buddhist Era. Also B.E.
Note: The Lao Buddhist Era and Common Era
years differ by 543, with the Lao Buddhist New
Year celebrated on Common Era April 17.
BEd. See B. Ed.
BEDA. Basic Education in Disadvantaged Areas
(DTT/MOES).
BEDP. Basic Education Development Project.
(Follow-up to BEGP). (External financing by
ADB).
BEFG. Basic Education Focal Group.
BEGE. Basic Education and Gender Equality
[Program] (UNICEF).
BEGP. Basic Education (Girls) Project. (External
financing by ADB and AusAID; see LABEP).
BEIF. BEQUAL Education Innovation Fund.
BELL. Benefits of Lifelong Learning.
BENC. Basic Education in the Northern Commun-
ities. (External financing by EU).
BEP[C]. [History]. French: Brevet dtudes du
premier cycle [du 2 me degr]. General certificate
of secondary education [1 st cycle]. (Lower
secondary, grades 7-10).
BEQUAL. Basic Education Quality and Access in
Lao PDR. (External financing by Australian Aid
and EU; see also BEIF).
BESDP. Basic Education Sector Development
Program. (External financing by ADB).
BESDP II. Second Basic Education Sector
Development Program. (External financing by
ADB). (Renamed SESDP).
BFD. Buddhism for Development [Project].
BFP. Bridge Fund Program. (US Embassy).
BFSS. British and Foreign School Society.
BFW. Blessing Flower World. (NGO, Republic of
Korea).
R. & V. Noonan
8
BG. [Formerly] Block grant. (See also SBG); see
REF).
BHC. Buddhist Health Center.
Bhikkhu / Bhikkhuni: Pali: In Theravada Buddhism,
a fully ordained monk / nun.
BIAAG. Because I am a Girl. (Social movement).
BKO. Bokeo Province. (Also BOK).
BKX. Borikhamxay Province. (Also BOL).
BLC. Basic Learning Competencies.
Blended learning. Formal education programs
involving both classroom activities and computer -
mediated activities. (Also hybrid, technology-
mediated instruction, web-enhanced instruction,
mixed-mode instruction, and others).
Blooms Taxonomy. Classification of learning
objectives into three domains:
1. Cognitive (Knowledge, Comprehension,
Application, Analysis, Evaluation, Synthesis;
revised in 2001 as Remembering, Under-
standing, Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating,
Creating);
2. Affective (Receiving, Responding, Valuing,
Organizing, Characterizing); and
3. Psychomotor (Perception, Set or disposition,
Guided response, Mechanism, Complex overt
response, Adaptation, Origination).
Note: 1. Named after B. S. Bloom. (Contrast with
SOLO).
Note: 2. The cognitive domain was revised in 2001
by Lorin Anderson, a former student of Bloom,
and published as Booms Revised Taxonomy.
BME. Benefit monitoring and evaluation.
BMZ. German: Bundesministerium fr
wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung.
Federal Ministry for Economic Development and
Cooperation. (Germany).
BNC. BEQUAL NGO Consortium. (Includes Plan
International, Save the Children, World Vision and
ChildFund)
BN [L]. Basic Needs [Lao PDR]. NGO. (UK).
l
BODMAS. Brackets, Order, Divide, Multiply, Add,
and Subtract. (Order of mathematical operations;
taught in primary school).
BOG. Board of Governors.
BOK. Bokeo Province. (Also BKO).
BOL. 1. Bank of Lao PDR. 2. Borikhamxay
Province. (Also BKX).
2017-07-27
BOLIGO. Borikhamxay Livelihood Improvement
and Governance Project. (Lux-Development)
Bonze. Buddhist monk. (In the context of Theravada
Buddhism of Laos, the term is archaic and
considered by some to be pejorative, although it
comes from Sanskrit bon ordinary + s priest or
monk).
BOQ. Bill of quantities.
Boukthalu. Lao: . Breakthrough [literally, as
when a tree falls and crashes through a roof]. (See
Four Breakthroughs; see also Sam sang).
BPA. Brussels Program of Action [for Least
Developed Countries]. Adopted by the 3 rd UN
Conference on Least Developed Countries,
Brussels, 2001-05-20.
BPE. [History]. Bureau of Private Education.
(MOE, renamed DPE, later DPEM. See PEACO).
Bridging [Course / Curriculum / Program / Year].
1. (TVET). Course or curriculum with transferable
credit and recognition of prior learning (RPL).
2. (HE). Curriculum for upper secondary school
graduates who have work experience in a relevant
field, allowing students to upgrade their knowledge
or expertise for their current jobs. 3. [History].
Instruction intended to make up for formal or
informal deficiencies in requirements for an
education or training course or program, such as a
program intended for primary school graduates to
enter a teacher education program intended for
lower secondary school graduates.
BRQ. Below required qualification. (Compare with
ARQ, RQ).
BSSD. Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Social
Development [Program]. (At NUOL).
BT. French: Brevet de Technicien. [Technician
Diploma].
BTC. Belgian Technical Cooperation. (Also referred
to as Belgian Development Cooperation or the
Belgian Development Agency, as it is Belgiums
official development cooperation agency).
BTOR. Back to Office Report.
BTOS. Book to School. (Project of EDF, definition
2).
BTTC. Bankeun Teacher Training College.
Buddhist Calendar. (Note: The Lao Buddhist
calendar and Common calendar differ by 543
years, with the Lao Buddhist New Year celebrated
on Common Era April 17. See BE).
R. & V. Noonan
9
BVEST. Basic Vocational Education and Skills
Training.
C
C. Certificate.
C&P. Consultation and Participation.
C/P. Counterpart.
C4D. Communication for Development.
CA. 1. Coordinating Agency. 2. Communicative
Approach [to second language teaching].
CACIM. Committee for Approval of Curriculum
and Instructional Materials.
CAEN. China-ASEAN Education Information
Network.
CAFTA. China-ASEAN Free Trade Area.
(Compare with AFTA).
CAI. Computer-Assisted Instruction. (Compare with
IAI; RAI; TAI).
CAMKID. Community Association for Mobilizing
Knowledge in Development. (CSO).
CAMS. Computerized Asset Management System.
CAP. 1. Country Action Plan. 2. [History]. French:
Certificat dAptitude Professionnelle. [Certificate
of Professional Aptitude]. (Under the Education
Reform Act of 1962, the first regular two-year
cycle of technical and professional preparation in
Matanyom 3 and Matanyom 4). (Compare with
B.Tn., DEP).
CAPE. Country Assistance Program Evaluation.
(ADB).
CapEFA. Capacity Development for EFA.
Capital Education Services. [History]. Education
Service in Vientiane Capital. Compare with PES.
See also VCESS).
CARE [International]. Cooperative for Assistance
and Relief Everywhere. [Federation of national
CARE Members]. (INGO).
Historical Note: CARE worked in Laos in the
1950s initially under the name Cooperative for
American Remittances to Everywhere. In 1959
the meaning of the acronym was changed to Co-
operative for American Relief Everywhere.
Caritas. Confederation of Roman Catholic relief,
development, and social service organizations.
(INGO).
CARN. Collaborative Action Research Network.
CAS. Country Assistance Strategy (WB).
2017-07-27
CATS. Community Approach to Total Sanitation.
CAV. [History]. Center of Agriculture, Veunkhame.
(MOE; merged into NUOL 1995).
CAVILAM. French: Centre dApproches Vivantes
des Langues et des Mdias. [Center for Modern
Languages and Media Approaches]. (Vichy,
France).
CAW. Country Analytic Work.
CB. 1. Cost/benefit. (Compare with CE, definition
1). 2. Capacity Building.
CBA. Competency Based Assessment.
CBC. 1. Community-Based Contracting [for school
construction]. 2. Community Based [School]
Construction. 3. Competency Based
Curriculum.
CBCOM. Community-based Contracting Operating
Manual. (Prepared for EDP II).
CBCP. Community-based civil works and procure-
ment.
CBDRR. Community-Based Disaster Risk
Reduction.
CBE. Campus based education. (Compare with DE).
CBF. Childrens Book Festival. (Supported by
ALC).
CBI. Communitybased initiative.
CBL. Competency based learning. (See also CBT).
CBM. Capacity Building and Management.
(Component in EDP II).
CBMI. Christian Blind Mission International.
CBO. Community-based organization.
CBR. Community-based rehabilitation.
CBSR [P]. Community Based School Readiness
p
[Program]. (Also SRP, Play Group).
CBSS. Country-Based Support Schemes. (EU).
CBT. Competency based training. (See also CBL).
CBTS. Competency-Based Teacher Standards.
CC. Climate Change.
CCA. 1. Common Country Assessment. (Conducted
by the UNCT). 2. Community Conserved Area. 3.
Climate Change Adaptation.
CCC. Childrens Cultural Center.
Historical Note: First CCC founded in Vientiane in
1994, now with some 20 CCCs around the country.
Supported by ALC.
CCCD. Child-Centered Community Development.
R. & V. Noonan
10
CCDG. Community Child Development Group.
CCED. Community Committee for Education
Development. (See also VEDC).
CCL. French: Comit de Coopration avec le Laos.
[Committee for Cooperation with Laos]. Author
trans. (NGO, France).
CCMODA. Cross-country MODA. (Compare with
NMODA).
CCOP. [Party] Central Committee of Organization
and Personnel.
CCPE. [History]. Consultant Council on Private
Education. (Advisory body to BPE).
CCR. Cohort Completion Rate.
CCS. Country Cooperation Strategy.
CCT. 1. Conditional cash transfer. 2. Cross-cutting
Theme.
CCTM. Child-Centered Teaching Methods.
CCU. Committee for Cooperation with UNICEF.
CD. 1. Capacity development. 2. Coordinating
Department.
CDAP. Capacity Development Action Plan.
CDB. Capacity Development Baseline.
CDC. Childrens Development Center.
CDD. Community-driven Development.
CDEC. Continuing and Distance Education Center.
(NUOL).
CDF. 1. Comprehensive Development Framework
(WB). 2. Capacity Development Framework.
Note: The Capacity Development Framework was
first referenced in the ESDF documentation but not
produced at that time. The ESDP review and
update, published by MOES 18 December 2013,
assigns priority to the preparation of the Capacity
Development Framework during the period 2016-
2020.
CDPM. Capacity Development Progress Map.
CDS. Capacity Development Strategy.
CDT. Curricula Development Team.
CDTC. Community Development Training Center.
CDU. Curriculum Development Unit.
CE. 1. Cost-effectiveness. (Compare with CB).
2. Continuing education. 3. Comparative educa-
tion. 4. Capacity enhancement (especially WB).
CEC. 1. Continuing Education Center. (FOE,
NUOL). 2. Children's Educational [Development]
Center.
2017-07-27
CEDAW. Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination against Women.
CEDC. 1. Children in especially difficult
circumstances. 2. Community Education
Development Center.
Cedefop. French: Centre Europen pour le
Dveloppement de la Formation Professionnelle.
[European Center for the Development of
Vocational Training]. (Thessaloniki, Greece).
CEDS. Center for Environment and Development
Studies. (NUOL).
CEFASE. French: Consolidation de lenseignement
du franais en Asie du Sud-Est. [Consolidation of
the teaching of French in Southeast Asia]. Author
trans.
CELC. Center for English Language Communica-
tion. (NUS).
CELLL. [SEAMEO] Center for Lifelong Learning.
(Hanoi).
CEM. Country Economic Memorandum. (WB).
Center. 1. Administrative unit specialized on
teaching, research, or technical matters, including,
at MOES:
Education Standards and Quality Assurance
Center (ESQAC);
Inclusive Education Center (IEC);
Strategic Research & Educational Analysis
Center (SREAC);
Information and Communication Technology
Center (ICTC); and
Education and Sports Research Center (ESRC).
2. Generic term covering specialized teaching and
research units. See also CSD, ELRC, ETC,
NFEDC, TVET Center, WEDC. (Compare with
College, Institute; contrast with COD, COE).
3. Generic term covering non-formal and informal
community spaces for participatory learning. (See
CLC, LC, definition 2).
Central Region. Xiengkhuang, Xaysomboon
(formerly Xaysomboon SR), Vientiane Province,
Vientiane Capital, Borikhamxay, Khammuane, and
Savannakhet Provinces. (See also Northern
Region and Southern Region).
CEPC [I]. [History]. French: Certificat dtudes
i
Primaires Complmentaires [Indigne /
Indochinoises]. Completion certificate for primary
schooling, 2 nd cycle, P4-P6.
Historical Note: Initially the term Indigne
(indigenous) was used, but after the French
R. & V. Noonan
11
withdrew, that term was seen as pejorative and was
replaced by Indochinoises (Indo-Chinese).
CEPE [I]. [History]. French: Certificat dtudes
i
Primaires lmentaires [Indigne /
Indochinoises]). (Completion certificate for
primary schooling, 1 st cycle, P1-P3). (See Note to
CEPC).
CEPGED. [Formerly]. Center for Education
Promotion of Gender, Ethnic & Disabilities. (See
IEC).
CEQA. Center for Educational Quality Assurance.
(See Note to ESQAC). (MOES, see Annex Figure
9).
CERD. [International] Convention on the Elimina-
tion of all Forms of Racial Discrimination.
Certified teacher. Teacher having a certificate of
completion of teacher training from a TEI. (See
Uncertified teacher, Qualified teacher; see also
Annex Figure 7).
CES. [History]. Capital Education Service.
(Compare with PES. See VCESS).
Cesvi. Italian: Cooperazione e Sviluppo. [Co-
operation and Development]. (NGO, Italy).
CEWED. [Formerly]. Center for Promotion of
Education for Women, Ethnic, and People with
Disabilities. (See IEC).
Historical Note: CEWED replaced GEMEU in
2008 and was replaced in 2011 by IEC.
CF. 1. Counterpart fund. 2. Catalytic Fund. (Multi-
donor, multi-recipient trust fund managed by the
World Bank on behalf of donors; established 2003.
See also CFC; ECF; FTI).
CFA. [History]. French: Centre de Formation
Acclre. (See cole Normale Acclre).
CFAA. Country Financial Accountability
Assessment.
CFAE. French: Centre de Formation des
Administrateurs de lEducation. (Administrator
Education Training Center. Established 2007. See
IEMD).
CFC. Catalytic Fund Committee. (See CF,
definition 2).
CFL. ChildFund Laos. (NGO, Australia).
CFLE. Child Friendly Learning Environment.
(UNICEF).
CFM. [MOES] Cabinet for Minister.
CFS. Child-Friendly School. (See SOQ).
CFSVA. Comprehensive Food Security and
Vulnerability Assessment. (WFP).
2017-07-27
CFT. Competency Framework for Teachers.
CG. Community Grant. (EDP II).
CGECR. Committee for General Education
Curriculum Reform.
CGPA. Cumulative Grade Point Average. (See also
GPA).
CHA. Champasack Province. (Also CPS).
CHAFC. Champasak Agriculture and Forestry
College.
Chao Khoueng. Lao: . [Provincial]
Governor.
. [District] Governor,
Chao Muang. Lao:
Mayor.
CHF. Swiss Franc.
CHOICE. Cambridge Hong Kong-Operation for
International Childrens Education. (NGO, Hong
Kong).
Chula. [Common abbreviation for] Chulalongkorn
University. (Bangkok. Officially abbreviated CU,
but see also CU).
CIC. Committee for Investment and Cooperation.
(PMO).
CIDA. Canadian International Development Agency.
CIDSE. French: Coopration Internationale pour le
Dveloppement et la Solidarit. [International
Cooperation for Development and Solidarity].
Author trans. (NGO, Belgium).
CIE. Cambridge International Examination.
CIED. Community Initiative for Education
Development. (External financing by JICA).
Cit universitaire. French. A university campus
usually including residential quarters, an
administrative building, cafeteria, and cultural and
sports venues.
Civil society. Non-governmental organizations
(NGOs), community organizations, professional
associations, NPA, definition 2. Compare with
Mass organization. (See Note to CSO).
CL. Collaborative learning.
Class Size. UIS Definition: Number of enrolled
students divided by the number of classes for the
whole country. To ensure comparability among
countries, data include only regular programs and
exclude sub-groups outside the regular classroom
setting.
CLC. Community Learning Center. (NFE center at
village level, usually under the CLCMC or the
VEDC, sometimes supported by an NGO or NPA).
R. & V. Noonan
CLCMC. Community Learning Center Management
Committee.
CLDC. Community Learning Development Center.
CLE. Concentrated Language Encounter. (Approach
to second language teaching for ethno-linguistic
minority children; compare with CLT, GTM, TPR,
definition 1).
CLI. Community Learning International. (NGO,
USA).
CLMV. Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam.
(Compare with CLV, CLMV+T).
CLMV+T. Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam.
(Compare with CLV, CLMV).
CLT. Communicative Language Teaching.
(Approach to second language teaching; compare
with CLE, GTM, TPR, definition 1).
CLTS. Community-Led Total Sanitation. (PI).
Cluster. See School cluster.
CLV. Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam. (Compare with
CLMV, CLMV+T).
CMDT. Curriculum [and] Materials Development
Team.
CMIS. 1. Contract Management Information
System. 2. Construction Management Information
System. (Compare with EMIS, FMIS, PBMIS,
PMIS).
CMS. 1. Course Management System. (See also
LMS, VLE). 2. Consultant Management System.
(ADB).
CN. Concept Note.
CNC. See CNTC, NCTC.
CNE. [History]. French. Centre national de
l'ducation. [National Education Center].
CNEPAJ. [History]. French: Centre national
d'tudes politiques, administratifs et juridiques.
[National Center of Political, Administrative, and
Legal Studies].
CNF. Campus numrique francophone. (French
Speaking Digital Campus, at Dong Dok. See
AUF).
CNTC. Charter of National Teacher Competencies.
(See also NCTC).
CO. Country Office. (E.g. of a DP).
COA. Chart of Accounts.
COBIAC. French: Collectif de Bibliothcaires et
Intervenants en Action Culturelle. [International
Collaboration for Promotion of Reading and
Libraries]. (NGO, France).
2017-07-27
12
COBP. Country Operations Business Plan. (ADB).
COD. Center of Development. (Institution with
above minimum performance and has the potential
of reaching excellence; compare with COE).
CoDA. Community Development Association.
(CSO).
COE. Center of Excellence. (Institution that
continuously demonstrates excellent performance;
compare with COD).
Cognitive mobility. 1. (Concerning employment):
Transition from one field of specialization to
another, especially concerning labor mobility
between fields. 2. (Concerning child develop-
ment): Movement or mobility in thinking and
reasoning, linking mental image to mental image,
concept to concept, idea to idea.
Cohort Completion Rate. (CCR). UIS Definition:
Percentage of a cohort of pupils enrolled in the 1st
grade of primary education in a given school year
who are expected to complete this level of
education. CCR is the product of the probability
of reaching the last grade and the probability of
graduating from the last grade. (Compare with
Survival Rate; Gross Graduation Ratio).
Collge . [History]. French: In the French language
terminology of the colonial and post-colonial
periods, lower secondary level institution offering
1 or 2 year programs following a six-year primary
school. (See also Lyce. Not to be confused with
the English College).
Collge Polyvalent de Fa-Ngum. See Fa Ngum High
School.
College. Post-secondary institutions, usually private,
fee-paying, and market-driven offering non-degree
programs, or degree programs after approval of
MOES. (Not to be confused with the French
Collge. Compare with Institute.)
Colombo Plan [for Cooperative Economic and
Social Development in Asia and the Pacific]. A
framework for bi-lateral arrangements involving
foreign aid and technical assistance for the
economic and social development. It provides
scholarships and third-country support for training.
Historical Note: Established in 1950 at a Common-
wealth Conference of Foreign Ministers, held in
Colombo, Sri Lanka. Laos joined in 1951 but is
not a participating member of CPSC. Also see
NCP and APPEAL, Historical Note.
COMET. Connecting the Mekong through
Education and Training. (USAID).
R. & V. Noonan
13
Commune. [Formerly]. Administrative unit below
District and above Village. (Abolished in 2000).
(See Sub-district).
Community teacher. Teacher (regardless of qualifi-
cations) employed by the community, whose
remuneration is based on negotiation with the
school or community leaders, often involving non-
monetary benefits. Also referred to as Village
teacher or Volunteer teacher. (See also Contract
Teacher; Quota teacher; Volunteer Teacher).
Competency based training. [According to TVET
Law, December 2013] Learning based on specific
curriculum with testing against competency
standards determined in real-world production
units.
Complete school. 1. Primary school in which
instruction is offered in all five grades.
[Historically: An elementary school in which
instruction is offered in all six grades]. (Compare
with Incomplete school, Multi-grade school,
Shifting classes, School cluster). 2. Secondary
school combining lower and upper secondary
levels. (See Annex Figure 3).
Note: Approximately 81 % of primary schools are
complete; approximately 42 % of secondary
schools are complete (2015/16).
Completion Rate. (Note: UIS does not define a
Completion Rate because the term is ambiguous.
When Completion Rate is written, either Cohort
Completion Rate (CCR), Gross Graduation Ratio,
or Survival Rate (SR) is usually meant).
Compulsory schooling.
Historical Note: In 1951, under the RLG, a law
was passed instituting compulsory, free, three-year
primary education for all children residing within a
radius of one kilometer from a public school. In
1952 a complementary law was passed requiring
the establishment of a primary school (provided
sufficient funds were available) in any community
with a sufficient number of children. In March
1991 the 5 th Party Congress established the policy
of enforcement of free and compulsory education.
In August 1996 the Compulsory Education Decree
provided for free and compulsory primary educa-
tion. Education Vision 2030, in ESDP 2016-2020,
stipulates expansion of compulsory education to
include lower secondary.
Comstrat. Communication Strategy. (Reference to
Communication Strategy (2013-2020) to support
the Education Reform Agenda).
Concern [Worldwide Lao PDR]. (NGO, Ireland).
2017-07-27
CONFEMEN. French: Confrence des Ministres de
lducation des pays ayant le franais en partage.
[Conference of Ministers of Education of
Countries Sharing the Use of French].
CONFINTEA. French: Confrence internationale
sur l'ducation des adultes. [International
Conference on Adult Education]. (Also
CONFITEA).
CONFITEA. See CONFINTEA.
CONFRASIE. French: La Confrence rgionale des
Recteurs des universits membres de lAgence
universitaire de la Francophonie en Asie-
Pacifique. [Regional Conference of Rectors of
Members of the Association of Universities of the
Francophonie of Asia and the Pacific]. Author
trans. (See also AUF).
Consortium. (NGO, Laos. A collaboration of three
U.S. NGOs: Save the Children/US, World
Education, and World Learning, Inc.). See WE /
Consortium.
Constitution. The first constitution of the Lao PDR
was promulgated in August 1991. An amended
constitution was promulgated in May 2003. The
current amended constitution was promulgated by
President Choummaly Sayasone 15 Dec. 2015.
Continuing Curriculum. Curriculum that facilitates
continuation or upgrading of qualification in a
particular field. See also Continuous Curriculum;
Transition Curriculum.
Continuous Curriculum. See Continuing
Curriculum.
Continuous Education. (TVET). Education and
training for upgrading level of qualification or
increasing knowledge and skills within any subject
or for any occupation. See also Continuous
Curriculum; Transition Curriculum.
Contract teacher. Teacher (regardless of qualifica-
tions) employed on the basis of a contract,
typically of one year duration, whose salary is
governed by recommendations from MOES but
agreed by the contracting parties (e.g., the
teacher and the village). (See also Community
Teacher; Quota teacher; Village teacher; Volunteer
teacher).
Note: The concept of Contract teacher should not
be confused with the concepts of Underqualified or
Unqualified teachers, since there are contract
teachers who are fully Qualified.
COPE. Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic
Enterprise.
R. & V. Noonan
14
CORC. Convention on the Rights of the Child.
(UN; also CRC).
Historical note: Lao accession 8 May 1991.
Cord. Also CORD. Christian Outreach for Relief
and Development. (INGO, UK).
Core ASEAN. See ASEAN, Note.
Core school. A primary complete school serving as a
pedagogical support center in a school cluster and
providing the upper grades for students in the
feeder incomplete schools. (See Annex Figure 6).
(Compare with Satellite school. See also Groupe
scolaire).
COSO. Central Operations Service Office (ADB).
CP. 1. Child Protection. 2. Country Program.
CPA. Country Performance Assessment. (ADB).
CPAC. Child Policy, Advocacy, and
Communication [Program]. (UNICEF priority
program).
CPAR. Country Procurement Assessment and
Report. (WB).
CPC. 1. Central Planning Committee. 2. Country
Program Coordinator. 3. [Formerly] Committee
for Planning and Cooperation. (Changed to CPI in
2004; formerly State Planning Committee, SPC).
CPD. Continuing Professional Development.
CPE. [History]. French. Centre provincial de
l'ducation. [Provincial Education Center].
CPF. [History]. French: Centre Provincial
Francophone. [Provincial Francophone Center].
(Plural: Centres Provinciaux Francophones).
CPI. 1. Clear Path International. (NGO, USA).
2. Consumer Price Index. 3. [Formerly]. Com-
mittee for Planning and Investment (MOFA). (In
2004 replaced CPC, under PMO; see MPI).
CPIA. Country Policy and Institutional Assessment.
(IDA).
CPM. Critical Path Method.
CPN. Child Protection Network. (See also CPWG).
CPO. Country Program Outline. (PI).
CPPR. Country Portfolio Performance Review.
(WB).
CPRA. Country Procurement Risk Assessment.
(WB).
CPRM. Country Portfolio Review Mission. (ADB).
CPS. 1. Champasak Province. (Also CHA).
2. Country Partnership Strategy. (ADB, formerly
CSP; WB).
2017-07-27
CPSC. Colombo Plan Staff College [for Technician
Education]. (Manila).
CPSPR. Country Partnership Strategy Progress
Report. (WB).
CPWG Child Protection Working Group. (See also
CPN).
CQA. [Formerly]. Center for Quality Assurance.
(See ESQAC).
CQAF. Common Quality Assurance Framework.
CQO. Chief Quality Officer. (NUOL).
CQS. Consultants Qualification Selection.
(Selection based on consultants qualifications).
(ADB, WB).
CR. 1. Classroom. 2. Child Rights. 3. Country
Report.
CRC. 1. Convention on the Rights of the Child.
(UN; see also CORC with historical note).
2. Camera-ready copy. 3. Citizen Report Card.
4. Community Report Card.
CREC. [History]. French: Centre Rural dducation
Communautaire. [Plural: Centres Ruraux
dducation Communautaire]. [Rural Center for
Community Education]. Later referred to by
USAID as Community Rural Education Center
(CREC).
Crche. French: Day nursery, nominally for children
aged 3 months to 2 years. (See ECCD; compare
with Kindergarten, Nursery, Pre-school; see Annex
Figure 5).
CRF. Contribution to the [ADB] Results
Framework.
CRG. Child Rights Governance.
CRIN. Child Rights International Network.
CRPD. Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities.
CRPF. Compensation and Resettlement Policy
Framework.
CRS. Catholic Relief Services. (NGO, inter-
national).
CRSA. Child Rights Situation Analysis.
CRWRC. [Formerly]. Christian Reformed World
Relief Committee. (INGO. See WR).
CS. Competency Standard.
CSA. 1. Civil Society Association. (See CSO).
2. Center for Study Abroad (Japanese educational
exchange organization). 3. Commission for
Solidarity with the Asian Underprivileged. (NGO,
Japan).
R. & V. Noonan
15
CSD. Center for Skill Development. (Vientiane).
CSN. Children with special needs.
CSO. Civil society organization. (See also NPA,
definition 2; contrast with Mass Organization).
Note: CSO, NPA, and Mass Organization all refer
to non-government organizations. CSO is the
more general term, usually referring to a wide
range of citizens associations that exist to provide
benefits or services or to influence specific groups
in society. Mass Organizations are defined in the
Lao Constitution. NPAs are incorporated
organizations licensed by the government.
CSP. 1. Country Strategic Plan. 2. [Formerly].
Country Strategy and Program (ADB, now CPS).
CSPU. Country Strategy and Program Update.
(ADB).
CSR. Corporate Social Responsibility.
CSS. 1. Competency Standard Setting. 2. Compre-
hensive School Safety.
CSSF. Comprehensive School Safety Framework.
CSWG. Civil Society Working Group.
CtC. Child to Child. (Support groups for children
with disabilities).
CTPC. See MCTPC.
CTS. Credit Transfer System. (See also ACTS,
ECTS).
CU. 1. Champasak University. (Established 2002.
Also known as Pakse University, with reference to
the town in which it is located in Champasak
Province. See Annex Table 2). 2. Chulalongkorn
University. (Bangkok; see Chula).
CU5. Children under five years of age.
Cumulative Dropout Rate. UIS Definition: The
Cumulative Dropout Rate in a given level is
calculated by subtracting the Survival Rate from
100 at a given grade in that level. (Compare with
Dropout Rate).
CUSO. Canadian University Service Overseas.
(NGO, Canada).
CV. 1. Certificate Vocational. (See 9+3, CAP,
definition 2; VC I to VC III). 2. Curriculum Vitae.
(Rsum; outline of a person's educational and
professional history).
CVC. Cluster Village Center.
CVET. Continuous Vocational Education and
Training.
CW. Concern Worldwide. (NGO, Ireland).
CWD. Children with Disabilities. (See also PWD).
2017-07-27
CWS. Church World Service. (NGO, United States).
(Not to be confused with Christian World Service,
a New Zealand NGO which does not operate in
Laos).
CY. Calendar year. (Compare with AY, FY, SY).
D with DAPE). 2. Development Cooperation
D&D. Decentralization and de-concentration. (Also
D and D).
D. Diploma. (Compare with C, HD).
D.E.A. Diplme d'tudes Approfondies. French:
Diploma of Advanced Studies. (Post-graduate
diploma taken before Ph.D. degree).
D.TVE. Diploma in TVE.
DA. Designated Account. (WB). (See also OA).
DAA. Dhamma Aid Asia. Buddhist INGO.
DAAD. German: Deutscher Akademischer Austausch
Dienst. German Academic Exchange Service.
DAC. Development Assistance Committee. (OECD;
comprises 22 donor countries and the European
Commission).
DACS. [Formerly]. Department of Administration
and Civil Service. (See PACSA, MOHA).
DACUM. Developing a Curriculum. (Methodo-
logical approach to development of TVET
curricula).
Dakar Framework for Action. Adopted at the
World Education Forum in April 2000 in Dakar,
Senegal. (Re-affirmation of the commitment to the
World Declaration on EFA, Jomtien, 1990, and
achievement of the EFA goals by 2015. See also
Muscat Agreement).
DAP. Direct Aid Program. (Australian Aid).
DAPE. Department of Arts and Physical Education.
(MOES, See Annex Figure 9). (Note: The
mandate of DAPE covers schools specifically.
Compare with DCS).
DBEL. Delivering Better Education in Laos (2007-
2013). (AusAID).
DBEP. District Basic Education Plan.
DC. 1. Dubai Cares. (Philanthropic organization,
Dubai, United Arab Republic). 2. Direct
Contracting.
DCDC. Donkoi Children Development Center. (See
also DCYDC).
DCE. District Construction Engineer. (EQIP II).
DCI. Development Cooperation Instrument. (EU).
R. & V. Noonan
16
DCMC. District Committee for Mothers and
Children. (See also NCMC, PCMC).
DCS. 1. Department of Community Sports. (MOES.
See Annex Figure 9. Also known as Department
of Sports for All). (Note: The mandate of DCS
covers community sports nationwide; compare
Strategy.
DCT. Dual cooperative training. Compare with
SBT.
DCU. Drug Control Unit. (MOES).
DCYDA. Dongsavath Children And Youth
Development Association. (Was DCYDC,
renamed and established in 2013 as Lao NPA,
definition 2).
DCYDC. Dongsavat Children and Youth
Development Center. (Also DC&YDC). (See
DCYDA).
DD. Dong Dok. (Reference to the main campus of
NUOL).
DDA. 1. Demand Driven Approach. (Project with
external financing by Sida). 2. Demand-driven
approach. (Generic concept. Compare with
HRBA, RBA).
DDAII. Phase II of DDA.
DDF. District Development Fund.
DDG. Deputy DG.
DE. 1. Distance education. (Compare with CBE).
2. District Engineer.
DEA. [Formerly]. Division for Education
Administrators.
DEAM. Department of Education Administration
and Management. (NUOL/FOE). (Also referred
to as TEADC; TDC).
Note: The formal Lao name is Department of
Education Management, but it is widely referenced
in the literature as Department of Education
Administration and Management.
DEB. 1. [History]. District Education Bureau.
(Renamed DESB in 2010). 2. District Education
Board.
DEB/PA. District Education Bureau / Pedagogical
Advisor.
DEB-C. District Education Bureau Culture [Unit].
DEB-E. District Education Bureau Education
[Unit].
DEC. Distance Education Center.
2017-07-27
Decentralization [of the Education Sector]. Based
on MOE Decree No. 1500/DOP.02, March 3,
2002. Decree on Implementing the Decentraliza-
tion in the Education Sector:
Relating to the build-up (see also Three Builds)
of:
o Province as a Strategic Unit;
o District as a Planning Unit; and
o Village as an Implementation Unit.
Assigning responsibilities for each level:
o DEB is responsible for pre-school and
primary;
o PES is responsible for lower secondary and
upper secondary; and
o MOE is responsible for NUOL, colleges,
technical and vocational schools, and ethnic
boarding schools.
DED. [Formerly]. German: Deutscher
Entwicklungsdienst. German Development
Service. (See GIZ).
DEDC. District Education Development Committee.
(Compare with EDC, VDC, VEDC, definition 1,
WEDC).
DEI. Department of Education Inspection. (See
DOI).
DEM. Decentralized education management.
Demi-groupe Scolaire. [History]. French:
Elementary school with more than three grades but
usually less than six, in the process of becoming a
complete school. (Compare with Groupe
Scolaire).
DEO. [History]. District Education Officer.
DEP. [History]. French: Diplme de lEnseignement
Professionnel.
DEPC[EL]. [History]. French: Diplme dtudes du
premier cycle [denseignement laotien]. (Diploma
for completion of the lower secondary academic
schooling, Collge, grades 7-10, in Laos).
Deputy Minister. Vice Minister. (Compare with
Assistant Minister).
Note: The titles Deputy Minister and Vice Minister
are synonymous, but Vice Minister is the more
commonly used term.
DER. Department of External Relations. (MOES,
See Annex Figure 9).
DES. 1. Department of Elite Sports. (MOES. See
Annex Figure 9). 2. [Formerly]. District
Education Service. (See DESB).
DESB. District Education and Sports Bureau.
(Formerly DEB). (See Annex Table 1).
R. & V. Noonan
17
DESD. 1. [UN] Decade of Education for Sustainable
Development. 2. [History]. District Education and
Sports Division. (See DESB).
Deseret International Charities. (NGO, USA).
Associated with the Mormon Church; specializing
in teaching of English but also supporting water
and sanitation and school facilities.
DESIT. Department of Education Statistics and
Information Technology. (Renamed, see ESITC).
DEVAW. Declaration on the Elimination of the
Violence against Women.
Development Triangle Area. Official development
area comprising 13 provinces in CLV. (Includes
Attapeu, Sekong, Saravane, and Champasack
provinces).
DFA. Development Financing Agreement. (WB).
DFAT. [Australian] Department of Foreign Affairs
and Trade, into which AusAID was integrated
November 1, 2013. (See Australian Aid).
DFC. 1. Design for Change. 2. [History]. Dong
Dok Forestry College. (MAF; merged into NUOL
1995).
DFG. German: Deutsche Finanzierungsgesellschaft
fr Beteiligungen in Entwicklungslndern, GmbH
German Finance Company for Investments in
Developing Countries. (See also GIZ).
DFID. Also Df ID. [UK] Department for Inter-
national Development.
Historical Note: Formerly, Overseas Development
Administration, ODA. Re-organized as DFID in
1997.
DFS. District Financial Services.
DG. Director General.
DGE. [Formerly]. Department of General Educa-
tion. (MOES). (Divided into two departments in
2008; see DPE and DSE).
DGEI. Department of General Education Inspection.
Replaced by DEI in 2008.
DGIS. Dutch: Directoraat-Generaal Internationale
Samenwerking [Directorate-General for Inter-
national Cooperation]. (Netherlands).
DGP. Department of General Planning. (In CPI).
Dhamma. Lao: . Doctrine, teachings of the
Buddha.
DHE. Department of Higher Education. (MOES, see
Annex Figure 9. For historical note see DHTVE.)
DHHU. Deaf and Hard of Hearing Unit.
2017-07-27
DHS. Demographic and Health Survey. (See also
MICS, LSIS).
DHTVE. [Formerly]. Department of Higher,
Technical, and Vocational Education. (Also
HTVED).
Historical Note: Re-organized in 2008 into
separate departments, DHE and DTVE.
DI. See DOI, definition 1.
DIC. 1. Deseret International Charities. 2. Depart-
ment of International Cooperation (MOPI).
3. Drop-in Center.
DIE. Deutsches Institut fr Erwachsenenbildung.
German Institute for Adult Education.
DIH. Department of Industry and Handicraft. (In
MOIC, definition 1).
Diplme de lEnseignement Professionnel.
[History]. French: Diploma of Vocational
Education.
Historical Note: Under the Education Reform of
1962, a preparatory two-year cycle of technical
and professional preparation in Matanyom 1 and
Matanyom 2. (Compare with CAP, definition 2).
Director General. Senior official serving directly
under a Vice Minister or Assistant Minister and
responsible for a Department or unit of equivalent
status. (Note: Plural form Directors General).
Disrobe. [Of a monk]. To leave the Sangha.
DIT. 1. District Implementation Team. (Compare
with NIT, PIT, definition 1). 2. District Inclusive
Education Trainer. (Compare with PIT, definition
2).
DLAE. [History]. Department of Literacy and Adult
Education.
DLHRD. Division of Legislation and Human
Resource Development. (In DOP).
DLLM. Digital Library of Lao Manuscripts.
DM. Disaster Management. (See also DRM, DRR,
DRR/M, Sendai Framework).
DMC. Developing Member Country. (ADB, WB).
DMF. Design and Monitoring Framework.
DMS. Detailed Measurement Survey. (ADB).
DMT. [History]. French: Diplme de Moniteur
Technique. Technical Instructor Diploma.
DNE. Department of Non-formal Education. (Also
DNFE and NFED). (See Annex Figure 9).
DNFE. Department of Non-formal Education. (Also
DNE and NFED). (See Annex Figure 9).
DNPD. Deputy National Project Director.
R. & V. Noonan
18
DOACS. Department of Administration and Civil
Service. (PMO).
DOEI. Department of Education Inspection. (See
DOI).
DOF. Department of Finance. (MOES. See Annex
Figure 9).
DOI. 1. Department of Inspection. (See Annex
Figure 9). (See also DEI). 2. Digital Opportunity
Index.
Dong Dok. Main campus of NUOL, approximately
10 km north of central Vientiane Capital.
DOP. Department of Personnel and Organization
(MOES. See Annex Figure 9).
DOPC. See DPC.
DOR. Dropout Rate. See DR.
DOS. [Formerly]. [National] Department of
Statistics. (Previously NSC, definition 2). (Under
the MPI). (See LSB).
DP. 1. Development Partner. (See also IDP).
2. Direct purchase. (Compare with ICB, IS, LCB).
3. Department of Planning. (MOES. See Annex
Figure 9). (Formerly DPC; DPF). 4. Development
Plan.
DPACS. [Formerly]. Department of Public Admin-
istration and Civil Service. (PMO). (See
PACSA).
DPAE. Department of Physical and Arts Education.
(See DAPE).
DPB. [History]. Domestic Public Bidding.
DPC. [Formerly]. Department of Planning and
[International] Cooperation. Also DPIC. (MOES;
replaced PSU. Renamed DP, definition 3).
DPCC. Disaster Prevention and Control Committee.
DPE. 1. Department of Primary and Pre-school
Education. (See DPPE). 2. [Formerly]. Depart-
ment of Physical Education. (See DAPE).
3. [Formerly]. Department of Private Education
(See PEACO).
DPEA. Department of Physical Education and Art.
(See DAPE).
DPEM. [History]. Department of Private Education
Management. (Also DPrE. See PEACO).
DPF. [Formerly]. Department of Planning and
Finance. (Separated over several reorganizations
into DP, definition 3, and DOF).
DPhAE. Department of Physical and Art Education.
(See DAPE)
2017-07-27
DPhE. Department of Physical Education. (See
DAPE)
DPIC. [Formerly]. Department of Planning and
International Cooperation. (MOE). (See DPC).
DPIP. [History]. Department of Public Investment
Program.
DPIU. District Project Implementation Unit.
(Compare with PIU, PPIU).
DPL. Development Policy Letter. (ADB, see also
PL).
DPM. Deputy Prime Minister.
DPO. 1. Disabled Peoples Organization. 2. For unit
in MOES, see DOP.
DPPE. Department of Pre-school and Primary
Education. (MOES, established 2008). (See
Annex Figure 9).
DPrE. [Formerly]. Department of Private Education
(MOE). (See also DPrE; DPEM; DPE). See
PEACO.
DPRK. Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.
(North Korea. Compare with ROK).
DPrv.E. See DPrE.
DPS. Department of Public Services. [In PMO
which sets quotas each year for the number of new
permanent recruitments and government funded
contracts]. (See PACSA; Quota teacher).
DQAF. Data Quality Assessment Framework [for
the EMIS].
DR. Dropout Rate.
DRC. 1. Danish Red Cross. 2. District Resettlement
Committee. (ADB).
DRET. Disability Rights and Equality Training.
DRM. Disaster Risk Management. (See also DRR,
RCC, DRR/M, Sendai Framework)
DRMC. Disaster Risk Management Committee. (In
MOES).
Dropout Rate. UIS Definition: Proportion of
students from a cohort enrolled in a given grade at
a given school year who are no longer enrolled in
the following school year. (See Dropout; compare
with Cumulative Dropout Rate).
Dropout. UIS Definition: Student who leaves
school definitively in a given school year.
DRR. Disaster Risk Reduction. (See also DRM,
DRR/M, Sendai Framework).
DRR/M. Disaster Risk Reduction / Management.
R. & V. Noonan
19
DRS. 1. Data Recording System. 2. Data-base
Reporting System.
DRT. District Resource Team.
DSA. 1. Daily subsistence allowance. 2. Department
of Student Affairs. (MOES, see Annex Figure 9).
(Also DStA). 3. [Formerly]. Division for [General
Education] School Administrators.
DSD. Department of Skills Development.
(MOLSW; see DSDE).
DSDE. Department of Skills Development and
Employment. (MOLSW).
DSE. Department of Secondary Education. (MOES,
see Annex Figure 9).
DSED. See DSDE.
DSpA. Department of Sports for All. (MOES, see
Annex Figure 9)
DStA. Department of Student Affairs. (MOES, see
Annex Figure 9)
DSWD. Department of Social Work and
Development. (FSS, NUOL).
DTE. Department of Teacher Education. (MOES,
See Annex Figure 9). (Formerly DTT).
DTL. Deputy Team Leader.
DTP. Desktop publishing.
DTT. [History]. Department of Teacher Training.
(Renamed DTE. See Annex Figure 9).
DTVE. Department of Technical and Vocational
Education. (MOES, see Annex Figure 9).
DTVET. See DTVE.
Dual cooperative training. (TVET). Training in
cooperation with enterprises with the emphasis on
practical part of training, with the theoretical part
of the training taking place at TVET institutions
and practical training in the enterprise, based on
regulations, condition, and contract between the
parties (institution and enterprise or institution,
enterprise, and apprentice). (Compare with
School-based training).
DUCDA. District Unit for Construction and
Development Assistance. (See also PUCDA).
DVT. Dual vocational training.
DVTE. See DTVE.
DVTHE. [History]. Department of Vocational,
Technical, and Higher Education. (Separated into
two departments in April 2008, DHE and DTVE.
MOES. See Annex Figure 9).
2017-07-27
DVV [International]. German: [Institut fr Inter-
nationale Zusammenarbeit des] Deutschen Volks-
hochschul-Verbandes. Institute for International
Cooperation of the German Adult Education
Association.
Note: DVV is sometimes translated as the German
Folk High School Association, which corresponds
closely to a direct translation and to the German
Volkshochschule tradition.
DWG. Donor Working Group. See ESWG.
DWHH. German: Deutsche Welthungerhilfe
German Agro Action, see GAA. (NGO,
Germany).
E ECCD; ECCDE, ECCE; ECED; IECD; Pre-
. See EUR.
EA&P. East Asia and the Pacific.
EA. Executing Agency.
EAB. Education[al] Advisory Board.
Note: There are EABs at central, provincial,
district, and institutional levels.
EAC. [Formerly]. Education Assurance Center.
(See ESQAC).
EACAT. East Asian Circle of Applied Technology.
EADI. Education Administration Development
Institute. (See IEAD).
EAEA. European Association for the Education of
Adults.
EAL. English as an Additional Language. (See also
EAP, EFL, ESL).
EAM [P]. Education Administration and Manage-
p
ment [Program]. (At FOE/NUOL).
EAP. 1. English for Academic Purposes. (See also
EAL, EFL, ESL). 2. East Asia and the Pacific.
EAPRO. East Asia and the Pacific Regional Office
(UNICEF, Bangkok).
EATC. Education Administrator Training Center.
(Vangvieng; compare with IEAD).
EB. Executive Board.
EBS. Ethnic Boarding School.
EC. 1. European Commission. 2. [Formerly]
European Community. (See EU, Historical Note).
3. External Communication.
ECAFE. [History]. [United Nations] Economic
Commission for Asia and the Far East.
Historical Note: Established 1947, renamed 1974.
(See ESCAP).
R. & V. Noonan
20
ECCD. Early Childhood Care and Development. (In
Laos, refers to pre-school services for children
aged 3 - 5 years, sometimes from 3 months,
including both Nursery or Crche and
Kindergarten. See also ECCDE, ECCE, ECE,
ECED, IECD, Pre-school).
ECCDE. Early Childhood Care, Development, and
Education.
ECCE. Early Childhood Care and Education.
Note: In Laos the term used in EFA documents is
ECCD., but see Notes to ECE.
ECD TV. Early Childhood Development Television.
ECD. 1. Early Childhood Development. (See also
school). 2. [Formerly]. Education Construction
Division. (See ECDM). 3. EC Delegation.
ECDF. Education Capacity Development Frame-
work. (See also CDF Note; ESCDF).
ECDL. EC Delegation Laos.
ECDM. Education Construction and Design Man-
agement. (Division within DOF, MOES,
previously ECS and ECD).
ECE. Early Childhood Education. (See also ECCD;
ECCE; ECD; ECED; IECD; Pre-school).
Note 1: The abbreviations ECCD, ECD, and ECE,
are often used interchangeably. ECE is the most
commonly used in Lao documentation, e.g., in the
ESDF, the ESDP, the Education Law, and the
NESRS.
Note 2: According to Articles 14 and 15 of the
Education Law of 2007/08, ECE includes Nursery
and Kindergarten.
ECED. Early Childhood Education and Develop-
ment. (See also ECCD, ECCE, ECE, IECD,
Kindergarten, Pre-school).
ECEP. Early Childhood Education Project (2014-
2019). (External financing by WB).
ECERS. Early Childhood Environment Rating
Scale. (Unicef).
ECF. Expanded Catalytic Fund. (See CF).
ECHO. European Commissions Humanitarian Aid
Office.
ECOFIN. Economic and Financial Data [Pro-
jection].
cole cantonale. [History]. French: Primary school
in an urban district. (Compare with cole
darrondissement).
cole darrondissement. [History]. French: Primary
school in a rural district. (Compare with cole
cantonale).
2017-07-27
cole de Maitresses Maternelles. School for
kindergarten teachers.
cole de village. [History]. French: Village schools,
usually for the first three grades.
cole lmentaire. [History]. French: Elementary
school, Primary school. (Note that current use of
this term in names of public institutions can still be
found in some areas).
cole maternelle. [History]. French: Kindergarten,
pre-school. (Note that current use of this term in
names of public institutions can still be found in
some areas).
cole Normale Acclre. [History]. French:
Accelerated Teacher Education School (2-year
program compared with standard 4-year program
following 6-year primary schooling).
cole Normale dInstituteurs. [History]. French:
Teacher Training School [for primary school
teachers]. (See Normal school / college /
university).
cole Normale de Bonzes. [History]. French:
Teacher training school for monks.
Historical Note: Established 1909 in Vientiane;
later in Luang Prabang. (See Normal school /
college / university).
cole Normale Suprieure. [History]. French:
Teacher Training College [for lower secondary
school teachers]. Established 1959. (See Normal
school / college / university).
cole primaire. [History]. French: Primary school.
(Note that this term is in current usage in names of
institutions in some areas).
cole Royale de Mdecine [du Laos]. [History].
French: [Royal School of Medicine].
cole secondaire, le deuxime cycle. [History].
French: Upper secondary school. (Also cole
secondaire, 2me cycle). (Note that this term is
still in current usage in names of institutions in
some areas).
cole secondaire, le premier cycle. [History].
French: Lower secondary school. (Also cole
secondaire, 1er cycle). (Note that this term is in
current usage in names of institutions in some
areas).
cole secondaire. [History]. French: Secondary
school. (Note that this term is in current usage in
names of institutions in areas).
cole Suprieure de Pdagogie. [History]. French:
Teacher Training College [for upper secondary
school teachers]. College of Education. Located
at Dong Dok.
R. & V. Noonan
21
ECOP. Environmental Code of Practice. (For
construction of school buildings).
ECOSOC. [United Nations] Economic and social
Council.
ECS. [Formerly]. Education Construction Service.
See ECDM.
ECTS. European Credit Transfer and Accumulation
System. (See Erasmus; EHEA. Compare with
ACTS).
ECU. 1. Education Coordination Unit. 2. ESDF
Coordination Unit. 3. ESDP Coordination Unit.
ED. 1. Education Disadvantage. 2. Educationally
disadvantaged. 3. Executive Director.
Ed.D. Doctor of Education [degree].
EDC. Education Development Committee. (See also
VDC; VEDC, definition 1, and WEDC).
EDEMV. Education Development for Ethnic
Minority Villages.
EDF. 1. Education Development Framework. (2001-
2005; in MOE 2001, Education Strategic
Planning). 2. Education for Development Fund.
(Formerly Minsai, NGO, Japan). 3. European
Development Fund.
EDG. Education Development Grant.
EDGP. Education Development Grant Program.
(Under BESDP). (See also SAGP).
EDI. EFA Development Index. (UNESCO).
Note: A composite indicator calculated for each
country as the arithmetic of four components:
Adult literacy rate (age 15+);
Universal primary education (Adjusted Net
Enrollment Rate, NERA);
Quality of education (Survival Rate to Grade 5);
and
Gender Equality Index (GEI).
EDP. 1. Education Development Project (external
financing by the World Bank), later referred to as
EDP I. 2. [History]. Education Development
Project financed by USAID during the period
1961-1975.
EDP I. Education Development Project. (Originally
referred to as EDP). (External financing by WB).
EDP II, EDP2, EDP 2. Second Education Develop-
ment Project. (Sometimes referred to as SEDP).
(External financing by WB).
EdQUASP. Education Quality Assurance Strategic
Plan. (More commonly EQASP).
2017-07-27
EDRR. Education for Disaster Risk Reduction.
EDUCAMP 2014. A BarCamp on educational
innovations. (NUOL, March 2014).
ducateur de bas. [History]. See Basic Education
Teacher.
Education Law. The current education law is
promulgated by Presidential Decree No. 133/PD,
28 Aug 2015.
Historical Note: The term education law
sometimes also refers to:
The Education Law of 2007 (as it was adopted
by the National Assembly 3 July 2007), or the
Education Law of 2008 (as it was published by
MOE in March 2008). It is sometimes referred
to as the Education Law of 2007/08.
The Education Law of 2000, Approved by the
National Assembly April 8, 2000;
The Compulsory Education Decree of the Prime
Minister, August 15, 1996; or
The Education Reform of 1962. (Although it
was not an act of the National Assembly but
rather a Royal Decree, it is often referred to in
later years as the The Education Reform Act)
EDV. Education Department of Vientiane [Capital
City].
EDWG. Education [and Gender] Donors Working
Group. (Replaced by EGSWG. See ESWG and
IEDWG).
EE. Environmental Education.
EEA. Environmental Education and Awareness.
EECS. Environmental Education and
Communication Strategy.
EEF. European Education Fund. (NGO).
EEFA. Equal Education For All. (Lao NPA,
definition 2).
EEG. Education Evaluation Group. (Activity in
ASLO component of EDP II).
EEME. Empowerment of Ethnic Minorities through
Education.
EEPA. Employability and Entrepreneurship
Potential Assessment.
EEPF. Education Equipment Production Factory
[Enterprise].
EFA. 1. Education for All. (See Jomtien, Dakar
Framework, Muscat Agreement, UBE; UPC; UPE,
EFA-NPA). 2. [EfA]. Education for ASEAN.
R. & V. Noonan
22
EFA-FTI. [Formerly]. EFA Fast Track Initiative.
(Launched 2002; renamed GPE September 2011.
See also FTI).
EFAMOD. EFA Model, an education sector
strategic development spreadsheet model to
support EFA. (UNESCO).
EFA-NPA. Education for All National Plan of
Action 2003-2015 (MOE, March 2005). (See
EFA). (Sometimes referred to as the EFA National
Action Plan or the National EFA Action Plan).
Note: The publication date of the Education for All
National Plan of Action 2003-2015 is cited in the
literature variously as 2003, 2004, and 2005.
Although the period covered is from 2003-2015, it
was approved by the Government Cabinet
December 30, 2004, and published 2005 for the
Ministry of Education by the UNESCO Asia and
Pacific Regional Bureau for Education. (For
further information, see Annex Table 5).
EFEO [Vientiane]. French: cole Franaise
dExtrme-Orient. French School of East Asian
Studies [Vientiane branch]. (Also known as
French School for the Far East).
Effective Transition Rate. (ETranR). UIS
Definition: The number of new entrants into the
1 st grade of a higher level of education in Year
Y+1, expressed as a percentage of the number of
students enrolled in the final grade of the lower
level of education in Year Y who did not repeat
that grade in Year Y+1. (Compare with Transition
Rate, PR, SR, definition 1).
Notes: 1. Compared with the Transition Rate, this
indicator better reflects the real transition rate,
regardless of repetition, where students repeat the
last grade of the lower level but may eventually
make the transition to the higher level. However,
calculation is somewhat more demanding, so
figures reported to be Effective Transition Rates
may sometimes actually be simple Transition
Rates. 2. Since 2016, the UIS data sets contain
only Effective Transition Rate.
EFIS. Education Finance Information System. (See
also FMIS. Compare with EMIS, PBMIS).
EFL. English as a Foreign Language. (See also
EAL, EAP, ESL; TOEFL).
EfS. Education for Sustainability.
EGDP. 1. Ethnic Group Development Plan. (See
also EGP). 2. Ethnic Group Development Project.
EGMA. Early Grade Mathematics Assessment.
(Compare with EGRA).
EGP. Ethnic Group Plan. (See also EGDP).
EGPF. Ethnic Group Policy Framework. (PRF).
2017-07-27
EGRA. Early Grade Reading Assessment.
(Compare with EGMA).
EGSWG. Education and Gender Sector Working
Group. (MOES). (Usually referred to as ESWG).
EGWG. Education and Gender Working Group
(MOES). (Replaced by EGSWG).
EHEA. European Higher Education Area.
EHEF. European Higher Education Fair.
EIA. Environmental Impact Assessment.
EIC. [Formerly]. Education Inspection Committee.
(MOES). (See DOI).
EIDHR. European Instrument for Democracy and
Human Rights. (EU).
EIFL. Electronic Information for Libraries.
(Foundation; Netherlands).
EIGE. European Institute for Gender Equality.
(Vilnius, Lithuania; established 2007).
Eight Priorities. Core components of the 4th NSEDP
(4th Five Year Plan, 1996-2000):
1. Food production;
2. Goods production;
3. Discontinuation of slash and burn cultivation;
4. Rural development;
5. Infrastructure development;
6. Development of relationships and cooperation
with foreign partners;
7. Development of human resources; and
8. Development of services.
EIRR. Economic Internal Rate of Return.
EIU. Education for International Understanding.
EL. Education Law.
ELDS. Early Learning and Development Standards.
(UNICEF).
Elementary school. 1. [Rare current usage]
Incomplete primary school. 2. [History]. Primary
school. Under the RLG, primary schooling
comprised two cycles. The 1 st cycle, lower
elementary covered Grades 1-3. The 2 nd cycle,
upper elementary covered Grades 4-6. In some
texts the term primary is used to refer to the 1 st
cycle, and elementary is used to refer to the 2 nd
cycle. In some texts the term refers to Grades 1-6.
(See 3+3; Lower Primary; Upper Primary).
lve. [History]. French: Student.
ELI[C]. English Language Institute [of China].
c
Active in Laos since 1996.
ELICOS. English Language Intensive Course for
Overseas Students. (Australia).
R. & V. Noonan
23
ELO. Expanded Learning Opportunities.
ELP. English Language Proficiency. (See also
TELP).
ELPS. Early Learning in Primary School. (Sup-
ported by SC-UK and SCN).
ELRC. English Language Resource Center. (Under
DTE).
ELTT[P]. English Language Teacher Training
p
[Program].
EMBS. Ethnic Minority Boarding School.
EMDP. Ethnic Minority Development Plan. (See
EGDP).
EMECW. Erasmus Mundus External Cooperation
Window.
EMIS. Educational Management Information
System. (Compare with CMIS, FMIS, GIS, TMIS,
TEMIS, PBMIS, PMIS).
EMMP. Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring
Plan.
E-MTEF. Education sector MTEF. (See also
ESMTEF; MTEF).
ENAG. [History]. cole Nationale dAdministration
et de Gestion. French: National School of
Administration and Management. (See NSAM,
Historical Note).
Endline Assessment. Assessment at the completion
of an intervention. (Compare with Baseline
Assessment, Midline Assessment).
ENI. [History]. French: cole Normale dInstitut-
eurs. Teacher Training School for primary school
Cycle II (grades 4-6) teachers.
ENQA. European Association for Quality Assurance
in Higher Education.
Historical Note: Established in 2000 as European
Network for Quality Assurance in Higher
Education. In 2004 renamed European Associa-
tion for Quality Assurance in Higher Education,
but the acronym was retained.
ENS. [History]. French: cole Normale Suprieure.
Teacher Training College for secondary school
teachers. (See also ESP, definition 3).
ENV. [History]. French: cole Normale de
Vientiane. Teacher Training School in Vientiane.
EOI. Expression of Interest.
EOJ. Embassy of Japan.
EP. 1. Equivalency Program. (See also PEEP, PEP,
definition 2). 2. Endeavor Program. (Australian
scholarship program; see also AAS, ALA).
EPDF. Education Program Development Fund.
(WB, FTI).
2017-07-27
EPDFSC. Education Program Development Fund
Strategy Committee. (WB, FTI).
EPE. Education Publishing Enterprise. Also known
as Education[al] Printing Enterprise.
EPF. Education Promotion Foundation. (See FPE).
EPFL. cole Polytechnique Fdrale de Lausanne.
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne.
(Note: Provided technical support in Polytechnic
Institute Project, which lead to development of
NUOL).
EPR. Education Policy and Reform [Unit].
(UNESCO Bangkok).
EQA. External Quality Assurance. (For external
comparison, e. g, accreditation). (Compare with
IQA).
EQAC. [Formerly, but see Note to ESQAC)].
Education Quality Assurance Center. (MOES).
EQASP. Education Quality Assurance Strategic Plan
[for 2011 to 2020].
EQF. European Qualifications Framework.
EQIP. Education Quality Improvement Project.
(ADB, 1992-1998, also referred to as EQIP I).
EQIP II. Second Education Quality Improvement
Project. (External financing by ADB and Sida; see
also TTEST).
EQR. External Quality Review.
EQS. Education Quality Standard. (See also SOQ).
ER. Enrollment Rate. See NER, GER.
Erasmus Mundus. EU program to enhance quality
in higher education through scholarships and
academic cooperation between Europe and the rest
of the world. (See also ECTS, EHEA, EMECW).
Note 1: Named for the 16 th century noted Dutch
philosopher, Erasmus.
Note 2: Mundus. Latin: World.
ERI. Environment Research Institute.
ERIKS. Swedish: Erikshjlpen. [Literally Eriks
help]. ERIKS Development Partner.
ERI-Net. Education Research Institutes Network [in
the Asia-Pacific]. (UNESCO Bangkok).
ERM. [History]. French: cole Royale de Mdecine
du Laos. Lao Royal School of Medicine.
ERR. Economic rate of return. (Compare with FRR,
IRR).
ESAP. Education Sector Annual Plan.
ESAPB. Education Sector Annual Program Budget.
R. & V. Noonan
24
ESBS. Eastern Star Bilingual School. (Private,
Vientiane).
ESC. Education Statistics Center. (See ESITC).
ESCAP. [United Nations] Economic and Social
Commission for Asia and the Pacific. (UN).
ESCDF. Education Sector Capacity Development
Framework. See also CDF Note, ECDF.
ESD. Education for Sustainable Development.
ESDF. Education Sector Development Framework.
(2009-2015). (MOE, April 2009). (See also EDF,
definition 1; compare with ESDP).
Note: There are four quite different documents
commonly cited in the literature as ESDF, three
of which are consultant reports. The official MOE
version is dated April 2009. The final consultant
report is dated September 2009.
ESDF PP. ESDF Preparation [for Implementation]
Plan.
ESDP . 1. Education Sector Development Program.
1
(See SDP). 2. Education Sector Development Plan
(2011-2015). (MOES, September 2011; includes
7 th 5-year Education Development Plan, 2011-
2015). 3. Education and Sports Sector Develop-
ment Plan (2016-2020). (See ESDP2).
Historical Notes: 1. ESDP can also refer to MOE
(1995). Education Sector Development Plan,
1996-2000. (See also EDF, definition 1; ESDF).
2. Although ESDP (2011-2015) was published by
the newly re-organized MOES, the document was
prepared prior to the reorganization and makes no
reference to sports except on the cover.
ESDP 2. Education and Sports Development Plan
2
(2016-2020). (Published December 2015. Pre-
pared as input to the 10 th Party Congress and 8 th
NSEDP).
Note: Although ESDP2 is intended as an updating
of ESDP (2011-2015), definition 2, the meaning of
the abbreviation is changed to reflect the re-
organization of the Ministry with the addition of
the mandate for sports.
ESF. French: coles Sans Frontires. Schools
without Borders. (NGO, France).
ESFG. Education Sector Focal Group. (See ESWG
Focal Group; Focal Group).
ESIC. [Formerly]. Education and Sport Information
Center. (See ESIMC).
ESIMC. Education and Sport Information and Media
Center. (MOES, see Annex Figure 9).
2017-07-27
ESIT[C]. [Formerly]. Educational Statistics and
c
Information Technology [Center]. (MOES / DP.
See Annex Figure 9).
ESL. English as a Second Language. (See also
EFL).
ESM. Education Sector MTEF. (See also
ESMTEF).
ESMF. Environment and Social Management
Framework.
ESMP. Environmental and Social Management Plan.
(WB).
ESMTEF. Education Sector Medium Term
Expenditure Framework. (See also E-MTEF,
MTEF).
ESP. 1. Education Sector Plan. 2. English for
Specific Purposes. (E.g., specifically for ASEAN;
see LEAP, definition 1). 3. Education Sector
Planning [Program]. 4. [History]. French: cole
Suprieure de Pdagogie. Teacher Training
College for Secondary School Teachers. (See also
ENS, IPS).
ESQAC. Education Standards and Quality Assur-
ance Center. (MOES, see Annex Figure 9). (See
also CEQA; EQAC, QAC).
Note: The three abbreviations, CEQA, EQAC,
ESQAC, and QAC all refer to the same organiza-
tional unit. The abbreviation ESQAC is well-
established and is by far the most widely used. It
accurately represents the activities of the unit. The
formal Lao name, however, does not contain the
word for standards, so CEQA and EQAC are
more accurate as direct translations.
ESRC. Education and Sports Research Center.
(MOES / DP. See Annex Figure 9).
ESW. Economic and Sector Work (ADB).
ESWG. Education Sector Working Group. (Joint
GOL-development partners under MOES
leadership). (See also Focal Group; DWG,
IEDWG).
ETA. [Fulbright] English [Language] Teaching
Assistant.
tage 1. [History]. French: 1st stage of cole
primaire, Grades 1-3.
tage 2. [History]. French: 2 nd stage of cole
primaire, Grades 4-6.
ETC. 1. Education Technology Center. (Within
RIES). 2. English Tutoring Class.
ETF. European Training Foundation.
Ethnicity. Forty-nine ethno-linguistic groups are
listed in the 2005 census report (47 listed in the
R. & V. Noonan
25
1995 census report). These groups are classified
into four distinct ethno-linguistic families and their
respective subfamilies (linguists list some 150 or
more branches):
Tai-Kadai (sub-family Lao-Phutai);
Austro-Asiatic (sub-family Mon Khmer);
Hmong Iu-Mien (sub-family Hmong Iu-Mien);
and
Sino-Tibetan (subfamily Tibeto-Burman).
(See Annex Table 4 and Historical Note).
ETranR. Effective Transition Rate.
ETS. Educational Testing Service. (Private non-
profit testing organization, USA. See also TOEFL;
TOEIC. Compare with IELTS).
EU. 1. European Union. 2. See EUR.
Historical Note: The European Economic Com-
munity (EEC) was established in 1957, was
officially renamed the European Community (EC)
in 1993, and was replaced by the European Union
(EU) in 2009. EU has a development cooperation
agreement with Lao PDR since 1997.
EUR. Euro. (Also ).
EVI. Economic Vulnerability Index. (One of three
indices on which a countrys LDC status is
determined; see also GNI per Capita, HAI).
EWEC. East-West Economic Corridor.
EWG. Education Working Group.
Exma [Project]. Excellent Management [Project].
(To test learners knowledge via an online system).
F
FA / EFA. Framework for Action on Education for
All (EFA). (See also EFA NAP).
Fa Ngum High School. [History]. Under the RLG,
a seven-year comprehensive high school (4+3),
financed by USAID and modeled after the
American comprehensive high school. Referred to
in French as Collge Polyvalent de Fa-Ngum.
FA. Force Account.
Falang. Also Farang. Lao: . [Non-Asian]
Foreigner.
FAM. Finance and Administration Manual. (WB).
FAR. Faculty of Architecture. (NUOL). Also
FOAR.
FBO. Faith Based Organization.
FC. Field Coordinator.
FCD. [History]. Foreign Currency Department.
2017-07-27
FD. See DOF.
FDI. Foreign direct investment.
FE. Faculty of Engineering. (NUOL). (Also FEN).
FEA. Faculty of Engineering and Architecture.
(NUOL).
FEB. Faculty of Economics and Business
[Administration / Management]. (NUOL; also
FEBM, FEM).
FEBM. Faculty of Economics and Business
Management. (NUOL; also FEB, FEM)
FED. Faculty of Education. (More commonly FOE,
definition 1).
FELM. Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission.
FEM. Faculty of Economics and [Business]
Management. (NUOL; also FEB, FEBM).
FEN. Faculty of Engineering. (NUOL). (Also FE).
FES. Faculty of Environmental Sciences. (NUOL).
FEU. Far Eastern University. (Manila).
FFE. Food for Education. (Program financed by
USDA; see LEAPS).
FG. 1. [ESWG] Focal Group. (See Focal Group).
2. Focus Group.
FGD. 1. Focal Group Discussion. 2. Focus Group
Discussion.
FGM. Focus Group Meeting.
FHI 360. (NGO, USA; formed in 2011 through
merger of FHI and AED).
FHI. [Formerly]. Family Health International.
(NGO, USA. See FHI 360).
FI. Friends-International. (INGO).
FIAS. [History]. French: The Fdration Indo-
chinoise des Associations du Scoutisme (FIAS)
(Indochinese Federation of Scouting Associations.
See Scouts, Historical Note).
FIDA. Finnish Development Cooperation Organiza-
tion. (NGO, Finland; not to be confused with
FINNIDA).
FIMC. Foreign Investment Management Committee.
FINNIDA. [Finnish] Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Development Cooperation. (Not to be confused
with FIDA).
FIT. Fit for School [Program]. External support by
GIZ.
Five Domains of Education. (Lao: 5 Lakmoun).
The Five Domains of Education presented in
Principles and General Education Development
R. & V. Noonan
26
Plan in the Lao PDR, published by MOES in
1991, repeated in Education Strategic Planning,
August 2001, and still widely referenced currently
(e.g., ESDP, definition 2):
1. Moral education [or Behavior];
2. Intellectual education [or Intelligence];
3. Aesthetic [or Artistic] education;
4. Physical education; and
5. Labor education.
Note 1: Sometimes translated as the Five
Aspects, Five Dimensions, Five Pillars, Five
Principles, or Five Spheres. The term Five
Principles is not appropriate because a principle is
usually a statement of a rule or law and requires a
subject and predicate. The term Domains might
be preferred because of the parallel with Blooms
Taxonomy.
Note 2: Not to be confused with the Three Pillars
of Education Sector Development, the Four Pillars
of Education, or the Six Principles of Education.
Note 3: Often cited in connection with the Three
Characteristics of Education.
Note 4: Today the concept labor education is
usually interpreted broadly as education about the
world of work, the labor market, skill develop-
ment, production, entrepreneurship, or work ethics.
It is sometimes translated as Vocational
Education.
Five Pointed Star. (Also 5-Pointed Star). Teaching
method concept introduced in 1994 under EQIP I
by TDC, targeting primary and lower secondary
education, introduced in the Primary School
Curriculum in 1998. The five points of the star are
still currently referenced, usually with current
terminology:
1. Activity-based learning;
2. Teacher questioning;
3. Using teaching aids effectively;
4. Group learning and group discussion; and
5. Application to daily life.
Five Principles of Education. See Five Domains of
Education. (See especially Note 1).
Five Priority Programs. Priority programs for
national development by 2000 adopted by the 4th
Party Congress in 1986:
1. Food;
2. Environment;
3. Production for export;
4. Transport and communication; and
5. Education reforms.
2017-07-27
Five-Year Plan. Key political level economic and
social plan document, covering 5-year periods.
Formally NSEDP.
FLA. Faculty of Law and [Public] Administration.
(NUOL).
FLE. Faculty of Letters (NUOL). (Also FOL).
FLP. Faculty of Law and Political Science.
(NUOL).
FLS. 1. Flexible Learning Strategies. 2. Faculty of
Library Science (NUOL).
FM. 1. Financial Manager. 2. Financial manage-
ment.
FMA. Financial Management Assessment. (WB).
FMAC. Financial Management Adjustment Credit.
(WB).
FMCBC. Financial Management Capacity Building
Credit. (WB).
FMCBP. Financial Management Capacity Building
Project. (WB).
FMIS. Financial Management Information System.
(Compare with CMIS, EFIS, EMIS, PBMIS,
PMIS).
FMM. Financial Management Manual.
FMR. Financial Monitoring Report. (WB).
FMS. [Formerly]. Faculty of Medical Sciences
(NUOL).
FNS. Faculty of Natural Sciences (NUOL). (Also
FOS. Compare with FSS).
FOA. 1. Faculty of Agriculture (NUOL). Also
FOAG. 2. Faculty of Architecture (NUOL). Also
FOAR.
FOAG. Faculty of Agriculture (NUOL). Also FOA.
FOAR. Faculty of Architecture (NUOL). Also FAR.
Focal Group. ESWG Focal Group. (Also Thematic
Focal Group, Sub-SWG).
Note: These Focal Groups change from time to
time. FGs as of January 2014:
FG1: Basic Education;
FG2: Post-basic Education;
FG3: Education Management, Administration
and Performance Assessment; and
FG4: Education Research and Analysis.
FOE. 1. Faculty of Education. (See Annex Table
2). 2. Faculty of Engineering. (NUOL, but see
also FEN).
FOF. Faculty of Forestry [Science] (NUOL).
R. & V. Noonan
27
FOL. Faculty of Letters (NUOL). (Also FLE).
FOS. Faculty of [Natural] Sciences (NUOL). (Also
FNS; compare with FSS).
FOT. Field of Training.
Foundation [Course / Program / Year]. Instruction
intended to make up for formal or informal
deficiencies in requirements for an education or
training course or program, such as a program
intended for primary school graduates to enter a
teacher training program intended for lower
secondary school graduates.
Historical Note: Prior to the extension of the
school system from 11 to 12 years in SY 2009/10
(see Annex Figure 2), entering university students
would typically begin with a one- or two-year
Foundation Program (ISCED 4) before entering a
degree program. With the lengthening of the
school system, the Foundation Program was
dropped.
Four Breakthroughs. Lao: Boukthalu. For educa-
tion, a goal expressed by the 8 th Party Congress:
Create breakthrough changes in education and
training in terms of quality and quantity. More
broadly, slogan embodying goals introduced at the
9 th Party Congress and presented in the 7 th NSEDP.
(See also Three Builds).
1. Breakthrough in thinking, to release and renew
the unchanged, conservative mind, old stereo-
types, recklessness, unfairness, dogmatism,
and complacency;
2. Breakthrough in human resource development
in all areas, especially in development and
building capacity of civil servants in various
areas, according to the real situation;
3. Breakthrough in solving challenges in the
governance and management systems that are
hindering commercial production and service
delivery; and
4. Breakthrough in poverty eradication by
seeking the source of funds and special
promotion policy, and creating social and
economic infrastructure by setting priority on
holistic development.
Note: These are referred to in the 7 th NSEDP as
the Four Dynamic Objectives. In this
connection Boukthalu has sometimes been
translated in the media simply as dynamic, as in
The Four Dynamics. Although that is not an
accurate translation of the word boukthalu, it
does express the spirit of the 9th Party Congress
and the 7 th NSEDP: The plan is intended to be
flexible and dynamic, based on the actual situation
at the time, to ensure achievement of the planned
objectives.
2017-07-27
Four Pillars of Education. (In reference to the
report of the International Commission on
Education for the 21 st Century, Learning: The
Treasure Within, published by UNESCO in 1996,
known as the Delors Report):
1. Learning to know;
2. Learning to do;
3. Learning to live together; and
4. Learning to be.
Note: Not to be confused with the Three Pillars of
Education Sector Development in Laos.
Four Pillars of Poverty Eradication Strategy. Also
Four Sectors of Poverty Eradication Strategy.
1. Agriculture and forestry;
2. Education;
3. Health; and
4. Infrastructure, especially rural roads.
(See NGPES).
FPE. Foundation for Promoting Education [in Lao
PDR]. (Also known as Education Promotion of
Foundation).
FPIC. Free Prior Informed Consultation.
FPT University. Private university in Da Nang,
Vietnam. (Founded 2006, specializing in software
development).
Francophonie. [Formally]. French: Organisation
internationale de la Francophonie. International
Organization of the French-speaking World. (See
OIF).
French Colonial Period. Historical Note:
1893 Luang Prabang becomes French Protector-
ate; Vientiane and Champasak become
French colonies.
1895 (June) Sino-French treaty is signed, ceding
provinces Phongsaly and Muang Sing to the
French protectorate of Laos.
1899 Vientiane and Champasak are ruled from
Luang Prabang as part of the French
Protectorate.
1945 (April) King Sisavangvong, under pressure
from the Japanese coup de force, reluctantly
declares the French Protectorate null and
void.
1945 (September) Following the Japanese sur-
render, Vice-Regent and Prime Minister
Prince Phetsarath re-affirms Lao inde-
pendence from France (for which he is
dismissed by the King).
1949 (July) Laos becomes an Associated State
within the French Union, although with
limited autonomy. (Continued)
R. & V. Noonan
28
1953 (October) Franco-Lao Treaty of Amity &
Association recognizes the Kingdom of Laos
as a fully independent and sovereign state
and transfers French powers (except
military) to RLG; Laos remains in the
French Union.
1954 (July) Final Declaration of the Geneva
Conference acknowledges full independence
and sovereignty of the Royal Kingdom of
Laos. French Military Mission remains in
place until December 1975 to train the Royal
Lao Army.
1957 (August) Revised Constitution of Laos omits
reference to the French Union.
1958 French Union is replaced by French Com-
munity, and Laos terminates its membership.
FRESH. Focusing Resources on Effective School
Health. (Initiative by UNESCO, WHO, UNICEF,
WFP, WB, and others as part of the EFA Dakar
agenda in 2000).
FRM. Feedback and Resolution Mechanism.
FRR. Financial rate of return. (Compare with ERR,
IRR).
FRS. Financial Reporting System.
FS. Functional Skills.
FSS. Faculty of Social Sciences. (NUOL).
(Compare with FNS).
FT. Fixed Tranche. (EC budget support). (Compare
with VT).
FTA. Free trade area.
FTI. [Formerly] [EFA] Fast Track Initiative.
(Launched 2002; sponsored by WB; renamed GPE
in September 2011, later referred to as the
Initiative).
FTI-CF. [Formerly] Fast Track Initiative Catalytic
Fund. (See FTI, CF, definition 2).
FTP. Full Technical Proposal.
FTU. [Lao] Federation of Trade Unions. (Also
LFTU, LTUF).
FWR. Faculty of Water Resources (NUOL).
FY. Fiscal Year (in Laos beginning October 1 and
ending September 30). (Compare with AY, CY,
SY).
FYP. Five Year Plan. (Formally National Socio-
Economic Development Plan, NSEDP).
2017-07-27
 G GEFI. [UN Secretary-Generals] Global Education
G&M. Governance and Management.
G1-G5. Grade [in primary school]. (Also P1-P5).
(Compare with M1-M4, M5-M7).
GAA. German Agro Action. (See DWHH).
GAD. Gender and Development.
GAP. 1. Gender Action Plan. 2. Global Action
Program [on ESD]. (Adopted at the World
Conference on Education for Sustainable Develop-
ment, Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, November, 2014).
GADRRRES. Global Alliance for Disaster Risk
Reduction & Resilience in the Education Sector.
GAPE. Global Association for People and the
Environment. (NGO).
GAR. Gross Admission Rate. (Note: UIS does not
define this term. When this term is written, Gross
Intake Ratio (GIR) is probably meant.)
GATS. General Agreement on Trade in Services.
GBEP. Girls Basic Education Project. (See BEGP).
GBS. General Budget Support. (Compare with SBS;
see also PRSO).
GBV. Gender Based Violence. (See also SRGBV).
GCAC. Give Children a Choice. (NGO, USA).
GCDES. Governments Capacity Development in
the Education Sector. (External financing by EC).
GCE[d]. 1. Global Citizenship Education. 2. Global
Campaign for Education [beyond 2015].
(UNESCO initiative).
GCT. 1. Graduate Certificate of Teaching.
2. Guidelines for Certification of Teachers.
GDA. Gender and Development Association. (Lao
NPA, definition 2). (Formerly GDG; WID).
GDG. Gender and Development Group [of like-
minded NGOs]. (Formerly WID, re-constituted as
GDA, Lao NPA, definition 2).
GDP p. c. Gross Domestic Product per capita.
[GDP/Population]
GDP. Gross Domestic Product.
GDP/c. Gross Domestic Product per capita
[GDP/Population].
GE. General education. (Compare with TVET).
GED. Global Education Dialogues. (Facilitated
dialogues between governments, universities, and
industry; sponsored by British Council).
GEEU. [Formerly]. Gender and Ethnic Education
Unit. (See IEC).
R. & V. Noonan
29
First Initiative. (Launched 2012 to accelerate
progress towards EFA goals and MDGs).
GEGAP. Gender and Ethnic Groups Action Plan.
GEGDP. Gender and Ethnic Groups Development
Plan.
GEI. Gender Equality Index. (Compare with Gender
Parity Index, GPI).
GEIC. General Education Inspection Committee
(MOES). Also GICE, IC.
GEM. 1. Global EFA Meeting. 2. Global Education
Monitoring [Report]. (UNESCO, formerly GMR).
Note: UNESCO publishes the annual GEM. The
World Bank and the IMF publish an annual MDG
Global Monitoring Report.
GEMEU. [Formerly]. Gender and Ethnic Minority
Education Unit. (Under the DGE). (See IEC;
CEWED, Historical Note).
Historical Note: Created in 1996 by the MOE to
oversee BEGP.
GEMS. Gender and Ethnic Minority Strategy.
GEMU. [Formerly]. Gender and Ethnic Minority
Education Unit. Also GEMEU. (Under the DGE).
(See IEC; CEWED, Historical Note).
Gender Equality Index. (GEI). An index with a
range 0-1 used in calculating the EDI, equal to
either the GPI or 1/GPI.
Note 1: UIS does not explicitly define this statistic,
although it is used in some EFA documents, where
it is well-defined in terms of the GPI, which UIS
does define.
Note 2: The GPI exceeds unity when, for a given
statistic, the value for females is greater than the
value for males, e.g. GERfemale/GERmale > 1. In
such cases, since all indicators making up the EDI
must range from 0 to 1, the GEI is calculated as the
inverse of the GPI. Gender equality is indicated
when GEI = 1.0.
Note 3: Not to be confused with the indicator of
the same name used by EIGE, which is a much
more comprehensive and complex compound.
Gender Gap. Generic term referring to gender
disparity. In the education sector it usually refers
to the female/male ratio of some common statistic,
such as NERf/NERm or (Literacy Rate)f/(Literacy
Rate)m. A Gender Gap is indicated when the ratio
is less than 1. It is not defined by UIS. (Compare
with Reverse Gender Gap).
Gender Inequality Index. Index of gender disparity
based on reproductive health, empowerment, and
labor market participation; introduced by UNDP.
(Compare with Gender Parity Index).
2017-07-27
Gender Parity Index. (GPI). UIS Definition: Ratio
of female to male values of a given indicator (ratio
of females/males for a given statistic, e.g.,
GERfemale/GERmale). (Compare with Gender
Ratio).
Note: The valid range of the GPI is from 0 (in the
complete absence of females) to (in the
complete absence of males). Gender Parity is
indicated when GPI = 1.0. (See also Gender
Equality Index; Gender Ratio, Note 2).
Gender Ratio. (GR). (Also referred to as Sex Ratio,
especially by demographers).
Note 1: UIS does not explicitly define this statistic,
although it is widely used in UNESCO documents,
where it refers to the ratio of the absolute number
of females to the absolute number of males for a
given indicator. E.g. the ratio of the number of
females enrolled to the number of males enrolled,
or equivalently, the ratio of the proportion of
enrollees who are female to the proportion of
enrollees who are male, i.e., %Female/%Male, or
f/m.
Note 2: If GR known, the relative proportions f
and m are easily calculated: f=GR/(1+GR), and
m=1/(1+GR).
Note 3: By long-standing tradition, demographers
define the Sex Ratio as the ratio of males/females,
whereas educators generally use the inverse.
(Compare with Gender Parity Index).
Note 4: The valid range of the GR is from 0 (in the
complete absence of females) to (in the com-
plete absence of males). Gender Parity is
indicated when GR = 1.0. Sometimes GR is
expressed as %, in which case Gender Parity is
indicated when GR = 100.
GENIA. Gender in Education Network in
Asia[-Pacific].
GEQua-BasEd. Governance, Equity, Quality,
Access Basic Education. (EU program).
GER. Gross Enrollment Ratio. (Compare with
NER).
GES. General education schools.
GFDRR. Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and
Recovery. (World Bank).
GFIS. Government Financial Management
Information System.
GFP. Gender Focal Point.
GGP. Grant-in-Aid Scheme for Grassroots Human
Security Projects. (Government of Japan).
GGR. Gross Graduation Ratio. See also GPGR.
R. & V. Noonan
30
GICE. General Inspection Committee for Education.
Also GEIC, IC.
GID. Gender Inclusion and Disability.
GII. Gender Inequality Index. (Compare with GPI).
Gini Index. (Also Gini Coefficient). A statistical
measure commonly used to represent national
distribution of income or wealth. The valid range
is from 0 (perfect equality, e.g., everyone has the
same income) to 1 (maximum inequality, e.g., one
person has all the income, and all others have
none).
Note: Named after Corrado Gini, 1912.
GIR. 1. Gross Intake Ratio. (Compare with NIR).
2. Governance and Institutional Reform.
GIRLG. Gross Intake Ratio in the Last Grade of
Primary. (Sometimes called Primary Completion
Rate, PCR, but that term is misleading because
GIRLG is a measure of intake, not completion.
See also Gross Graduation Ratio).
GIS. Geographic Information System. (Compare
with CMIS, EMIS, FMIS, PMIS).
GIZ. German: [Deutsche] Gesellschaft fr Inter-
nationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH. German
Agency for International Cooperation.
(Established 2011-01-01 through merger of DED,
GTZ, and InWEnt.). (See also DFG).
GKS. Global Korea Scholarship.
GLAD. German-Lao Association for Development.
Global [Partnership] Monitoring Framework.
Tracks progress on the commitments and actions
agreed at the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid
Effectiveness in Busan, Korea, 2011.
Glo-local [approach to curriculum development].
Global, national and local needs, responsibilities,
and roles considered in a balanced way.
GMR. [Formerly] [EFA / MDG] Global Monitoring
Report. (See GEM).
GMS. Greater Mekong Sub-region. (Compare with
Mekong Sub-region).
GMSARN. Greater Mekong Sub-region Academic
and Research Network.
GNI per Capita. Gross National Income per person
in the population.
GNI. 1. Gross National Income. 2. Good Neighbors
International. (NGO, Republic of Korea).
GNI/c. See GNI per Capita.
GNL. Good Neighbors Laos. (NGO, Republic of
Korea; see GNI, definition 2).
2017-07-27
GNP. Gross National Product.
GO. Government Organization. (Compare with
INGO, NGO, NPO).
GOA. Government of Australia.
GOJ. Government of Japan.
GOL. Government of Lao Peoples Democratic
Republic.
GOLPET. Government of Laos Professional English
Language Training [program]. (See LAI).
Good Hands Laos. Korean Buddhist NGO.
GPA. Grade Point Average. (See also CGPA).
GPAR. Governance and Public Administration
Reform.
GPE. Global Partnership for Education. (Formerly
EFA-FTI, renamed September 2011; see also FTI).
GPEDC. Global Partnership for Effective Develop-
ment Cooperation.
GPEF. GPE Fund.
GPGR. Gross Primary Graduation Ratio.
GPI. 1. Gender Parity Index. 2. Good People
International. (NGO, Republic of Korea).
GPL. Great Peace in Lao PDR. (NGO, Republic of
Korea).
GPN. General Procurement Notice. (WB).
GR. Gender Ratio.
Grade 0. Also Grade Zero. Special Pre-school
classes attached to a primary school to prepare 5-
year-old children to enter Grade 1, particularly
targeting non-Lao ethnic groups, girls, and
children from the poorest families who have not
attended Kindergarten. (See Annex Figure 1 and
Figure 5. Compare with ECCD. Contrast with
Pre-Primary and Pre-school).
Grade 1-12. Grades 1-5: Primary. Grades 6-9:
Lower Secondary; Grades 10-12: Upper
Secondary.
Note: Grades 6-9 are often referred to as
Secondary Grades 1-4, and Grades 10-12 are
often referred to as Secondary Grades 5-7. See
Matanyom, Annex Figure 1, Note 3).
Graduate Diploma. Qualification between
Bachelors Degree and Masters Degree. (Lao:
San Sung. Compare with Undergraduate
Diploma).
GRALE. Global Report on Adult Learning and
Education. (UNESCO).
R. & V. Noonan
31
Greater Mekong Sub-region. Cambodia, China
(Yunnan Province), Laos, Myanmar, Thailand,
Vietnam. (Compare with Mekong Sub-region).
GREF. French: Groupement des Retraits
ducateurs sans Frontires. Group of Retired
Educators without Borders. Author trans. (NGO,
France).
GRID. Gender Resource Information and
Development [Center]. (Supported by UNDP;
NORAD; SNV).
Grit. A combination of passion and perseverance.
Gross Enrollment Ratio. (GER). UIS Definition:
Total enrollment in a specific level of education,
regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of the
eligible official school-age population correspond-
ing to the same level of education in a given
school-year. (Compare with Net Enrollment Rate,
Age-Specific Enrollment Rate).
Note: The Gross Enrollment Ratio is equal to Net
Enrollment Rate + Overage Enrollment Ratio +
Underage Enrollment Ratio.
Gross Entry Ratio. (Note: UIS does not define this
term. When this term is written, reference is
probably made to Gross Intake Ratio).
Gross Graduation Ratio. UIS Definition: Number
of graduates, regardless of age, in a given level or
program, expressed as a percentage of the
population at the theoretical graduation age for that
level or program. (Compare with Gross Primary
Graduation Ratio).
Gross Intake Ratio (GIR) [to Grade 1 of a given
level of education]. UIS Definition: Total number
of new entrants in Grade 1 of a given level,
regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of the
population at the official entrance age for that
level. (Compare with NIR; see also Gross Entry
Ratio).
Gross Intake Ratio in the Last Grade of Primary
(GIRLG). UIS Definition: Total number of new
entrants in the last grade of primary education,
regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of the
population at the theoretical entrance age to the
last grade of primary.
Gross Primary Graduation Ratio. UIS Definition:
Total number of graduates from the last grade of
primary education, regardless of age, expressed as
a percentage of the population at the theoretical
graduation age for primary.
Groupe Scolaire. [History]. French: In some
communities, a network or cluster of typically 3 - 5
incomplete primary schools, which provide mutual
pedagogical support and collectively provide
complete primary schooling. This historical term
2017-07-27
 is still in use in some areas. (See Complete school;
Incomplete school; School cluster; School
network; Muad; Lower primary; upper primary).
GSE. General secondary education. (Compare with
TVET).
GTM. Grammar Translation Method. (Approach to
second language teaching; compare with CLE,
CLT, TPR, definition 1).
GTPS. Graduate teacher placement scheme.
GTZ. [Formerly]. German: [Deutsche] Gesellschaft
fr Technische Zusammenarbeit. German Agency
for Technical Cooperation. (See GIZ. See also
DFG).
H NIPV and the Viengsay Normal School following
H&N. Health and Nutrition.
H.E. His/Her Excellency. (Presentation title for high
ranking official).
HACT. Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers.
Haeng Xad teacher. Lao: . National
Teacher. (Honorific title for teacher selected at
national level). Compare with Paxaxon Teacher.
HAI. Human Assets Index. (One of three indices on
which a countrys LDC status is determined; see
also GNI per Capita, EVI).
HD. Higher Diploma. (Compare with D, HD.TVE,
HDC).
HD.TVE. Higher Diploma in TVE.
HDC. Higher Diploma Continuous. (Compare with
HD).
HDI. 1. Human Development Index. 2. Humpty
Dumpty Institute.
HE. Higher education.
HEC. Higher Education Commission.
HEI. Higher education institution. (Compare with
TEI).
Helvetas [Swiss Intercooperation]. Swiss
Association for International Cooperation.
HEMIS. Higher Education Management Information
System. (Compare with EMIS, TEMIS).
HEMP. Higher Education Master Plan.
HEQS. Higher Education Quality Standards.
HES. Higher education subsector.
HFA. Hyogo Framework for Action [for Disaster
Risk Reduction] (2013-2015).
R. & V. Noonan
HI. 1. Handicap International. (INGO,
Belgium/France). 2. Hearing impairment.
HIB. Handicap International Belgium. (NGO,
Belgium).
Hid sipsong. Lao: . Twelve [monthly]
Buddhist Festivals [of the annual ritual cycle].
HIF. Handicap International France. (NGO,
France).
HIPC. Heavily Indebted Poor Country. (IMF and
WB).
HIPV. [History]. Higher Institute of Pedagogy in
Vientiane. (See PUV)
Note: The HIPV was created through the merger of
the establishment of the Lao PDR in 1975. It had
branch campuses in Luang Prabang and
Savannakhet.
HIV. Human immunodeficiency virus. (See also
AIDS).
HJA. Huam Jai Asasamak. Lao:
. [Join Hearts Volunteers]. Lao Volunteer
Service.
HLE. Home literacy environment.
HLF4. 4th High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness.
(Busan, Republic of Korea, 2011).
HLRTM. High Level Round Table Meeting.
(Compare with RTM).
HO. 1. Head Office. 2. Host Organization.
Honorific Title. (Of teachers). Title officially
awarded on the basis of merit in teaching and
associated with salary supplements:
Lao term English term .
Haeng Xad National Teacher
Paxaxon Peoples Teacher .
(Compare with Rank).
Note: These categories are defined in the
Education Law of 2007/08.
HOTS. Higher Order Thinking Skills:
Creativity;
Critical thinking;
Logical reasoning;
Problem solving;
Decision-making.
Note: SEAMEO INNOTECH. Competency
Framework for Southeast Asian Teachers of the
21st Century.
HOU. Huaphanh Province. (Also HPH).
2017-07-27
32
HPAE. High-performing Asian economies.
HPH. Huaphanh Province. (Also HOU).
HPI. [History]. Higher Pedagogical Institute. (See
also ESP, definition 3).
HPS. Health Promotion in Primary Schools.
HR. 1. Human resources. 2. Human Rights.
HRBA[P]. Human Rights Based Approach [to
p
programming]. (Compare with DDA, RBA).
HRD. Human resource development.
HRDME. Also HRD-ME. Human Resource
Development for a Market Economy. (Lao-
German development cooperation program).
HRDNC. Human Resource Development National
Commission. (Compare with [HRD] NTC,
definition 3).
HRDU. Human Resources Development Unit.
HRE. Human Rights Education.
HRM. Human resource management.
HRMIS. Human Resources Management
Information System. (Compare with PMIS).
HSK. Hny Shupng Kosh. Chinese:
. Official Chinese proficiency test for standard
Chinese for non-native speakers, e.g., for studies in
China.
HTCEE. [History]. Higher Technical College of
Electronics and Electro-technics (MOE; merged
into NUOL in 1995).
HTS. Higher Technical School.
HTVED. 1. Higher, technical, and vocational
education. 2. [Formerly]. See DVTHE.
Human Assets Index (HAI). Also Human Asset
Index. A measure of the level of human capital of
a country.
Note 1: The Human Assets Index, the GNI per
capita, and the Economic Vulnerability Index are
used by the UN as the criteria for classification of
a country as a Least Developed Country (LDC).
Note 2: The Human Assets Index is calculated as a
composite of four equally weighted indicators:
Percentage of population undernourished;
Mortality rate for children aged five years or
under;
Gross secondary school enrollment; and
Adult literacy rate.
Human Development Index (HDI). (UNDP). A
statistical composite of: (Continued)
R. & V. Noonan
Income Index;
Life Expectancy Index; and
Education Index [= (Mean Years of Schooling
Index + Expected Years of Schooling Index)/2].
Humpty Dumpty Institute. (NGO, USA). Working
in Laos since 2006 with school feeding, water and
sanitation, teacher training, UXO.
Hybrid Courses. Courses based on a combination of
face to face traditional training sequences, and
monitoring of online courses. (Also blended
learning, technology-mediated instruction,
web-enhanced instruction, mixed-mode
instruction, and others).
Hyogo. Reference to the World Conference on
Disaster Reduction in Kobe (Hyogo Prefecture),
Japan, in January 2005.
I
I/A. Imprest Account.
IAAPS. International Association for Asia Pacific
Studies.
IACD. Institute of Asian Culture and Development.
IAD. Institute for Administration Development.
(See IEAD).
IAG. Information, Advice, and Guidance. (In-school
career counselling).
IAI. 1. Internet-Assisted Instruction. (Compare with
CAI; RAI; TAI). 2. Initiative for ASEAN
Integration.
IAPSO. Inter-Agency Procurement Service Office.
(UNDP).
IARS. Imprest Account Reconciliation Statement.
IATI. International Aid Transparency Initiative.
IAU. International Association of Universities.
(UNESCO-based worldwide association of higher
education institutions).
IAV. Institute of Agriculture, Veunkham. (Merged
into NUOL in 1995).
IB. 1. International Baccalaureate. (International
foundation offering educational programs
awarding internationally recognized certificates
and diplomas; Geneva). 2. [History]. French:
Institut Bouddhique.
IBE. International Bureau of Education. (Geneva).
IBSP. Intergovernmental Programs in Basic
Sciences. (UNESCO).
2017-07-27
33
IC. 1. Inspection Committee (MOES). (See also
GICE). 2. Inclusive Community. (Compare with
IE, IEM).
ICA. [History]. [United States] International
Cooperation Agency. (Predecessor to USAID).
ICAE. International Council for Adult Education.
ICB. International Competitive Bidding. (Compare
with DP, IS, LCB, NCB).
ICCPR. International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights.
ICE. International Conference on Education.
(Generic abbreviation for international conferences
on education).
ICERD. International Convention on the Elimination
of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
ICESCR. International Covenant on Economic,
Social, and Cultural Rights.
ICO. International charitable organization.
ICF. International Classification of Functioning,
Disability and Health.
ICR. 1. Institute for Cultural Research. (Ministry of
Information, Culture, and Tourism; see also ILR).
2. Implementation Completion [and Results]
Report. (WB, previously PCR).
ICS. 1. Dutch: Internationaal Christelijk Steunfonds
[International Christian Support Fund] (NGO,
Netherlands). 2. International Child Support
(NGO, Netherlands). 3. Individual Consultant
Selection. (ADB, WB).
ICSEI. International Congress for School
Effectiveness and Improvement.
ICT. 1. Information and Communications
Technology. 2. In-Country Training.
ICT4D. ICT for Development.
ICT4E. ICT for Education. (See also ICT4LE).
ICT4IE. ICT for Illiteracy Eradication.
ICT4LE. ICT for Lao Education.
ICTC. 1. International Cooperation and Training
Center (Vientiane). 2. Information Communica-
tion and Technology Center. (MOES, See Annex
Figure 9).
ICT-CFT. [UNESCO] ICT Competency Framework
for Teachers.
ID. Implementing Department.
IDA. International Development Association. (Con-
cessional financing or soft-loan arm of the
World Bank Group).
R. & V. Noonan
34
IDCB. Institutional Development and Capacity
Building.
IDCJ. International Development Center of Japan.
IDD. Iodine Deficiency Disorder.
IDF. 1. Institutional Development Fund (WB).
2. International Development Fund.
IDP. International Development Partner.
IDU. Intellectual Disability Unit.
IDWG. (See IEDWG).
IE. Inclusive education.
Historical Note: Also called Integrated Education.
IE School. Inclusive Education School.
IEA. International Association for the Evaluation of
Educational Achievement. (Compare with PISA).
IEAD. Institute for Educational Administration
Development. (See IEMD. See Annex Figure 9).
IEAWN. Inclusive Education and Advancement of
Women Network.
IEC. 1. Inclusive Education Center. (MOES /
DPPE. See Annex Figure 9). 2. Information,
Education, Communication.
Historical Note: Established 2011 based on Decree
No. 509/PM, December 2010. See CEWED,
Historical Note.
IECD. Integrated Early Childhood Development
(UNICEF). (See also ECCD; ECCE; ECED; Pre-
school).
IEDWG. 1. Informal Education Development
[Partner] Working Group. (Informal group for
coordination and consultation related to ESWG
meetings). 2. [Formerly]. Informal Education
Donor Working Group.
IEE. Initial Environmental Examination. (ADB).
IELTS. International English Language Testing
System. (British. Compare with ETS).
IEM. Inclusive Education Management.
IEMD. Institute for Educational Management
Development. (MOES, see Annex Figure 9, Km 8,
Thadeua Road; also known as IEAD).
IENSC. Inclusive Education National Steering
Committee. (MOES).
IEP. 1. [History]. Integrated Education Project /
[renamed] Inclusive Education Project. (An IE
project, 1993-2009). 2. Inclusive Education
Policy. 3. Individual Education Plan.
IFA. 1. Integrated Fiduciary Assessment. 2. Institute
of Foreign Affairs.
IFB. Invitation for Bids.
2017-07-27
IFEAD. Institute for Educational Administration
Development. Also IEAD. (See IEMD).
IFI. International Financial Institution.
IFMT. French: Institut de la Francophonie pour la
Mdecine Tropicale. Francophone Institute for
Tropical Medicine. Author trans.
IFO. International Financial Organization.
IFR. Interim Financial Report.
IGA. Income generating activity.
IGCSE. International General Certificate of
Secondary Education.
IGO. Intergovernmental Organization.
IGP. Income generating project.
II. International institution.
IIEP. [UNESCO] International Institute for
Educational Planning. (In Paris).
IITE. [UNESCO] Institute for Information
Technology in Education. (In Moscow).
IK. Indigenous Knowledge.
IKS. Indigenous Knowledge System.
ILE. International Learning Exchange. (UNICEF;
See WASH, WinS).
iLEAD. Initiative for Livelihoods Education and
Development. (AEA, with external financing by
EU).
ILFE. Inclusive and Learning-Friendly Environ-
ment.
ILO. International Labor Organization.
Historical Note: Laos became a member state in
1965, but active participation began in the late
1980s.
ILR. Institute for Linguistic Research. (Ministry of
Information, Culture, and Tourism; formerly a
department within ICR, definition 1).
IM. Instructional materials.
IMC. Information and Media Center. (MOES, See
Annex Figure 9).
IMCI. Integrated Management of Childhood Illness.
IMDU. Instructional Materials Development Unit.
(In TEADC).
IMF. International Monetary Fund.
IMR. Infant Mortality Rate. Defined by the United
Nations Population Division as the number of
deaths of children less than one year of age per
1000 live births.
IMSO. International Mathematics and Science
Olympiad.
R. & V. Noonan
35
IMU. Instructional Materials Unit. (MOES/DOF).
Incheon Declaration. Outcome of the WEF in
Incheon, Republic of Korea, Education 2030:
Towards inclusive and equitable quality education
and lifelong learning for all. (See Jomtien, Dakar
Framework for Action, Muscat Agreement,
SDG4).
Inclusive Education School. Mainstream school
with facilities and human and physical resources to
provide teaching and learning strategies responsive
to the needs of all learners.
Incomplete school. 1. Primary school offering
instruction in fewer than 5 grades, often due to an
insufficient number of teachers to provide
instruction in all five grades. 2. Secondary school
containing only one level, usually referring to
lower secondary level only. (Compare with
Complete school, Multi-grade school, Shifting
classes. See also School cluster, Village school).
(See Annex Figure 3).
Independence Day. See French Colonial Period.
(Sometimes National Day is referred to as
Independence Day).
Indochina Wars. The 1 st Indochina War refers to
the anti-colonial struggle after World War II. The
2nd Indochina War refers to what in the West is
called the Vietnam War and in Vietnam is called
the American War, which included the Secret
War in Laos.
INEE. International Network for Education in
Emergencies.
INGO. Also iNGO. International NGO.
Initiative, the. See FTI.
INNOTECH. [SEAMEO] Regional Center for
Educational Innovation and Technology. (Manila).
INP. French: Institut National Polytechnique.
National Polytechnic Institute. (See also NPI).
INQAAHE. International Network for Quality
Assurance Agencies in Higher Education.
INSET. In-service education and training. (See also
PRESET and UPSET).
Institut Bouddhique. French: Buddhist Institute.
Historical Note: Founded 1931 in Vientiane and
1933 in Luang Prabang; also known as Institute of
Buddhist Studies. (Compare with Institut Indigne
dtudes Bouddhiques). In 1996 the Institute in
Vientiane was renamed the Sangha College. (See
also Sangha College, Champasak, and Sangha
College, Vientiane).
Institut de Droit et dAdministration. [History].
French: Institute of Law and Administration.
2017-07-27
Institut Indigne dtudes Bouddhiques. [History].
French: [Indigenous] Institute of Buddhist Studies.
Historical Note: Established 1944 at Wat Luang
Pakse. (Compare with Institut Bouddhique).
Institute. 1. Specialized post-secondary or tertiary
professional education and training institution
usually offering Higher Diploma but not
Bachelors Degree (e.g., EADI, IEAD, LANITH,
NIEQA, NPI, Polytechnic Institute, VEDI). Also
Institution, as in HEI, TEI. 2. Specialized research
institution (e.g. RIES, NERI). (Note that the
Office of Research at NUOL is sometimes
incorrectly referred to as a Research Institute).
INT. [Department of] Institutional Integrity. (WB).
Integrated Vocational Education and Training.
(IVET). Training approach which includes: (a)
Formal, non-formal, and informal education and
training; (b) Theoretical and practical teaching and
learning organized at the same institutions accord-
ing to specified conditions; and (c) Transfer of
credits between formal and non-formal programs.
International dollar. Hypothetical unit of currency
that has the same purchasing power that the US
dollar has in the United States at a given point in
time. It is widely used by economists to make
comparisons between countries and over time. It is
based on Purchasing Power Parity (PPP).
Internship Student. Also Intern Student. Student
with internship placement prior to completion of
studies, e.g. student teachers. (Contrast with
Students Teacher).
INVENT. Integrated Waste Management Modules
for Different Courses of Graduate Studies.
(NUOL cooperation with HochschuleBremen,
Bremen University of AppliedSciences).
Note: Not to be confused with the homophonous
(same sound) InWEnt.
Inverse Gender Gap. See Reverse Gender Gap.
InWEnt. [Formerly]. German: Internationale
Weiterbildung und Entwicklung gemeinntzige
GmbH. Capacity Building International [Non-
profit Corporation]. (See GIZ).
Note: Not to be confused with the homophonous
(same sound) INVENT.
IOM. International Organization for Migration.
IP. 1. Inception Phase. 2. Implementing Partner.
IPB. [History]. International Public Bidding.
IPEC. International Program on the Elimination of
Child Labor. (ILO program; see also TICW).
R. & V. Noonan
36
IPRSP. Also I-PRSP. Interim Poverty Reduction
Strategy Paper. (WB. See also PRSP; NPEP;
NGPES).
IPS. [History]. French: Institut Pdagogique
Suprieur. (Previously known as ESP).
Historical Note: Founded 1959.
IPSA. Initial Poverty and Social Analysis (ADB).
IPTT. Indicator Performance Tracking Table.
IQA. Internal Quality Assurance. (For improvement
of internal mechanisms for quality assurance).
(Compare with EQA; see also IQAN).
IQAN. Internal Quality Assurance Network.
IRD. International Relief and Development. (INGO,
USA).
IRDA. [History]. French: Institut Royale de Droit et
dAdministration. Royal Institute of Law and
Administration.
IRR. 1. Implementing Rules and Regulations
(MOF). 2. Internal Rate of Return. (See also
ERR; FRR).
IRRI. International Rice Research Institute.
Historical Note: Lao branch established 2007.
IRW. Integrated Reading and Writing [approach to
second language teaching].
IS. International shopping. (Compare with DP, ICB,
LCB).
ISBN. International Standard Book Number. (A
unique numeric commercial book identifier).
ISCED. International Standard Classification of
Education. (UNESCO). Nine main categories
relevant to Laos are defined (see also Annex
Figure 1). Note that several digits are used to
indicate distinctions within the following main
categories:
0 Early childhood; Pre-primary education;
1 Primary education;
2 Lower secondary education;
34 Upper secondary, general;
35 Upper secondary, vocational;
44 Post-secondary, non-tertiary, general;
45 Post-secondary, non-tertiary, vocational;
5 Short-cycle tertiary education;
6 Bachelors degree or equivalent;
7 Masters degree or equivalent; and
8 Doctors degree or equivalent. (Continued)
2017-07-27
 Note 1: For many of these main categories, several
sub-categories are also assigned numerical codes.
Note 2: References to 1997 codes are sometimes
denoted ISCED97. The current edition is denoted
ISCED 2011.
Note 3: Compare with ISCO, ISIC.
ISCO. International Standard Classification of
Occupations. (ILO). (Compare with ISCED,
ISIC).
ISDS. Integrated Safeguards Data Sheet. (WB).
ISIC. International Standard Industrial Classification
[of All Economic Activities]. (United Nations
system for classifying economic data). (Compare
with ISCED, ISCO).
ISM. Implementation Support Mission
ISMO. Inter-school Math and Puzzle Olympiad.
ISP. [History]. French: Institut Suprieure de
Pdagogie. Higher Institute of Pedagogy. (See
PUV).
ISSE. Improving the Secondary School Environ-
ment. (External financing by JICA).
ISTTD. In-service Teacher Training Division. (In
DTE; compare with PSTTD).
ISTTUC. In-service Teacher Training and
Upgrading Center. (More commonly ISTUC;
TUC).
ISTU. In-service Training Unit.
ISTUC. In-service Teacher Upgrading Center. (See
also ISTTUC; TUC).
IT. Information technology. (Compare with ICT).
ITC. Information Technology Center. (Under
STEA).
ITE. Institute of Technical Education. (Singapore).
iTEAM. Improving Teaching and Learning
Mathematics for Primary Education in Lao PDR.
ITEC. Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation
[Program].
ITECC. International Trade Exhibition and
Convention Center
ITEES. ITE Education Services. (Singapore).
ITSME. Improving In-service Teacher Training for
Science and Mathematics Education. (Supported
by JICA). Sometimes incorrectly given as ISTME.
IU. Implementation Unit.
IUP. [History]. French: Institut universitaire de
pdagogie. University Institute of Pedagogy [at
Dong Dok]. Also referred to as Institute of
R. & V. Noonan
37
Pedagogy, University of Pedagogy, Pedagogical
University and more (See PUV; see also IUPV).
IUP V. [History]. French: Institut universitaire de
v
pdagogie de Vientiane. Also referred to as
Pedagogical University of Vientiane, Upper
School of Pedagogy, Vientiane Teacher Training
College. (Compare with IUP; see also PUV).
Historical Note: Located at site of present-day
Vientiane High School, near Patusay Monument.
Annexes in Luang Prabang and Savannakhet.
IVEP. International Volunteer Exchange Program.
(Volunteer program of the MCC).
IVET. Sometimes iVET. 1. Integrated Vocational
Education and Training. (GIZ usage; most
common usage in Laos). 2. Project externally
financed by German government. 3. Initial
Vocational Education and Training. (ILO usage).
IVET Certificate. [Formerly]. See TVET
Certificate.
IVETS. Integrated Vocational Education and Train-
ing System.
IV-Japan. NGO, Japan. Also IVJ. (Formerly
International Volunteers Association of Japan).
IVLP. International Visitor Leadership Program.
(US State Department).
IVS. [History]. International Voluntary Services,
Inc. (NGO, USA).
IWGE. International Working Group on Education.
(Replaced by ESWG; IEDWG).
IWRAW. International Womens Rights Action
Watch.
IYIPO. International Young Inventors Project
Olympiad. (Held annually since 2007 in Tblisi,
Georgia).
J
JAIF. Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund.
JaLYA. Japan-Laos Youth Association. (NGO,
Japan).
JAR. Joint Annual Review. (Compare with JSAR).
Jardins denfants. [History]. French: Literally
equivalent to German Kindergarten, Pre-school,
nursery school. See ECCE.
Jataka. Pali: Literally Birth [story]. A voluminous
collection of moral-bearing stories about the
previous lives of the Buddha.
Historical Note: Many of these stories, especially
the animal fables, are well-known to Lao children
and adults. Some closely parallel stories
2017-07-27
 embedded in other cultural traditions, including
Aesops fables from ancient Greece.
JBIC. Japan Bank for International Cooperation.
JBU. Japan Federation of Basic Industry Workers
Union.
JCC. Joint Coordination Committee.
JCU. Japan Committee for UNICEF.
JD. Job Description.
JDS. Japanese Grant Aid for Human Resource
Development Scholarships. (See also YLP).
JENESYS. Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange
for Students and Youths.
JETRO. Japan External Trade Organization.
JFIT. Japanese Funds in Trust.
JFPR. Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction.
JICA. Japan International Cooperation Agency.
JICC. Japan Information and Culture Center
(Embassy of Japan, Vientiane).
JICE. Japan International Cooperation Center.
JICHIRO. All Japan Prefectural and Municipal
Workers Union. (NGO).
JITCO. Japan International Training Cooperation
Organization.
JLPT. Japanese Language Proficiency Test.
JOCA. Japan Overseas Cooperative Association.
(See also JOCV).
JOCV[/SV]. Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers
[/Senior Volunteer]. (See also JOCA).
JODC. Japan Overseas Development Corporation.
JOICFP. Japanese Organization for International
Cooperation in Family Planning.
Jomtien. Reference to the World Conference on
Education for All, held in Jomtien, Thailand,
March 5-9, 1990, resulting in the World
Declaration on Education for All (EFA). Laos
participated and was a signatory. (See also Dakar
Framework, Muscat Agreement, and Incheon
Declaration).
Historical Note: Compare with APPEAL,
Colombo Plan, Karachi Plan.
JRM. Joint Review Mission.
JSAR. Joint Semi-Annual Review. (Compare with
JAR).
JSDF. Japanese Social Development Fund.
JSF. Japan Special Fund. (At the ADB).
R. & V. Noonan
38
JSRC. Japan Sotoshu [, a school of Japanese
Zen Buddhism] Relief Committee. (Renamed
SVA in 1999, reverted to JSRC in 2005).
JSRM. Joint Sector Review Mission.
Junior high school. See Lower secondary school.
Junior primary school. See Lower primary school.
Juveniles. Organization for age children, 6-8 years
old; under LPRYU. (Compare with Young
Pioneers).
JV. Joint venture.
K
K, KN, K. Kip. (Lao currency unit, see also LAK.
Plural: Kip).
KAB. Know[ing] about Business. (ILO).
KAFF. Korea-Asia Friendship Foundation. (See
also KKAFF).
KAP. Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices.
Karachi Plan. [History]. Plan for universal,
compulsory, and free primary education by 1980.
Historical Note: Initiated at a UNESCO meeting in
Karachi, Pakistan, in January 1960. Led in April
1962 at a Meeting of Ministers of Education of
Asian [UNESCO] Member States to establishment
of an intergovernmental framework for co-
operation. Laos was one of 18 signatories.
(Compare with APPEAL, Colombo Plan, Jomtien.
See APPEAL, Historical Note).
KCDA. Kong Community Development
Association. (CSO).
KfW. German: Kreditanstalt fr Wiederaufbau.
German Development Bank.
KG. Kindergarten. Sometimes designating year
level KG1, KG2, KG3
KGSP. Korean Government Scholarship Program.
KHA. Khammuane Province. (Also KHM, KMN).
Khet. Lao: . Traditional informal administrative
unit between village level and district level for
communication and some administrative and
police services.
KHM. Khammuane Province. (Also KHA, KMN).
Khou. Lao: . Ku.
Khoueng. Lao: . Province. (Compare with
Muang).
Khumban. Also Kum Ban. Lao: . Village
cluster, below district level, organized in sparsely
2017-07-27
 populated areas to collectively provide services
that cannot be provided in each village. (Compare
with Ban, Tasseng; see also School cluster).
KI. Key informant.
KII. Key informant interview.
Kindergarten. Considered a part of Pre-school,
nominally for children aged 3 - 5 years. (Compare
with Pre-primary; Pre-school; see Annex Figure 5).
Kip. Lao: . Unit of Lao currency.
KIS. 1. Kiettisack International School. (Private,
Vientiane). 2. Knowledge and Information
System. (CSO).
KKAFF. Republic of Korea and Korea-Asia
Friendship Foundation. (See also KAFF).
KKU. Khon Kaen University. Thailand.
KLFA. Korea-Laos Friendship Association.
KMN. Khammuane Province. (Also KHA, KHM).
KMUTT. King Mongkuts University of
Technology, Thonburi. (Thailand).
KOICA. Korean International Cooperation Agency.
KOV. Korea Overseas Volunteers.
KPI. Key Performance Indicator.
KRA. Key Result Area.
KRIVET. Korea Research Institute for Vocational
Education and Training.
Ku. Also Khou. Lao: . Teacher, usually at primary
level. Sometimes spelled Kru. (From Sanskrit
Guru). (Compare with Ajan).
KUST. Kunming University of Science and
Technology. (In Kunming, Yunnan Province,
China).
KVTS. Khammuane Vocational and Technical
School. (At Thakhek, external financing by Lux-
Development).
L land-linked. This was referred to as the 2020
L.A.O.S. Lao Academic Opportunity Scheme.
L1. Mother-tongue or native language. (Also MT,
definition 2. Compare with L2).
L2. Second language. (Compare with L1).
LA. Logistics Aid.
LAA. [History]. Lao American Association.
LAB. Lao Association for the Blind.
R. & V. Noonan
39
LABEP. Lao[s]-Australian Basic Education Project
(1999-2007). (Component of BEGP, parallel co-
financed by AusAID).
LAC. Lao American College. (Vientiane).
LACI. Loan Administration Change Initiative.
(WB).
LAD. Lao Association for the Deaf.
LADC. Lao Association for Disadvantaged Children.
LADLF. Lao-Australia Development Learning
Facility.
LADP. Long [District, Luangnamtha Province]
Alternative Development Project.
LAELP. Lao Australian English Language Project.
LAI. Laos Australia Institute. (Australias principal
investment in HRD in Laos, managing several
programs).
LAK. Lao Kip. (See also K, KN, K).
LALIC. Laos Library and Information Consortium.
LAMP. Literacy Assessment and Monitoring
Program. (UIS, UNESCO Bangkok)
Land-linked. Historical Note: Laos is the only
Southeast Asian country without a seacoast,
without direct sea links with the outside world.
Although some trade routes before the French
Colonial Period passed through Luang Prabang,
Laos has always been relatively isolated from the
world outside peninsular Southeast Asia, as
suggested by the term land-locked.
With the focus increasingly on Southeast Asian
and global economic integration and investment in
the north-south and east-west transport corridors
linking Laos with the regional markets, the 7th
Party Congress, March 2001, included in the
general goals of the Socio-Economic Development
Strategy for the ten-year period 2001-2010,
Develop our country to become the central point
of transit of the region in the future, i.e., as a
transport hub no longer isolated, but instead
Strategy. (See 2020 Goal).
LANGOCA. Lao-Australia NGO Cooperation
Agreement.
LANI. Lao-American Nutrition Institute.
LANITH. Lao National Institute of Tourism and
Hospitality.
LANPRO. Lao adaptation of ANPRO.
LANS. Laos Australian National Scholarship. (See
LAI).
2017-07-27
Lao. Lao: . The word Lao can be used as
either a noun or an adjective. As an adjective it
can describe the Lao people, the Lao culture,
Lao citizens, etc. As a noun, Lao can refer to
either:
The language of the ethnic Lao people (e.g.,
She speaks Lao or The book is written in
Lao); or
A person of Lao ethnicity (e.g., The conference
was attended by three Lao, two Hmong, and a
Khmou.); or
A Lao citizen regardless of ethnicity (e.g. At
last! They finally appointed a Lao as Country
Director instead of a falang!)
Note 1: The plural form of Lao in reference to a
person of Lao ethnicity or Lao citizenship is
Lao, e.g., Three Lao attended the conference.
Note 2: Lao is sometimes used to refer to the
country (e.g., He lives in Lao), but purists regard
this as poor style because the established short
form of the country name is Laos. (See Laos).
LAO EDUInfo. Website for monitoring and
disseminating education data for Laos.
(http://www.devinfo.org/laoeduinfo/libraries/aspx/
Home.aspx).
Lao Loum. Lao: . Lowland Lao, compris-
ing the Tai-Kadai language family (Lao-Phutai
sub-family) and four ethnic groups. (See
Ethnicity; see also Annex Table 4).
Historical Note: The RLG classified the population
of Laos into three groups based on the assumed
topographical distribution, with little regard to
ethno-linguistic characteristics. The 1992 Central
Party Resolution on Ethnic Minorities recom-
mended that this classification no longer be used.
(See Note to Annex Table 4). Nevertheless, the
classification into Lao Loum, Lao Soung, and Lao
Theung remain in widespread usage in common
speech and even in some academic writing.
Lao Ngyai. [History]. Lao: . Great Laos.
The first Lao newspaper, published 1941-1945 and
focusing mainly on cultural, literary, and linguistic
issues.
Lao Soung. Lao: . Highland Lao or hill
tribes, comprising the Hmong-Iu Mien and Sino-
Tibetan language families (or Hmong-Iu Mien and
Tibeto-Burman sub-families) and four ethnic
groups. (See Historical Note to Lao Loum; see
also Ethnicity).
Lao Theung. Lao: . Upland or midland
Lao or Slope-dwellers, comprising the Austro-
Asiatic language family (Mon Khmer sub-family)
R. & V. Noonan
and fifteen ethnic groups. (See Historical Note to
Lao Loum; see also Ethnicity).
Laoization. Also Laocization. [History]. The
process, begun after the French Colonial Period, of
revision of the school curriculum to make it more
suitable to Lao conditions and translation of
instructional materials from French into the Lao
language.
LAOS. Learning and Opportunities for Students.
(NGO, Hong Kong).
Laos. When the French colonized Laos in 1893 (see
French Colonial Period), they referred to the
country as Le Pays des Laos, the Land of the
Laos (i.e., Land of the Lao people), the plural form
of the largest and dominant ethnic group (one Lao,
many Laos). Some contemporary English writing
also referred to the land of the Laos, i.e., plural
form. Today the name of is officially Lao PDR or
Laos, as short form.
LAO-SC. Lao American Alumni Overseas Students
Club.
Laosese. [History]. In some documents from the
French Colonial Period the word Laosese was
used as either a noun referring to a Lao person or
the Lao language or an adjective describing a Lao
person or institution (e.g., Laosese Ministry of
Education), or the Lao language. Compare with
Lao.
Laotian. [History]. (Pronounced La o' shan or
Lay o' shan). Noun referring to a Lao person or
the Lao language. Adjective describing a Lao
person or the Lao language. Compare with Lao.
Note: Some writers use Laotian to include any
person of Lao nationality and the term Lao to
include only members of the Tai-Kadai ethno-
linguistic family. (See Ethnicity).
LAR. Land acquisition and resettlement. (ADB).
LARLP. Laos-Australia Rural Livelihoods Program.
LASP. Lao-Australian Scholarship Program.
LASS. Lao [National] Academy of Social Sciences.
(See also NASS).
LBFO. Lao Buddhist Fellowship Organization.
LC. 1. Learning community. (See also PLC).
2. Learning Center. (See CLC).
L /C. Letter of Credit.
c
LCB. Local competitive bidding. (Compare with
DP, ICB, IS).
LCCD. Learning for Child and Community
Development [Project]. (UNICEF).
LCF. Lao PDR Cooperation Facility. (EU).
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40
LCCI. 1. Lao Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
(Also LNCCI). 2. London Chamber of Commerce
and Industry.
LCHRD. Leading Committee on Human Resource
Development (of GOL).
LCLM. Low Cost Learning Material.
LCR. Learner-to-Computer Ratio. (See CAI).
LCS. Least Cost Selection. (WB).
LDC. 1. Least Developed Country. (Also LLDC,
Compare with MIC, definition 2). 2. Less
Developed Country.
Note 1: Laos is categorized by the United Nations
as a Least Developed Country. The 6 th Party
Congress in March 1996 defined the long term
goal as exiting the status of Least Developed
County by 2020. (See 2020 Goal). The 10 th Party
Congress and the 8 th NSEDP established the
Vision 2030 goal of Laos ranking as an upper-
middle income developing country.
Note 2: In some contexts LCD refers to Less
Developed Country, and Least Developed
country is abbreviated LLDC, but in the Lao
context, LCD always refers to Least Developed
Country.
LDPA. Lao Disabled Peoples Association. (NPA,
definition 2; established 2001).
LDR: Lao Development Report. (WB).
LDWDC. Lao Disabled Womens Development
Center.
Le Bac. See Baccalaurat.
LE. Learning Element. (In an MOI).
LeAF. Learning Assessment Framework.
LEAP. 1. Lao-Australian English for ASEAN
Purposes. 2. Laos Education Advancement
Project. 3. Learning through Evaluation with
Accountability and Planning [Project]. (WV[L]).
LEAPS. Learning and Engaging All in Primary
School. (FFE Program financed by USDA).
LEARN. 1. Lao Educational Access, Research and
Networking [Project]. (Plan International Laos,
funding by Dubai Cares). 2. Lao Equity through
Policy Analysis and Research Networks. (Funding
by EU, definition 1).
LECS. Lao Expenditure and Consumption Survey.
(First conducted 1992/93, also called LECS I).
(See also MICS).
LECS [1] 1992/93
LECS 2 1997/98
LECS 3 2002/03 (Continued)
R. & V. Noonan
41
LECS 4 2007/08
LECS 5 2012/13
LEG. Local education group. (See ESWG).
LEGR. Lao Early Grade Reading. (Project under
GPE II).
LELC. LEOT English Learning Center.
LEMTEP. Lao Ethnic Minority Teacher Education
Program (supported by LABEP).
LEOT. Lao Education Opportunities Trust. (NGO,
UK).
LERNET. Lao Education and Research Network.
(See also TEIN, UniNET).
LFA. 1. Logical Framework Analysis. 2. Logical
Framework Approach.
LFCLS. Laos Labor Force and Child Labor Survey.
2010.
LFIS. Loan and Grant Financial Information
Service. Also LGFIS. (ADB).
LFIV. Lyce Franais International de Vientiane
Josu-Hoffet. (Also LFJH, AEFE).
Historical Note: Named after Josu Hoffet, the
French geologist and paleontologist who
discovered Cretaceous fossil sites in Savannakhet
Province in 1936.
LFJH. Lyce Franais Josu-Hoffet. (Vientiane.
Also known as Joshua Hoffet French School. See
also AEFE, LFIV).
LFNC. Lao Front for National Construction. Lao:
Neo Lao Sang Xat, .
Note 1: Sometimes translated as Lao Front for
National Reconstruction, but that is not correct
because the Lao word used, sang, clearly means
construction, not reconstruction. (For the Lao
word sang, see Note to Three Builds).
Note 2: LFNC is sometimes incorrectly described
as a mass organization. (See Note to Mass
Organization).
Historical Note: Successor in 1979 to the LPF.
LFNR. Lao Front for National Reconstruction.
(Incorrect translation. See LFNC, Note 1).
LFS. Labor Force Survey.
LFTU. Lao Federation of Trade Unions. (Also FTU,
LTUF).
LGFA. Lao-German Friendship Association.
LGFIS. Loan and Grant Financial Information
Service. (ADB).
LGS. Lao-Guizhou Scholarship.
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LGTC. [Formerly]. Lao-German Technical College.
(Also known as Lao-German Technical School and
Km 3 Technical School).
LGTS. [Formerly]. Lao-German Technical School.
(Also known as Lao-German Technical College
and Km 3 Technical School).
LGU. Local government unit.
LHD. Learning House for Development. (Central
networking home for Lao CSOs).
LI. Legislative Instrument.
Liberated Zone. The name given by the Pathet Lao
to those gradually expanding parts of Laos under
their control until the Revolution in December
1975.
LIEDC. Lao-India Entrepreneurship Development
Center.
LIFE. Literacy Initiative for Empowerment.
LIL. Learning and Innovation Loan. (WB).
LJC. Lao-Japan Center for Human Resources
Cooperation. Also known as Laos-Japan Center.
(At NUOL; see also LJI).
LJI. Laos-Japan [Human Resource Development]
Institute. (At NUOL; see also LJC).
LJTTC. Lao-Japan Technical Training Center.
LKVTC. Lao-Korea Vocational Training Center.
(Under MOLSW).
LL. Labor Law. (Most recent, 2014).
LLA. 1. Lao Language Aide. (Lao volunteers to
work with at risk students to support Lao
language development). 2. Lao Library
Association. (CSO).
LLB. [Historical]. Local Limited Bidding.
LLDC. 1. Least developed country. (See LDC,
Notes). 2. Land-locked developing country.
LLL. 1. Lifelong Learning. (Also Life Long
Learning). 2. Dutch: Laat Laos Leren. [Let Laos
Learn]. (NGO, Belgium).
LLU. Lao Labor Union. (Lao Federation of Trade
Unions, LFTU).
LMI. 1. Lower Mekong Initiative. (Multi-national
partnership among Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar,
Thailand, Vietnam, and the United States).
2. Labor market information. (See also LMIS).
LMIS. Labor Market Information System.
LMS. Learning Management System. (See also
CMS; VLE).
LN. Luangnamtha Province. (Also LNA, LNT).
R. & V. Noonan
42
LNA. 1. Lao National Assembly. 2. Luangnamtha
Province. (Also LN, LNT).
LNADA. Lao National Data Archive. (See DOS).
LNCC [I]. Lao National Chamber of Commerce [and
i
Industry]. (Also LCCI).
LNCDC. Lao National Commission on Drugs
Control.
LNCF. Lao National Construction Front. (Non-
standard translation. See LFNC).
LNF. Lao National Front. (Non-standard translation.
See LFNC).
LNLS. Lao National Literacy Survey.
Historical Note: This survey is referred to in the
literature as either LNLS 2000, LNLS 2001, LNLS
2002, or LNLS 2004, because:
2000. Preparatory work was conducted;
2001. Field data were collected;
2002. MOE published Lao National Literacy
Survey 2000. (Final Report); and
2004. UNESCO BKK published Lao National
Literacy Survey 2001. Final Report.
LNMC. Lao National Mekong Committee.
LNS. [History]. Lao National Syllabus.
LNSC. (Formerly). Lao National Sports Committee.
(MOES, see Annex Figure 9). (Merged with MOE
in September 2011 to form MOES).
LNT. Luangnamtha Province. (Also LN, LNA).
LNTA. Lao National Tourism Administration.
LNTV. Lao National Television.
LNVQF. Lao National Vocational Qualifications
Framework. Also LVQF, NQF, NVQF, VQF.
(See detail in VQF).
LO. Local Organization. (See VDC, VEDC).
LOC. Lao Olympic Committee. See NOCL.
Local curriculum. In principle the curriculum for
grades 1-12 comprise 80% national curriculum
provided by MOES, and 20% local curriculum
provided by the school, the DESB, or the PESS. In
practice local curricula are rarely or never applied
due to lack of technical and financial resources.
Location Supplement. Salary supplement for
teachers serving in remote, isolated, or especially
difficult areas, determined as a percent of net
salary, in three categories as follows:
Remote and isolated areas 15 %
Remote and mountainous areas 20 % (Cont.)
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 Especially difficult areas 25 %
(See also Multi-grade Teaching Supplement).
LODP. Letter of Development Policy.
Lower primary school. [History]. Grades 1-3.
(Compare with Upper primary school, Elementary
school).
Lower secondary school. Grades 6 9, alt.
Secondary Grades 1 - 4. (See also Matanyom.
Compare with Upper Secondary School,
Secondary School. See Annex Figure 1).
Historical Note: Prior to the 2009/10 school year,
lower secondary school comprised a three year
program, grades 6 8, thus part of an 11 year
school system, now a 12 year system. (See
Historical Note to M5-M7; see also Annex Figure
2).
LPA. Labor and Professional Promotion Association.
(CSO).
LPB. Luangprabang [Province].
LPF. [History]. Lao Patriotic Front. Lao: Neo Lao
Hak Xat, Lao: . Replaced in 1979 since 2009/10). (Compare with USE).
by the LFNC.
LPP. [History]. Lao Peoples Party. (See LPRP).
LPRC. Law on the Protection of the Rights and
Interests of Children. (2007).
LPRP. Lao Peoples Revolutionary Party.
(Commonly known simply as the Party).
Historical Note: Established at the 1 st Congress
1955-03-22 as LPP, renamed at 2 nd Party
Congress, February 1972.
LPRYU. Lao Peoples Revolutionary Youth Union.
(Also referred to as LPYU, LYU). Mass
organization; youth wing of LPRP, comprising
three age levels:
Juveniles (age 6-8 years);
Young Pioneers (age 9-14); and
Youth (age 15-30 years).
Historical Note: Established 1955.
LPYU. Lao Peoples Youth Union. (Formally
LPRYU).
LQA. Local Qualified Assistant.
LRC. 1. Literacy Resource Center. 2. Literacy
Resource Centers for Girls and Women. (Japanese
program for assisting NGOs in developing literacy
resource centers for girls and women). 3. Learning
Resource Center (under NFEDC).
LRF. 1. Lao Rehabilitation Foundation. (NGO,
USA). 2. Lao Rugby Federation. (Est. 2001).
R. & V. Noonan
43
LRHS. Lao Reproductive Health Survey. (1994,
2000, 2005).
LRIC. Learning Resources and Information Center.
LRM. Lao PDR Resident Mission [of the ADB].
LRPPCC. Lao Revolutionary Party Political Central
Committee. (See also PCC, LPRP).
LRU. Loei Rajabhat University. (Thailand).
LS. Lower Secondary [Education]. (See LSE).
LSB. Lao Statistics Bureau. (Previously NSC;
DOS).
LSBC. Lao-Singapore Business College.
(Vientiane).
LSCO [-6]. Lao Standard Classified Occupation
.
[to 6-digit level, established 2016].
LSDA. Life Skills Development Association. (Lao
NPA, definition 2; Vientiane, established 2010).
(See also LSTC, definition 1).
LSE. Lower secondary education. (Grades 6 9
LSF. Learning for a Sustainable Future.
LSIS. Lao Social Indicator Survey. (See also LECS;
MICS). (1993, 2011/12).
Note 1: LSIS 2011/12 is a household survey using
the technical frameworks of the MICS and DHS.
Note 2: LSIS II is scheduled for 2016/17.
LSS. Lower secondary school. (Compare with USS.
Also see LSE).
LSSG. Lower Secondary Student Grant.
LSSGP. Lower Secondary Student Grants Program.
LSSS. Lower Secondary School Survey.
LSTC. 1. Life Skills Training Center (Vientiane; see
also LSDA). 2. Lao-Singapore Training Center
(Vientiane, Km 4, Thadeua Road).
LSTE. Lower Secondary Teacher Education.
LTP. Long-term Priority. (Compare with MTP,
STP).
LTPU. [Formerly]. Lao Textbook Publishing Unit.
(See EPE).
LTTI. [History]. Laotian Teacher Training Institute.
(At Dong Dok). (Also known as ESP; NEC,
definition 2).
LTUF. Lao Trade Union Federation. (Also FTU,
LFTU).
LUBO. Lao United Buddhists Organization.
LURC. Land Use Rights Certificate.
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LUSEA. Lao Union of Science and Engineering.
Lux-Development. Luxembourg Agency for
Development Cooperation.
LUXOP. Lao UXO Program. (See also UXO).
LVQF. See LNVQF.
LVS. Lao Volunteer Service. (Financed by CUSO;
see also HJA).
LWAN. Lao Womens Association Network.
LWC. Language of wider communication. (Also
referred to as lingua franca. In discourse on
language of instruction. Compare with NDL).
LWF. 1. Learn without Fear. (Social movement).
2. Lutheran World Federation. (INGO).
LWTC. Lao Womens [Vocational] Training Center.
LWU. Lao Womens Union. (Mass organization;
established 1955).
Lyce. [History]. French: Lyceum. In the Lao
(French) terminology of the colonial and post-
colonial periods, upper secondary level institution
leading to the baccalaurat. Sometimes a
combined lower secondary and upper secondary
institution was also referred to as a Lyce. (See
also Collge, French Colonial Period).
LYN. Lao Youth Network.
LYU. Lao Youth Union. (Formally LPRYU).
M Matanyom . Lao: . Secondary school
M&E. Monitoring and Evaluation.
M.B.A. Master of Business Administration [degree].
M.Ed. Master of Education [degree].
M.Sc. Master of Science [degree].
M.Sc.U.E.P. Master of Science in Urban
Environmental Planning [degree]. (NUOL).
M.U.D. Master of Urban Design [degree].
M1-M4. Lao: Matanyom 1-4. Secondary grades 1-4.
(Grades 6-9; Lower secondary). (See Matanyom).
(Compare with P1-P5). (See Historical Note to
M5-M7).
M5-M7. Lao: Matanyom 5-7. Secondary grades 5-7.
(Grades 10-12; Upper secondary). (See
Matanyom). (Compare with P1-P5).
Historical Note: As a consequence of the NESR,
M4 became part of LS beginning in SY 2009/10,
but there were no students in M7 until 2010/11.
(See Annex Figure 2).
MAF. 1. Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
2. MDG Acceleration Framework.
R. & V. Noonan
44
MAG. Mines Advisory Group. (INGO).
Maha. From Sanskrit. Lao: . Literally great
or high. Title for a person highly educated in the
Buddhist temple but who has left the monastic
order. (Compare with Ajan).
Mahavithanyalay. From Sanskrit. University. Used
in current Lao.
Mahout. From Sanskrit: Elephant handler. Used in
English but not used in the Lao language.
Mainstream school. School serving the general
population but lacking facilities and resources
enabling them to provide education for children
with severe sensory disabilities. (Compare with
Special school).
MAIP. Multi-Annual Indicative Program. (Also
MIP). (EC).
Mass Organization. Lao mass organization, under
the leadership of the Party, including the Lao
Federation of Military Veterans, the Lao Federa-
tion of Trade Unions, the Lao Womens Union,
and the Lao [Peoples Revolutionary] Youth
Union. (See also LFNC).
Note: Article 10 of the Amended Lao Constitution
of 2003 specifically distinguishes Party and state
organizations, the LFNC, mass organizations, and
social organizations, all of which are bound by the
Constitution and laws. (Contrast with CSO, NPA,
definition 2).
grades, including both Lower Secondary and
Upper Secondary. (See Matanyom ton, Matanyom
pai, M1-M4, M5-M7; compare with Oudom,
Pathom).
Historical Note: In some older writings,
Mathanyom refers only to Lower Secondary
school, Grades 6-8, while Upper Secondary school,
Grades 9-11, are referred to as Oudom.
Matanyom Ek. [History]. Advanced level in the
nine-year Buddhist Pali School education system
during the RLG period.
Historical Note: The Buddhist Pali School
comprised three levels of three years each:
Matanyom Tri. (Elementary level, Years 1-3);
Matanyom Tho. (Intermediate level, Years 4-6);
and
Matanyom Ek. (Advanced level, Years 7-9).
Linguistic Note: These three terms denoting
education level are used today for university level
studies:
Tri. Bachelor degree level;
Tho. Masters degree level; and
2017-07-27
 Ek. Ph.D. degree level.
Matanyom pai. Lao: . Upper
Secondary, Grades 10-12; also Oudom. (See M5-
M7; compare with Matanyom ton).
Matanyom tho. [History]. (See Matanyom Ek,
Historical Note).
Lower
Matanyom ton. Lao: .
Secondary, Grades 6-9. (See M1-M4; compare
with Matanyom pai).
Matanyom Tri. [History]. (See Matanyom Ek,
Historical Note).
MAUS. Master Program of Architecture and Urban
Studies [degree].
MBA. See M.B.A.
MCA. Maximum Country Allocation. (GPE; see
also NPF).
MCC. Mennonite Central Committee. (NGO, USA,
Canada).
MCH. Mother and Child Health.
MCTPC. [Formerly]. Ministry of Communication,
Transport, Post, and Construction. (See MPT and
MPWT).
MDA. Mid-Decade Assessment [of progress toward
EFA goals].
MDG [s]. Millennium Development Goal[s]. (See
s
also MLG, SDG).
Note 1: Of the eight goals set, only two have
special relevance to the education sector:
MDG2: Ensure that by 2015 children every-
where, boys and girls alike, will be able to
complete a full course of primary schooling;
and
MDG3: Eliminate gender disparity in primary
and secondary education, preferably by 2005,
and in all levels of education no later than 2015.
Note 2: For a complete listing of the Lao national
goals, indicators, and targets for the education
sector, see Annex Table 6.
Historical Note: Established following the
adoption of the United Nations Millennium
Declaration at the UN Millennium Summit in
September 2000 and subsequently nationalized
to reflect the particular situation in each country.
MDGR. MDG Report.
MDIS. Management Development Institute
Singapore.
MDRD. Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction into
Development [Projects].
R. & V. Noonan
45
MDRD-EDU. Mainstreaming Disaster Risk
Reduction into Education Sector Development.
MDTF. Multi-Donor Trust Fund.
MEAL. Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and
Learning. (CRS, definition 1).
MEC. Mekong English Center. (Private, Luang
Prabang).
MEFL. Marubeni Education Foundation in Laos.
(Corporate foundation, Japan).
Mekong Sub-Region. Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar,
Thailand, Vietnam.
Meo. [History]. Term used by the government of the
United States during the Vietnam war to refer to
the Hmong Iu-Mien ethno-linguistic groups living
in Laos and Vietnam. Considered derogatory by
many Hmong people (See Ethnicity).
MEPF. [Historical]. Ministry of Economy,
Planning, and Finance.
MEREPA. [History]. Meeting of Experts on
Research for Educational Planning in Asia.
UNESCO.
MES. Ministry of Education and Sports. (More
commonly, MOES).
MESRA. [History]. Ministry of Education, Sports,
and Religious Affairs.
Meuang. See Muang.
MEXT. [Japan] Ministry of Education, Culture,
Sports, Science, and Technology.
MfDR. Managing for Development Results. (WB;
see also SRF).
MG [T]. Multi-grade [teaching]. (See Multi-grade
t
classroom; Multi-grade school; Multi-grade
teaching).
MI. Mekong Institute. (Intergovernmental
organization founded by members of the GMS,
supporting capacity development for regional
cooperation and integration).
MIC. 1. See MOIC. 2. Middle Income Country.
(Compare with LDC). 3. [Formerly]. Ministry of
Information and Culture. (See MICT).
MICS. Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey. (See also
LECS, LSIS).
MICS 2000
MICS 2005/06
MICS/DHS/LSIS 2011/12
MICT. Ministry of Information, Culture, and
Tourism. (Also MOICT).
2017-07-27
Midline Assessment. Assessment during an inter-
vention. (Compare with Baseline Assessment,
Endline Assessment).
MIH. [Formerly]. Ministry of Industry and Handi-
craft. (See DIH, MOIC).
Minsai. Japanese NGO. (See EDF, definition 2).
MIP. Multi-annual Indicative Program. (Also
MAIP). (EC).
MIS. 1. Management Information System. (See
CMIS, EMIS, FMIS, HEMIS, HRMIS, PBMIS,
PMIS, SMIS, TEMIS). 2. Monitoring Information
System.
MJIIT. Malaysia-Japan International Institute of
Technology.
MLE. Multi-lingual education. Specialists often
distinguish between Weak MLE: 2 years of
mother tongue instruction prior to transition to
national language, and Strong MLE: at least 5
years of mother tongue instruction prior to
transition to national language. (See also MTB-
MLE).
MLG. Millennium Learning Goal. (See MDG).
MLL. Minimum Level of Learning.
MLLT. Methods of Lao Language Teaching.
MLSW. See MOLSW.
MOA. Memorandum of Agreement.
MOAF. Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry.
Mobile Teacher. Teacher deployed to a remote
village without a school (but see CLC) in a priority
district to teach in a non-formal literacy classes,
primary or lower secondary school equivalency
programs or other non-formal programs; recruited
from among either experienced teachers or new
TEI graduates; under responsibility of DNFE.
MODA. Multiple Overlapping Deprivation Analysis.
MOE. [History]. Ministry of Education. (Renamed
MOES in September, 2011, after merger with the
LNSC).
Historical Note: Over the years, before and after
the Revolution in 1975, in the RLG and the PL
Liberated Zone, the ministry responsible for
education has had many different mandates and
names, including:
Ministry of Education;
Ministry of Education and Propaganda;
Ministry of Education and Sports;
Ministry of Education, Art, and Pioneer Sports;
Ministry of Education, Sport, and Religious
Affairs; (Continued)
R. & V. Noonan
46
Ministry of Education, Sport, and Youth;
Ministry of National Education;
Ministry of National Education and Fine Arts;
Ministry of National Education, Fine Arts,
Sports, and Youth.
MOES. Ministry of Education and Sports. Also
MES. (See MOE, Historical Note).
Historical Note: (MOES was re-organized and re-
named MOE in April, 1993; it was merged with
the LNSC in September, 2011 and renamed MOES
again).
MOET. [In Vietnam]. Ministry of Education and
Training.
MOF. Ministry of Finance.
MOFA. Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
MOH. Ministry of Health.
MOHA. Ministry of Home Affairs. (Established 30
June 2011; formerly PACSA; responsible for inter
alia registration and control of NPAs).
MOI. Module of Instruction.
MOIC. 1. Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
2. [History]. Ministry of Information and Culture.
(See MICT; MOICT).
MOICT. Ministry of Information, Culture, and
Tourism. (Also MICT).
MOJ. Ministry of Justice.
MOLSW. Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare.
Also MLSW.
Monastic College. Sangha College. (See Sangha
College, Champasak; Sangha College, Vientiane).
MONRE. Ministry of Natural Resources and
Environment. (Est. 2011).
Montagnard[s]. French: Literally mountain
dweller[s], referring during the French Colonial
Period generally to ethnic communities in the
upland and mountainous areas of Laos and
Vietnam; during the Vietnam War (American War)
referring in the American literature more
specifically but not exclusively to the Hmong
communities. (Compare with Meo).
MOOC. Massive Open Online Course.
MOODLE. Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic
Learning Environment.
MOPH. [Formerly] Ministry of Public Health. See
MOH.
MOPI. Ministry of Planning and Investment. Also
MPI. (Replaced CPI). (Also MPI).
MOPS. Ministry of Public Security.
2017-07-27
MOPWT. Ministry of Public Works and Transport.
Also MPWT.
MOS. Microsoft Office Specialist. (Certification
program for using the Microsoft Office suite of
business applications; see also MOSWC).
MOST. Ministry of Science and Technology.
MOSWC. Microsoft Office Specialist World
Championship.
MoU. Memorandum of Understanding.
Mouvement de Jeunesse. [History]. French: Youth
Movement.
MPC. [History]. [Education] Materials Production
Center. (MOE).
MPDF. Mekong Project Development Facility.
MPI. Ministry of Planning and Investment. Also
MOPI. (Replaced CPI).
MPIC. [History]. Ministry of Propaganda,
Information, and Culture. (Renamed MOIC).
MPT. Ministry of Post and Telecommunications.
MPWT. Ministry of Public Works and Transport.
(Formerly MCTPC).
MRA. Mutual Recognition Arrangement. (Inter-
national agreements for recognition of professional
qualifications to support free flow of skilled labor
through harmonization and standardization).
MRC. Mekong River Commission.
MRE. Mine Risk Education.
MRISA. Mekong River International Schools
Association.
MRM. Midterm Review Mission.
MS. Market survey. (E.g., product survey or labor
market survey).
MSC. 1. Most significant change. (Data collection
tool). 2. [Usually as MSc]. Master of Science
[degree].
MSHEI. Minimum Standards for Higher Education
Institutions. (Adopted 2013).
MT. 1. Mobile Teacher. 2. Mother-tongue. (See
also L1, L2).
MTB-MLE. Also MTBMLE. Mother Tongue-
Based Multilingual Education. (See also MLE).
MTE. Midterm Evaluation. (See also MTR).
MTEF. 1. Medium Term Expenditure Framework.
(See also E-MTEF). 2. Mid-term Expenditure
Framework.
R. & V. Noonan
47
MTP. 1. Mobile Teacher Program. (See Mobile
Teacher). 2. Modular Training Package.
3. Medium-term Priority. (Compare with LTP,
STP).
MTPEP. Medium Term Provincial Education
[Development] Plan.
MTR. Mid-term Review. (See also MTE).
MTSP. Medium Term Strategic Plan.
MTSPIP. [Financial Management] Medium Term
Strategy and Performance Improvement Plan.
MTT. Mobile Training Team.
Muad. Lao: . A traditional cluster or sub-
cluster of incomplete feeder schools and a
complete school. A muad usually contains 3 - 5
schools (school clusters are sometimes larger),
usually including only primary schools, but in
some communities including also include
secondary schools. (See Complete school; Groupe
Scolaire; School cluster; School network).
Muang. Lao: . 1. Town, city, district. (Also
spelled Meuang, Muong. Compare with Khoueng).
2. [History]. Principality.
MUD. See M.U.D.
Multi-grade classroom. Classroom in which
instruction is provided at two or more grade levels.
(Also Mixed classes).
Note: Approximately 27 % of primary classrooms
are multi-grade (2015/2016).
Multi-grade school. School in which teaching is
conducted in multi-grade classrooms, usually in
sparsely populated areas, as a cost-effective
approach to providing complete primary level
instruction. (Compare with Complete school, In-
complete school, Shifting classes. See Annex
Figure 3 and Figure 4).
Multi-grade Teaching Supplement. Salary supple-
ment for teachers serving in multi-grade class-
rooms, determined as a percent of base salary, as
follows:
Two-grade classrooms 25 %
Three-grade classrooms 50 %
Note: The percent values of these supplements can
change over time. (See also Location
Supplement).
Multi-grade teaching. Instruction in the context of
two or more primary school grades in the same
classroom.
2017-07-27
Muscat Agreement. Adopted at GEM in Muscat,
Oman in May 2014. (Set global targets for
education in 2030. See also EFA, Jomtien, Dakar
Framework, Incheon Declaration).
MWP. 1. Manual of Work Procedures. (Developed
originally with support from BEGP). 2. Master
Work Plan.
N for admission of children from remote ethnic
NA. 1. National Assembly. 2. Nutrition Advisor.
3. National Authority. (Compare with PA,
definition 4).
NAC. 1. National Assembly Commission.
2. [History]. Nabong Agriculture College. (MAF;
merged into NUOL 1995).
NADA. [Lao] National Data Archive. (Also
LNADA). (See DOS).
NAFC. Northern Agriculture and Forestry College.
(Under MOAF).
NAFRI. National Agriculture and Forestry Research
Institute. (Under MOAF).
Naiban. Lao: . Village head.
NAPPA. National Academy of Politics and Public
Administration.
NAPS. National Association of Private Schools.
(Note: When this name is used in Laos, reference
is probably made to the Private Education Sector
Association.)
NAR. 1. Net Attendance Rate. (See also NARA).
2. Net Admission Rate. (Note: UIS does not
define this term. When this term is written, Net
Intake Rate (NIR) is probably meant.)
NARA. (Also ANAR). Net Attendance Rate,
Adjusted.
NASS. [Lao] National Academy of Social Sciences.
(See also LASS).
NAST. National Authority for Science and
Technology. (Under the PMO, definition 1;
compare with NSTA).
Natasin School. Lao: . School of
Dramatic Arts; School of Music and Drama.
(Under MOICT; Compare with Silapa School).
NatCom. National Commission [for UNESCO].
Also UNC.
National Day. December 2, when the proclamation
of the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic in 1975
is celebrated. (Sometimes referred to in official
documents as Independence Day).
R. & V. Noonan
National Teachers Day. Designated 7th October by
Education Law Revised 2015.
Nayobai. Lao: . Literally Policy, often
used to refer to the policy of granting special rights
or exemptions to specific individuals or groups, for
example the policy of exempting children of
teachers from sitting for admission exams for
teacher training or the affirmative action policy
communities or children of national heroes to
education programs.
NBTS. National Baseline Tracer Study.
NCA. Norwegian Church Aid. (NGO, Norway).
NCAW. National Commission for the Advancement
of Women.
NCB. National Competitive Bidding. (Compare
with DP, ICB, IS, LCB).
NCDP. National Committee for Disabled People.
(Previously National Commission for Disabled
People).
NCEA. National Conference of Education
Administrators.
NCEFA. National Commission for EFA. (See Note
to NEFAC).
NCER. National Commission for Education Reform.
NCESR. National Commission for Education
System Reform. (See NCER; NCNESR).
NCMC. National Commission for Mothers and
Children. (See also DCMC, PCMC).
NCNESR. National Commission for National
Education System Reform. (See NESR; NESRC;
NESRS; NCER).
NCP. New Colombo Plan. (Australian Government
higher education exchange program). (See also
Colombo Plan).
NCRE. See NCER.
NCSEZ. National Committee for Special [and
Specific] Economic Zones. (See also SEZ, SSEZ,
S-NCSEZ).
NCT. Newly certified teacher.
NCTC. National Charter of Teacher Competencies.
Published 2007). (See also CNC, CNTC, NTC).
NCTS. National Council for TVET and SD.
Replaced NTC December 2009. (See also
NVCLSDC).
NCU. National Committee for UNESCO.
NDF. 1. National Development Framework.
2. Nordic Development Fund.
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48
NDL. Non-dominant language. (In discourse on
language of instruction. Compare with LWC).
NDMC. National Disaster Management Committee.
(Members include MOES Chief of Cabinet).
NDMO. National Disaster Management Office.
NDPCC. National Disaster Prevention and Control
Committee.
NEA. National Education Account. (Project in
cooperation with IIEP and UIS).
NEC. 1. [Annual] National Education Conference
(typically held in July each year for planning and
preparation of the coming school year).
2. [History]. National Education Center. (Name
applied by USAID in the 1960s for cole
Suprieure de Pdagogie and other educational
institutions developed in the 1960s and early 1970s
at Dong Dok, some 10 km north of Vientiane).
NEDC. See NFEDC.
NEFAAP. National EFA Action Plan.
NEFAC. National EFA Commission. (Also
NCEFA).
Note: The National EFA Commission is referenced
by several different abbreviations in the literature,
but the Prime Ministers Decree No. 68/PM, 24
March 2005 established the National Education
for All Commission.
NEM. [History]. New Economic Mechanism.
Historical Note: Endorsed in November 1986 by
the 4 th Party Congress, launching the transition to a
market economy. Comparable with Doi Moi
policies in Vietnam. (See also New Thinking).
NENE. Not in employment, not in education.
Neo Lao Hak Xat. Lao: . See LPF.
Neo Lao Sang Xat. Lao: . See
LFNC.
NEQAF. National Education Quality Assurance
Framework.
NEQMAP. Network on Education Quality
Monitoring in the Asia-Pacific. (UNESCO
Bangkok; ESQAC and RIES are Lao members).
NEQS [F]. National Education Quality Standards
f
[Framework].
NER. Net Enrollment Rate. (Compare with GER,
ASER).
NERA. Adjusted Net Enrollment Rate (ANER).
Compare with ASER, GER, NER).
R. & V. Noonan
NERI. National Economics Research Institute.
(Under MPI).
Historical Note: Established 1997 under CPI,
definition 3.
NESE. National Excellent Students Examination.
NESPAP [Open Platform]. National Education
Systems and Policies in the Asia-Pacific.
(UNESCO).
NESQAC. 1. [Formerly] National Education
Standard and Quality Accreditation Commission.
2. [Formerly] National Education Standard and
Quality Assurance Center. (See ESQAC)
NESR. National Education System Reform (2006-
2015). (MOE, 2006). (See NCNESR; NESRS;
see also Historical Note to M5-M7).
NESRC. National Education System Reform
Committee. (See NESR; NESRS; NCER).
NESRS. National Education System Reform
Strategy [Phase I: 2006-2010, Phase II: 2010-
2015]. (MOE, April 2008). (See NCNESR;
NESRC; NESR).
Historical Note: An early draft of the NESRS was
circulated in 2006, and a later draft was circulated
in 2007. The final English version is dated April
2008, but the official Lao version is dated August
2008. In English language documents, NESRS is
commonly cited as either 2006, 2007, or 2008.
Net Attendance Rate (NAR). UIS Definition: Total
number of children in the official age group for a
given level of education attending that level at any
time during the reference academic year, expressed
as a percentage of the total population in that age
group. Compare with Net Attendance Rate
(Adjusted), Total Net Attendance Rate (TNAR).
Net Attendance Rate, Adjusted. (NARA). UIS
Definition: Total number of children of the official
primary school age who attended primary or
secondary education at any time during the
reference academic year, expressed as a percentage
of the official primary school age population.
(Compare with Net Attendance Rate, Total Net
Attendance Rate).
Note: The LSIS defines NARA for secondary level
as total number of children or youth of the official
secondary school age group who attended
secondary or tertiary education at any time during
the reference academic year, expressed as a
percentage of the corresponding population. To
provide a more complete picture, however, it also
calculates the number of secondary school children
or youth who attended primary school. Compare
2017-07-27
49
 with Net Attendance Rate (NAR), Total Net
Attendance Rate (TNAR).
Net Enrollment Rate (NER). UIS Definition:
Enrolment of the official age group for a given
level of education expressed as a percentage of the
corresponding population. (Compare with Gross
Enrollment Ratio, Age-Specific Enrollment Rate).
Net Intake Rate. (NIR). UIS Definition: Total
number of new entrants in Grade 1 of a given level
of education who are of the official entrance age
for that level, expressed as a percentage of the
population of the same age. (Compare with AIR,
GIR).
NEU. National Economics University [of Vietnam]
(in cooperative program with NUOL to provide
MBA degrees in Laos).
New Millennium. Sports plan adopted by the LNSC
in 1999.
New Thinking. [History]. Lao: Chin tanakan mai.
. Political slogan associated with NLS. National Literacy Survey. Also LNLS.
the introduction of the NEM in 1986.
NFE. Non-formal education.
NFEC. [Formerly]. Non-formal Education Center.
(See NFEDC).
Historical Note: Established 1992, renamed
NFEDC 1996.
NFED. (See DNFE).
NFEDC. Non-formal Education Development
Center. (Vientiane, at Km 8, Thadeua Road. See
NFEC, Historical Note).
NFUAJ. National Federation of UNESCO
Associations in Japan. (NGO, Japan).
NGO. Non-governmental organization. (See also
FBO, GO, INGO; NPO).
NGPES. National Growth and Poverty Eradication
Strategy. (Published June 2004. Early drafts
referred to as PRSP; NPAS, NPEP). (See also NP /
P / PP).
NGPES-Ed. National Growth and Poverty
Eradication Strategy, Part IV, Chapter 2: Poverty-
focused Education Development Action Plan
Priorities. (Early drafts referred to NPEP-Ed).
(See NGPES).
NHEC. National Higher Education Council.
(Established by the Decree on Higher Education,
2015).
NIEP. National Inclusive Education Policy. (See
NPIE).
NIEQA. National Institute for Education Quality
Assessment.
R. & V. Noonan
50
NIES. National Inclusive Education Strategy.
NIFA. National Institute of Fine Arts. (Vientiane,
under MICT).
NIPV. [History]. National Institute of Pedagogy in
Vientiane. See IUP; ESP; HIPV; NEC, definition
2; VPU; PUV. Merged into NUOL in 1996).
NIR. Net Intake Rate. (Compare with AIR, GIR).
NIT. National Implementation Team. (Compare
with DIT, definition 1, PIT, definition 1).
NL. National Library.
NLHS. Also NLHX. Lao: Neo Lao Hak Sat. See
LPF.
NLHX. Also NLHS. Lao: Neo Lao Hak Xat. See
LPF.
NLPG. National Language Processing Group.
(Under ITC).
NLSX. Lao: Neo Lao Sang Xat. See LFNC.
NMODA. National MODA. (Compare with
CCMODA).
NOC[L]. National Olympic Committee [of Laos].
Historical Note: Created 1975, recognized 1979.
Laos first participated in the Olympics 1980.
NOL. No objections Letter.
Non-basic education. [Sub-sectors in EFA context].
Upper secondary, vocational and technical, and
higher education. (Compare with Basic education.
See also PBE).
NORAD. Norwegian Agency for Development
Cooperation.
Normal [school / college / university]. [History].
Following 19 th and 20 th century American and
French terminology, Normal School or cole
Normale referred to a teacher education
institution. This historical usage is still found
today many countries in the form Normal
School, Normal College, and Normal
University. In Laos, referring to USAID support
to RLG and PGNU).
NORRAG. Network for International Policies and
Cooperation in Education and Training. (Formerly
Northern Research Review and Advisory
Group).
Northern Region. Phongsaly, Luang Namtha,
Oudamxay, Bokeo, Luang Phrabang, Houphanh,
and Xayabury Provinces. (See also Central
Region; Southern Region; Special Region).
2017-07-27
NOSPA. National Organization for the Study of
Policy and Administration.
NP / P / PP. Non-poor / Poor / Poorest. (Poverty
classification of districts established in NGPES,
published in June 2004).
Note 1: Out of the total of 142 districts (in 2004),
NGPES made the following poverty classification:
Note 2: In later writings the distribution is often
simplified as 47 Poorest, 25 Poor, and 70 Non-
poor.
Note 3: The ESDF targeted priority action to the
47 Poorest districts, but the ESDP targeted the
56 most Educationally Disadvantaged districts.
Note 4: The BEQUAL project focuses on up to 66
of the most educationally disadvantaged districts.
NP. Ngee Ann Polytechnic. (Singapore).
NPA. 1. National Plan of Action. (See especially
EFA-NPA, NSPAIE; see also POA). 2. Non-profit
association. (Defined by Decree on Associations,
No. 115/PM, 2009-04-29. See also CSO; contrast
with Mass Organization). 3. Norwegian Peoples
Aid. (NGO; Norway).
NPAS. National Poverty Alleviation Strategy.
(Renamed NGPES).
NPD. National Project Director.
NPDP. National Population and Development
Policy.
NPE. National Project Engineer. (EQIP II).
NPEP-Ed. [Lao PDR] National Poverty Eradication
Plan Education Sector. (See NGPES-Ed).
NPEP [S]. [Lao PDR] National Poverty Eradication
s
Program [Strategy]. (Earlier referred to as PRSP,
later renamed NGPES; see also NPEP-Ed).
NPF. Needs and Performance Framework.
(Allocation formula for GPE).
Note: In 2014 the performance part was
removed, and the revised allocation formula,
sometimes referred to as the revised NPF, was
based solely on need. See also MCA.)
NPHECD. National Policy for Holistic Early
Childhood Development.
NPI. National Polytechnic Institute. (Founded 1984,
merged in 1995 into NUOL, Faculty of
Engineering and Architecture. Not to be confused
R. & V. Noonan
51
with Polytechnic College located nearby). (See
FOE, definition 2; FOAR).
NPIE. National Policy on Inclusive Education.
NPIPO. NPI Project Office. Note: In Polytechnic
Institute Project leading to the establishment of
NUOL.
NPO. Non-profit organization; Not-for-profit
organization. (See NPA).
NPRS. National Poverty Reduction Strategy.
NPV. Net Present Value.
NQAF. [Generic] National Quality Assurance
Framework. (Compare with NEQAF; NQAF-TE).
NQAF-TE. National Quality Assurance Framework
for Teacher Education. (Compare with NEQAF).
NQF. National Qualifications Framework. (Also
LNVQF, NVQF, VQF. (See detail in VQF;
compare with NQI, RQF).
NQI. National Quality Infrastructure. (See also
NVQF, LNVQF, VQF; compare with NQF, RQF).
NQT. Newly qualified teacher.
NRA. National Regulatory Authority [for the UXO /
Mine Action Sector].
NRC. 1. National Research Center. (NUOL).
2. National Rehabilitation Center.
NRCHRD. National Review Conference on the
Human Resource Development. (August 1996).
NREN. National Research and Education Network.
NRIES. [Formerly]. National Research Institute for
Educational Sciences. (Re-organized in 2008 as a
department-level unit within MOE. See RIES,
Historical Note).
NSAM. [History]. National School of Administra-
tion and Management.
Historical Note: Founded 1990; merged in 1995
with the School for Higher Studies in Political
Theory to form NOSPA).
NSAW. National Strategy for the Advancement of
Women.
NSC. 1. Natural Science Center. (Within RIES).
2. [Formerly]. National Statistics Center.
(Renamed DOS, now LSB). 3. National Sports
Committee. (See also LNSC).
NSDF. National Skills Development Fund.
(Managed by MOLSW).
NSDW. National Strategy for the Development of
Women. (1998-2005, 2005-2010).
NSEDP. National Socio-Economic Development
Plan. (Also Five-Year Plan; endorsed by the Party
2017-07-27
 Congress, designed to implement the resolution of
the Congress, and approved by the National
Assembly).
1st Plan, 1981-1985;
2nd Plan, 1986-1990;
3rd Plan, 1991-1995 (Delayed implementation);
4th Plan, 1996-2000;
5th Plan, 2001-2005, 2001-2010, 2001-2020;
6th Plan, 2006-2010;
7th Plan, 2011-2015;
8th Plan, 2016-2020
Note: The abbreviations often include the Plan
number, e.g. NSEDP8 or 8NSEDP for the 8 th Plan.
NSEEA. National Strategy on Environmental
Education and Awareness.
NSG. National School Games. (Compare with
ASG).
NSMP. National School Meals Program. (See also
SMP).
NSP. Non-state Provider [of educational services].
(Compare with PPP, definition 3).
NSPAIE. National Strategy and Plan of Action on
Inclusive Education 2011-2015. (Pub. MOES,
2011).
NSTA. National Science and Technology Agency.
(See STEA; compare with NAST).
NT II. Nam Theun 2 [Hydropower Project]. (Also
NT2).
NT2. Nam Theun 2 [Hydropower Project]. (Also
NT II).
NTC. 1. National [Charter of] Teacher Compe-
tencies. (See NCTC). 2. National Training
Council. (Established in April 2002, replaced by
NCTS in December 2009). (Compare with RTC).
3. [HRD] National Technical Committee.
(Chaired by the Minister of Education and Sports,
with high-level representation from other
ministries and national organizations). (Compare
with HRDNC).
NTC-PO. National Training Council Permanent
Office.
NTEAB. National Teacher Education Advisory
Board. (Established under EQIP).
NTEP. National Teacher Education Plan. (Earlier
named NTTP, developed with support of TTEST.
Led to TES and TESAP).
NTNA. National Training Needs Analysis.
(Conducted under HRD-ME support).
R. & V. Noonan
52
NTPC. Nam Theun2 Power Company Ltd.
NTTP. National Teacher Training Plan. Renamed
NTEP (developed under TTEST support), renamed
TESAP.
NTU. 1. Network for Teacher Upgrading.
2. Nanyang Technological University.
(Singapore).
NTUC. 1. Network for Teachers Upgrading Centers.
(See also TUC). 2. [Formerly] National Teacher
Upgrading Center.
NTUP. 1. Network for Teacher Upgrading Program.
(See also TUP). 2. [Formerly] National Teacher
Upgrading Program.
NUL. See NUOL.
NUOL PS. The National University of Laos
Provincial Scholarship.
NUOL. National University of Lao PDR. (See
Annex Table 2).
Historical Note: NUOL was established by Prime
Ministerial Decree 50/PM in 1995 and opened in
1996 following the merger of nine higher
education institutions, a Center of Agriculture, and
two other institutions, namely:
1. University of Pedagogy (Dong Dok), also
known as Vientiane Teacher Training College;
2. Polytechnic University, also known as the
National Polytechnic Institute (Vientiane);
3. University of Health Sciences, also known as
the College of Medical Sciences (Vientiane);
4. College of Agriculture (Nabong);
5. College of Forestry (Dong Dok);
6. School of Irrigation (Tad Thong);
7. School of Architecture (Vientiane);
8. School of Communication and Transport
(Vientiane);
9. Lao-German School of Electronics, also
known as the College of Electronics and
Electro-technology (Vientiane);
10. Veunkham Agriculture Center (Vientiane);
11. Overseas Preparation School (Dong Dok); and
12. Overseas Reception Center (Dong Dok).
NUPT. Nanjing University of Post and
Telecommunications.
NURBIDS. National Urban-Rural Basic Infra-
structure Development Strategy.
Nursery. Nominally for children aged 3 months to 3
years; in practice more commonly for children
aged 1-3 years. (See ECCD; compare with
Crche, Kindergarten, Pre-school; see Annex
Figure 5).
2017-07-27
NUS. National University of Singapore.
NVCLSDC. National Vocational Consulting and
Labor Skill Development Council. (See NCTS).
NVCSDC. National Vocational Consulting and
Skills Development Committee.
NVQF. National Vocational Qualifications
Framework. Also LNVQF, NQF, VQF. (See
detail in VQF).
NVSDC. National Vocational Standard Development
Committee
NZAID. New Zealand International Aid and
Development Agency.
NZAP. New Zealand Aid Program.
NZAS. New Zealand ASEAN Scholar [Awards].
O enrolled in pre-primary education are excluded and
O&M. 1. Operation and Maintenance. 2. Orientation
and Mobility [for blind people].
OA. Operating Account. (WB). (See also DA).
OC. Operating Committee.
ODA. Official Development Assistance. (Some-
times incorrectly given as Overseas Development
Assistance; see also DFID, Historical Note).
Note: Includes assistance from both bilateral
donors and multilateral institutions, both grants
and concessional loans.
ODF. Open defecation free.
ODL. Open and distance learning.
ODOP. One district, one product. (Compare with
OVOP).
ODX. Oudomxay Province. (Also OUD, UDX).
OECD. Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development.
OED. Operations Evaluation Department. (WB).
OEM. Operations Evaluation Mission. (ADB).
OER. Open Educational Resources.
OffJT. Off-the-job training. (Compare with OJT).
OHRC. [Japan] Osaka Hirano Rotary Club.
OHSU. Oregon Health and Science University.
OIC. 1. Officer in Charge. 2. Organizational
Improvement Committee. (MOE).
OIF. French: Organisation Internationale de la
Francophonie. International Organization of the
French-speaking World. (Continued)
R. & V. Noonan
53
Historical Note: Laos became a member of OIF in
1991.
OJT. On-the-job training. (Compare with OffJT,
Practicum).
OM. Operations Manual. (See also POM).
OMI. [History]. Oblate of Mary Immaculate.
Historical Note: Missionary religious congregation
in the Roman Catholic Church, active in Laos from
1956 to 1974, building churches, orphanages, and
schools.
OOPP. Objectives-Oriented Project Planning. (See
also ZOPP).
OOSC. Out-of-School Children [Primary school
age]. Also OOS. UIS Definition: Number of
children of official primary school age who are not
enrolled in primary or secondary school. Children
considered out of school.
OOSCI. Out-of-School Children Initiative.
(UNICEF).
OOSCY. Out-of-School Children and Youth.
OOSR. Out-of-School Rate [for Children or Youth,
by level]. UIS Definition: For a given level of
schooling, the number of children or youth of the
official age for that level, who are not enrolled in
schooling at any level from Primary through Post-
secondary (i.e., ISCED 1-8), expressed as a
percentage of the population of official age for the
given level. Children enrolled in pre-primary
education (ISCED 0) are excluded and considered
out of school.
OP. Operation Permit. (Also referred to as Operat-
ing Permit or Operational Permit, but the
document issued to an NGO by MOFA is titled
Operation Permit).
Open learning. Learning programs which can be
interrupted at any time, in which credits or learning
units can be accumulated to bridge the gap
between courses at a given qualification level.
ORAF. Operational Risk Assessment Framework.
OSF. Open Society Foundation. (Foundation, also
known as Soros Foundation; USA).
OSOP. One School, One Project. (Project of EDF,
definition 2).
OUD. Oudomxay Province. (Also ODX, UDX).
Oudom. Lao: . Upper secondary school grades.
(Also Matanyom pai, M5-7). (Compare with
Pathom, Matanyom ton, M1-4).
Over-age Enrollment Ratio. Enrollment above the
official age group for a given level of education
2017-07-27
 expressed as a percentage of the official age
population. (Compare with Under-age Enrollment
Ratio, Gross Enrollment Ratio, Net Enrollment
Rate).
OVI. Objectively Verifiable Indicator. (Used
especially in LFA; see also SOV).
OVOP. One village, one product. (Compare with
ODOP).
OxAus. Oxfam Australia. (NGO, Australia).
P Southeast Asia.
P. See NP / P / PP.
P1-P3. [History]. Primary, 1st Cycle, grades 1-3.
(See also P4-P6).
P1-P5. Primary grades 1-5. (See Pathom). (Also
G1-G5). (Compare with M1-M4, M5-M7).
P4-P6. [History]. Primary, 2 nd Cycle, grades 4-6.
(See also P1-P3).
PA. 1. Pedagogical Advisor. (Experienced teacher
responsible for monitoring, supervising, and
supporting teachers at school level. For primary
level, based at DESB; for secondary level, based at
PESS. See also PPA, SPA). 2. Professional
Assistant [based at TEIs and responsible for
development of teacher trainers]. 3. Provincial
[bank] account. 4. Provincial Assembly.
(Compare with NA, definition 3). 5. Performance
Assessment. (See PAF).
PACSA. [Formerly]. Public Administration and
Civil Service Authority. (See MOHA).
PAD. 1. Project Appraisal Document (WB).
2. [Formerly]. Policy Analysis Division.
(Renamed SREAC).
PADETC. Participatory Development Training
Center. (Vientiane; established 1996).
PAF. Performance Assessment Framework.
(Compare with PAM, definition 2).
Pagoda. See Wat.
Pali. Liturgical language of Theravada Buddhism.
Written in the Tham script.
Pali Institute. See Sangha College, Vientiane.
Pali School. Schools providing monastic education,
including the Buddhist Dhamma (doctrine, teach-
ings of the Buddha) and the Pali language, with
teaching at primary, secondary, and tertiary level.
Historical Note: Before the French Colonial
Period, the wat served as the center of culture and
learning. During the colonial period the temple
schools, especially in the rural villages, began to
R. & V. Noonan
54
teach school-age boys not only the traditional
religious curriculum but also secular subjects
reading, writing, and arithmetic. With the spread
of state-based secular schooling, enrollments in the
Pali schools declined, especially after the intro-
duction of compulsory schooling. (Not to be
confused with the secular functions of Temple
schools or Wat schools).
Palm leaf manuscript. [History]. Documents,
mainly Buddhist religious texts, written on palm
leaves, among the first writing materials used in
PAM. 1. Project Administration Manual. (ADB).
2. Policy Action Matrix (e.g., in PAF).
PAME. Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation.
PAP. Project Affected Persons.
PAR. 1. Participatory action research. 2. Project
Appraisal Report.
Paris Declaration [on Aid Effectiveness].
Declaration signed at high level conference in
Paris, March 2, 2005. (See also Vientiane
Declaration on Aid Effectiveness). Main features
included:
Ownership: Developing countries set their own
strategies for poverty reduction, improve their
institutions and tackle corruption;
Alignment: Donor countries align behind these
objectives and use local systems in their support
programs;
Harmonization: Donor countries coordinate,
their programs, simplify procedures and share
information to avoid duplication;
Results: Developing countries and donors shift
focus to development results and results get
measured; and
Mutual accountability: Donors and partners are
accountable for development results.
Pariyatti. Pali: Intellectual or theoretical understand-
ing of the teachings of the Buddha.
Party Congress. Key decision-making forum. First
Party Congress held in 1955. Since 1986 held
every five years and endorsing the Five-Year Plan
(FYP, formally NSEDP) for the following period:
1st Congress March 22, 1955 No FYP
2nd Congress February 3-6, 1972 No FYP
3rd Congress April 27-30, 1982 1st FYP
4th Congress Nov. 13-15, 1986 2nd FYP
5 Congress March 27-29, 1991 3rd FYP
th
6th Congress March 18-20, 1996 4th FYP
7th Congress March 12-14, 2001 5th FYP
8th Congress March 18-21, 2006 6th FYP
2017-07-27
 9th Congress March 17-21, 2011 7th FYP
10 th Congress January 18-22, 2016 8th FYP
Party, The. See LPRP.
PASEC. French: Programme dAnalyse des Systmes
ducatifs de la CONFEMEN. Program on the
Analysis of Education Systems of CONFEMEN.
Pasopkane Teacher. Lao: . Experienced
Teacher. [Title, 4 th Rank]. (See also Samnanekane
Teacher; Xiosane Teacher; Xiosane Avouso
Teacher).
PATA. Policy and Advisory Technical Assistance.
(ADB).
Pathet Lao. [History]. Lao: . Literally
Land of the Lao [people]. In the 1950s through
1975 it was widely used in Western literature to
denote the Lao revolutionary movement as a
whole.
Pathom. Lao: . Primary school grades. (See
P1-P5; compare with Matanyom, Oudom).
Paxaxon teacher. Lao: . Peoples Teacher.
(Honorific title for teacher selected at provincial
level). Compare with Haeng Xad Teacher.
Payment Course. See Special Course.
PBA. 1. Program Based Approach. 2. Performance
Based Allocation (ADB).
PBC. Planning and Budgeting Committee.
PBE. Post-Basic Education.
PBL. 1. Project Based Learning. 2. Problem Based
Learning.
PBMIS. Planning and Budgeting Management
Information System.
PC. [Historical]. Price Comparison.
PCA. 1. Procurement Capacity Assessment (WB).
2. Program Cooperation Agreement.
PCC. Party Central Committee. (See also
LRPPCC).
PCD. 1. Project Coordination Division. (See PCU).
2. Planning and Cooperation Department. (See
MOES/DPC). 3. Procurement Concept Document
(WB).
PCEM. [History]. French. Premier Cycle dtudes
Mdicales. First cycle of study toward Doctor of
Medicine degree.
PCF. Pestalozzi Childrens Foundation. (NGO,
Switzerland).
R. & V. Noonan
PCK. Pedagogical Content Knowledge. Seven
domains proposed for teacher education:
1. Content knowledge;
2. Pedagogical knowledge;
3. Knowledge of educational contexts;
4. Knowledge of learners;
5. Curriculum knowledge;
6. Pedagogical content knowledge; and
7. Knowledge of educational ends, purposes,
values.
Note: Proposed by L. S. Shulman. (Compare with
PK, SMK).
PClR. Pupil/Classroom Ratio. (Note: UIS does not
define a Pupil/Classroom Ratio. Compare with
PTR). (Note also that the third letter is lower-case
L, not upper-case i).
PCM. 1. Provincial Coordination Meeting.
2. Provincial Coordinating Mechanism. 3. Project
Cycle Management.
PCMC. Provincial Commission for Mothers and
Children. (See also NCMC).
PCN. Project Concept Note.
PCR. 1. Project Completion Report. (ADB). (WB,
renamed ICR). 2. Primary Completion Rate.
(Note: UIS does not define a Primary Completion
Rate. See Cohort Completion Rate and Gross
Intake Ratio to Last Grade of Primary).
3. Pupil/Class Ratio. Compare with PTR.
Referred to by UIS as Class Size.
PCSS. Procurement Contract Summary Sheet.
(ADB). (See also PCUS).
PCU. Project Coordination Unit. (See also PID,
definition 3; PIU).
PCUS. Procurement Contract Update Sheet. (ADB).
(See also PCSS).
PD. 1. Professional development. 2. Paris
Declaration. (Compare with VD). 3. Presidential
Decree.
PDA. Professional Development Assistants.
PDC. 1. Professional Development Coordination.
2. Professional Development Coordinator.
PDD. 1. Project Design Document. 2. Program
Design Document.
PDM. Project Design Matrix.
PDMC. Provincial Disaster Management
Committee.
PDN. Professional Development Network.
2017-07-27
55
PDO. 1. Program Development Operations. (WB).
2. Project Development Objective. (WB).
PDP. 1. Professional Development Program.
2. Professional Development Plan. 3. Provincial
Development Plan.
PDR. Peoples Democratic Republic.
PDS. Project Data Sheet. (ADB).
PDU. Professional Development Unit.
PE. 1. Primary Education. 2. Physical Education.
(Compare with AE, definition 2).
PEA. 1. Private Education Association. (Formally
Association of Private Education). 2. Project
Executing Agency. (Compare with PIA).
3. Provincial Education Allocation. 4. [Historical].
Provincial Education Authority.
PEACO. Private Education Advisory Council
Office.
PE [C]C. [Formerly]. Private Education [Con-
cc
sultative] Council. (Renamed PEACO).
PEDA. Population Education and Development
Association. (CSO).
PEEP. Primary Education Equivalency Program.
(Also PEP).
PEFA. Public Expenditure and Financial
Accountability.
PEM. Public Expenditure Management.
PEMSP. [Formerly]. Public Expenditure Manage-
ment Strengthening Program. (Renamed PFMSP).
PEO. [History]. Provincial Education Officer.
PEP. 1. Public Expenditure Plan. 2. Primary
Education Equivalency Program. (Also PEEP).
PEQS. Primary Education Quality Standards.
P-EQS. Priority Education Quality Standards.
PER. Public Expenditure Review.
Permanent teacher. A teacher (regardless of qualifi-
cations) permanently assigned to a given school.
(Compare with Temporary teacher). (Not to be
confused with Quota teacher).
PERP. [History]. Post-secondary Education
Rationalization Project. (Also PSERP. 1995-
2003. External financing by ADB. Led to the
establishment of NUOL).
Persistence Rate [to Grade 5]. See Survival Rate.
Note: This term is used by the World Bank
Development Indicators, but it corresponds to the
UIS indicator Survival Rate [to Grade 5] with
repetition.
R. & V. Noonan
56
PES. [History]. Provincial Education Services.
(Renamed PESS in 2010). (See also CES).
PESL. Primary Education Support for Laos.
(External financing by French Cooperation).
PESS. Provincial Education and Sports Services.
(Formerly PES). (See Annex Table 1).
PET. Project Evaluation Team.
PETS. Public Expenditure Tracking Survey.
Peuan Mit. Lao: . Friends. (NGO; see FI).
PFM. Public Financial Management.
PFMSP. Public Financial Management Strengthen-
ing Program. (External financing by WB;
formerly PEMSP).
PFO. Project Financial Officer.
PFS. Provincial Financial Services.
PGNU. [History]. Provisional Government of
National Union. (Official title of the 2 nd and 3 rd
Coalition Governments, 1962-1963, 1973-1975).
Phaetsat [University]. Lao: . University of
Health Sciences. (Vientiane; see UHS).
Phagna. [History]. Lao: . Honorary title of
nobility, usually granted in recognition of military
or civil service to the state.
PHC. Population and Housing Census.
Phi. Lao: . Spirit an incorporeal being, as in
spirit world.
PHO. Phongsaly Province. (Also PSL).
Phra Sangkharat. Lao: . Chief Abbot
of the Lao Buddhist Sangha.
PI. Plan International. (INGO).
PIA. Project Implementing Agency. Also Project
Implementation Agency. (Compare with PEA,
definition 2).
PIAAC. Program for the International Assessment of
Adult Competencies. (OECD. Compare with
PISA).
PIB. Public information booklet. (ADB).
PIC. Pubic Information Center. (World Bank
Office, Vientiane).
PID. 1. Project Information Document (WB).
2. Program Information Document (WB).
3. Project Implementation Division. (See also
PCU, PIU). 4. Project implementation design.
Pillar. See Three Pillars; Four Pillars of Education.
PIM. Project Implementation Manual.
2017-07-27
Pioneer [s]. See Young Pioneers.
s PNU. Philippines Normal University. (See Normal
PIP. 1. Public Investment Program. 2. Project
Implementation Plan.
PIR. Project Implementation Report.
PIRLS. Progress in International Reading Literacy
Study.
PIS. Panyathip International School. (Private,
Vientiane).
PISA. Program for International Student
Assessment. (OECD. Compare with IEA,
PIAAC).
PIT. 1. Provincial Implementation Team. (Compare
with DIT, definition 1; NIT). 2. Provincial
Inclusive Education Trainer.
Pitaka. Pali: [literally Basket, hence collection of]
Buddhist teachings. (See also Tipitaka).
PIU. Project Implementation Unit. (See also PCU;
PID, definition 3; PMU). (Compare with DPIU;
PPIU).
PK. Pedagogical Knowledge. (Compare with PCK,
SMK).
PL. Policy Letter (WB). (See also DPL).
PLA. Participatory Learning and Action.
Plan. Plan International Laos. (INGO)
Play group. School readiness program for pre-school
children, organized by the community, typically
with support from NGOs. (Compare with Crche,
Pre-school, Kindergarten., CBSRP. See Annex
Figure 5).
PLC. Professional Learning Community.
PLD. Provincial Labor Department.
PLM. Primary Learning Metrics. Also SEA-PLM.
(A SEAMEO initiative).
PM. 1. Progress map. 2. Policy matrix (e.g., in
ESDF). 3. Person-months. 4. Prime Minister.
PMD. Project Management Division. (MOES,
within DP, definition 3).
PMF. Performance Measurement Framework.
PMIS. Personnel Management Information System.
(Compare with CMIS, EMIS, FMIS, GIS).
PMO. 1. Prime Ministers Office. 2. Project
Management Office.
PMP. Performance Monitoring Plan.
PMR. Project Management Reporting.
PMRO. Project Monitoring and Reporting Officer.
PMU. Program Management Unit. (See also PIU).
R. & V. Noonan
57
school / college / university).
PO. 1. Program Officer. 2. Permanent Office.
3. Plan of Operation.
POA. Plan of Action. (See also NPA, definition 1).
Polytechnic Institute. Post-secondary, non-tertiary
vocational institution offering courses in many
fields.
POM. 1. Project Operation Manual. (See also OM).
2. Policy and Operations Manual.
PoP. Pencils of Promise. (NGO, USA).
PORDEA. Poverty Reduction and Development
Association.
Post-Colonial Period. Historical Note: Period
between the end of the French Colonial Period and
the Revolution December 2, 1975. Different
writers refer to different periods: 1945-1975, 1949-
1975, 1954-1975, 1957-1975, or 1958-1975. (See
French Colonial Period for timeline. See also
Semi-Royalist Period).
POWER International. [Formerly]. (Private non-
profit company, UK).
PP. 1. Preparation Plan. 2. See NP / P / PP.
PPA. 1. Primary Pedagogical Advisor. (See also PA,
SPA). 2. Pupil-Parent Association. 3. Project
Preparation Advance. 4. Participatory Poverty
Assessment.
PPAL. [Association for the] Preservation of the Arts
and Literature. (Lao CSO).
PPAR. Project Performance Audit Report. (ADB;
compare with TPAR).
PPD. Primary and Preschool [Education]
Department. (See DPPE).
PPE. 1. Provincial Project Engineer (EQIP II).
2. Pre-primary Education.
PPF. Project Preparation Facility (WB).
PPID. Provincial Planning and Investment
Department.
PPIU. Provincial Project Implementation Unit.
(Compare with PIU, DPIU).
PPM. Policy Planning Matrix. (E.g., in ESDP).
PPO. [Project] Procurement Officer.
PPP. 1. Purchasing Power Parity (also ppp).
2. Program, Policy, and Procedure. 3. Public-
Private Partnership. (Compare with 4Ps, NSP).
4. Progressive Promotion Policy. (See Automatic
Promotion).
PPPD. Public-Private Partnership Dialogue.
2017-07-27
PPR. Project Performance Report. (ADB).
PPRA. Project Procurement-related Audit. (ADB).
PPRE. Per Pupil Recurrent Expenditure.
PPS. 1. Provincial Planning Service. 2. Probability
proportional to size. (Sampling method commonly
used in school surveys; contrast with SRS).
PPTA. Project Preparatory Technical Assistance.
(Also Project Preparation Technical Assistance).
PR [by grade]. Promotion Rate [by grade].
PRA. Participatory Rural Appraisal.
Practicum. (TVET). Course in which theory is put
into practice in an actual workplace, e.g., in an
enterprise. (Compare with OJT).
Pratom. See Pathom.
PRC. 1. Provincial Rehabilitation Center.
2. Peoples Republic of China.
Pre-ADS. Pre-Australian Development Scholarship.
Pre-education. See Pre-school.
PREI. Procurement Review for Effective Implemen-
tation. (ADB).
Pre-primary. Pre-school classes, usually attached to
a primary school, to prepare children to enter
Grade 1. Government initiatives target particularly
non-Lao ethnic groups, girls, and children from the
poorest families who have not attended
Kindergarten. Private initiatives generally serve
urban middle income families. (See Annex Figure
1 and Figure 5. Compare with ECCD; contrast
with Pre-school).
Note: In Laos, often used as synonymous with
Grade 0, but this usage is at variance with the
ISCED 0 classification, which includes children
aged 3 to the start of Primary. In practice many
Pre-primary classes include children ranging in age
from 3 to 5, which is consistent with ISCED 0
classification and data provided by UIS.
Pre-school. Commonly referring to services for
children aged 2 - 5 years, sometimes from 3
months. Can include Crche, kindergarten, and
Pre-primary. Also called Pre-Education. (Com-
pare with ECCD, Pre-primary; see Annex Figure 1
and Figure 5).
PRESET. Pre-service education and training. (See
also INSET and UPSET).
PRF. Poverty Reduction Fund.
PRGF. Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility
(WB).
R. & V. Noonan
58
Primary Completion Rate. (Note: UIS does not
define a Primary Completion Rate. See Cohort
Completion Rate.)
Primary school. Grades 1 - 5. (See also Pathom;
Annex Figure 1).
Priority District. A district prioritized for poverty-
reduction or other specific government action.
(See NGPES; see also NP / P / PP, Note 3).
PrMO. Procurement Monitoring Office. (MOF).
PROAP. Principal Regional Office for Asia and the
Pacific (UNESCO Bangkok; includes Asia and
Pacific Regional Bureau for Education).
Historical Note: Established 1986.
ProCEEd. Promotion of Climate-related Environ-
mental Education. (Under MONRE, GIZ).
PRODOC. 1. Project Document. 2. Program
Document.
Progressive Promotion. See Automatic Promotion.
Promotion Rate [by grade]. (PR). UIS Definition:
Proportion of students from a cohort enrolled in a
given grade in a given school year who study in
the next grade in the following school year.
(Compare with SR, TR).
Proviseur. [History]. French: [School] Principal,
Director.
PRS. Poverty Reduction Strategy.
PRSC. Poverty Reduction Support Credit. (WB).
PRSO. Poverty Reduction Support Operation.
(Multi-sector budget support program led by WB
and with the participation of EC and others,
starting in 2007). (See also GBS, SBS).
PRSP. Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper. (WB).
(See also IPRSP, renamed NPEP by GOL, later
renamed NGPES).
PRTR. Progress Report on Tranche Release.
(ADB).
PSC. 1. Project Steering Committee. 2. Population
Study Center. (NUOL).
PSE. Post-secondary education.
PSERP. [History]. Also PERP. Post-secondary
Education Rationalization Project, 1995-2003.
(Sometimes incorrectly referred to as Post-
Secondary Rehabilitation Project. External
financing by ADB. Contributed to the establish-
ment of NUOL).
PSI. 1. Population Services International. (INGO).
2. [History]. Primary School Inspector.
PSIA. Poverty and Social Impact Analysis. (WB).
2017-07-27
PSL. Phongsaly Province. (Also PHO).
PSM. 1. Prospective School Map. 2. Provincial
Simulation Model. (For education planning).
PSP. Primary school principal.
PSQS. Primary School Quality Standards. (Based
on and replaces SOQ; compare with SSQS).
Note: The PSQS instrument comprise 42 items
relating to the student, teaching and learning
methods, the school environment, management and
administration, and community participation, but it
does not include evidence about student learning
outcomes.
PSR. Public Service Reform.
PSS. Pedagogical Support System.
PSSCM. Primary-Secondary School Cluster Model.
PSSP. Primary School Sanitation Program
(UNICEF).
PSSZ. Primary School Service Zone. (Created under
EQIP II, mechanism for managing student flow
within a region).
PST. Primary school teacher.
PSTE. Pre-school Teacher Education.
PSTTD. Pre-service Teacher Training Division. (In
DTE; compare with ISTTD).
PSU. Project Support Unit. (MOES, later subsumed
by DPC).
PTC. 1. Polytechnic College. 2. Propaganda &
Training Committee [of Central Committee of the
Party].
PTCA. Parent-Teacher Community Association.
PTE. Primary Teacher Education.
PTI. Private Training Institution.
PTR. Pupil/Teacher Ratio. UIS Definition: (Head-
count basis: Total number of pupils enrolled at the
specified level of education divided by the number
of teachers at the same level). (Also known as
Student/Teacher Ratio). (See Annex Table 8).
PTS. Pakpasak Technical School. (Vientiane).
PTTC. Pakse Teacher Training College.
PUCA. Provincial Unit for Construction Assistance.
PUCDA. Provincial Unit for Construction and
Development Assistance. (See also DUCDA).
Purchasing power parity. PPP. Technique used to
determine the relative value of different currencies;
useful for making comparisons between countries.
(E.g., see International Dollar).
R. & V. Noonan
59
PUV. [History]. Pedagogical University, Vientiane.
(Also known as Institut Universitaire Pdagogie,
cole Suprieure de Pdagogie, Vientiane Higher
Pedagogical Institute, Vientiane Teacher Training
College, College of Education, Vientiane Teacher
Training School, National School of Pedagogy,
Dong Dok Institute of Pedagogy, National Institute
of Pedagogy [Vientiane], and Vientiane Peda-
gogical University). (See also IUP; ESP; HIPV;
NEC, definition 2; NIPV; VPU. Merged into
NUOL in 1996).
Note: Still today, one of the buildings at the NUOL
Dong Dok campus is often referred to as the PUV
building, usually without an awareness of the
origin or meaning of the term.
PWD. Person(s) with disability (disabilities); People
with disabilities. (See also CWD).
PWG. Project Working Group.
PWMS. Pooled Weighted Mean Score.
PWP. Project Work Plan.
Q
QA. Quality Assurance.
QAC. [Formerly]. Quality Assurance Center. (See
ESQAC).
QAE. Quality at Entry. (WB).
QAG. Quality Assurance Group. (WB).
QAM. Quality Assurance Mechanism.
QAS. Quality Assurance System.
QAU. Quality Assurance Unit.
QBS. Quality-based Selection. (ADB, WB).
(Compare with QCBS).
QCBS. Quality- and Cost-based Selection. (ADB,
WB). (Compare with QBS).
QE. Quality education.
QEEG. Quality [Basic] Education, Especially Girls
[Project]. (Supported by UNICEF).
QER. 1. Quality Education Project. (SCNL).
2. Quality Enhancement Review. (WB).
QES. Quality Education Standard. (See also EQS,
SOQ, PSQS, SSQS).
QF. Qualification Framework.
QIP. Quality Improvement Plan.
QITEP. [SEAMEO Regional Center for] Quality
Improvement of Teachers and Education
Personnel. (Continued)
2017-07-27
 Note: There are three QITEP Regional Centers Rank. (Of teachers). Title officially awarded on the
focusing on language, mathematics, and science, basis of merit in teaching and associated with
respectively. All are in Indonesia. salary supplements:
QMS. Quality management system. Lao term Rank English term .
QOP. [Historical]. Quotation of Price. Xiosane Avouso 1st Senior Expert;
QPR. Quarterly Progress Report. Xiosane 2nd Expert;
Samnanekane 3rd Skilled;
QSA. Quality of Supervision Assessment. (WB).
Pasopkane 4th Experienced.
QSL. Quaker Service Laos. (NGO, USA). Program .
of AFSC. (Compare with Honorific Title).
QTS. Qualified teacher status. Note: These categories are defined in the
Education Law of 2007 and expanded in Article 50
Qualified teacher. A teacher with current formal of the Education Law of 2015.
teacher education qualifications for the level of
schooling at which he/she is teaching. (See RAS. Rapid Assessment Survey.
Underqualified teacher; Unqualified teacher; RBA. Rights-based Approach. (Compare with DDA,
Certified teacher). HRBA).
Quartile. See Quintile, definition 1, Notes. RBAC. Rattana Business Administration College.
Quintile. 1. Each of 5 numerically equal groups into (Private college, Vientiane)
which a population can be divided according to the RBM. Results-based management.
values of a particular variable. E.g. With test
scores, the 1st quintile would include the lowest 20 RC. Resource Center.
% of scores, and the 5th quintile would include the RCC. Regional Consultative Committee [on Disaster
highest 20 % of scores. 2. The cut-off value Management].
separating the groups; e.g., the 2 nd quintile would
be the score below which 2/5 of the scores fall. RCM. Resource Center Manager.
Note 1: Some writers invert the scale, referring to RCP. Regional Cooperation Platform. (Network of
top 20 % as the 1st quintile. universities involved in VTE in the ASEAN region
Note 2: Related terms include Tertile or Tercile (3 and China).
groups), Quartile (4 groups), Decile (10 groups), RDC. Research Development Committee. (NUOL).
etc.
RDMA. 1. Regional Development Mission for Asia.
Quota teacher. A teacher employed as civil servant, (Bangkok. USAID regional implementation
based on a government quota or long term salary office). 2. Rural Development in Mountainous
commitment established by the National Assembly Areas.
and the Ministry of Finance, and whose salary is
set by the Civil Service Commission. (See also RE. Recipient Executed. (WB).
Community teacher; Contract teacher; Village READI. Regional EU-ASEAN Dialogue
teacher; Volunteer teacher). Instruments.
Note: The concept of Quota teacher should not be
confused with the concept of Qualified teacher, RECSAM. Regional Center for Education in Science
since there exist quota teachers who are and Mathematics. (SEAMEO, in Penang,
Underqualified or even Unqualified. Malaysia).
Historical Note: In 2011/12 budget year the quota Redd barna. Norwegian: Save the Children
system was abolished, and the needs were to be Norway. (See SC, definition 1; SCF/N; SCN).
met from the local level, based on directions from REF. Recurrent Education Fund. (Formerly SBG).
the district and provincial development plans. In
2013/14, however, a severe budget deficit RELC. Regional Language Center (SEAMEO,
compelled the restoration of the quota system. Singapore).
Repetition Rate (RR) [by grade]. UIS Definition:
R Proportion of students from a cohort enrolled in a
given grade at a given school year who study in
R&D. Research and Development.
the same grade in the following school year.
RAI. Radio-Assisted Instruction. (Compare with (Compare with Total Repetition Rate).
CAI; IAI, definition 1; TAI).

R. & V. Noonan 2017-07-27

60
RET. Rural Ethnic Teacher Project. (Project of
EDF, definition 2).
RETA. Regional Technical Assistance.
RETRAC. [SEAMEO] Regional Training Center.
(In Ho Chi Minh City).
Reverse Gender Gap. Generic term referring to
gender disparity. In the education sector it usually
refers to the female/male ratio of some common
statistic, such as NERf/NERm or Literacy
Ratef/Literacy Rate m. A Reverse Gender Gap is
indicated when the ratio is greater than 1. It is not
defined by UIS. (Sometimes referred to as
Inverse Gender Gap. Compare with Gender
Gap).
Revision. The process of review or study, as for an
examination. (Chiefly British).
Revision notes. Students study notes, especially in
preparing for an exam. (See Revision).
RF. 1. Registration Fee. 2. Resettlement
Framework.
RFP. Request for Payment.
RFQ. Request for Quote.
RICE. 1. Returns Invested in Children and
Education. (ICO, Singapore). 2. Raffles
International Centre for Education. (Private
college, Vientiane).
RIES. Research Institute for Educational Sciences.
(MOES; see also NRIES).
Historical Note:
1960 Compilation Div. of Education Committee
(LPF Central Committee);
1975 Dept. of Research & Compilation (Re-
organization merging Dept. of Research &
Compilation with NEC, definition 2);
1983 Research Committee for Educational
Sciences (Reorganization replacing the
Dept. of Research & Compilation and the
Research Committee for Educational
Sciences);
1986 Research Institute for Educational Sciences;
1996 National Research Institute for Educational
Sciences;
2008 Research Institute for Educational Sciences.
RIHED. Regional Center for Higher Education and
Development (SEAMEO, in Bangkok).
(Sometimes incorrectly referred to as Regional
Center for Higher Education Development, i.e.,
missing the and).
RIP. Remote In-service Program.
R. & V. Noonan
61
RLG. [History]. Royal Lao Government. Replaced
by the Government of the Lao PDR December
1975.
RMA. Revenue Management Arrangements.
RMES. Results-Based [Sector Performance]
Monitoring and Evaluation System.
RMIT [University]. (Main campus, Melbourne,
Australia).
Historical Note: Formerly Royal Melbourne
Institute of Technology. Renamed RMIT
University in 1992.
RNFEC. Regional Non-formal Education Center.
RNI. Rate of Natural Increase [of the population].
ROEAP. [UNESCO] Regional Office for Education
in Asia and the Pacific. (Bangkok).
Historical Note: Formerly Regional Office for
Primary Education, established 1961. Became
ROEAP 1978 and PROAP 1986.
ROK. Republic of Korea. (South Korea. Compare
with DPRK).
RP. Resource Person.
RPL. Recognition of Prior Learning. (See also
APEL; APL, definition 2).
RPP. Reading Promotion Project.
RQ. Required qualification. (See also ARQ; BRQ).
RQA. Registry of Qualified Applicants.
RQF. Regional Qualification[s] Framework.
(ASEAN). (Compare with NQF).
RR. Repetition Rate [by grade]. (Compare with
Total Repetition Rate).
RRDPA. Rural Research and Development
Promoting Knowledge Association. (Lao NPA).
RRDTC. Rural Research & Development Training
Center. (RRDPA).
RRP. Report and Recommendation of the President
[to the Board of Directors]. (ADB).
RRR. Risk Reduction and Resilience.
RTA. Regional Technical Assistance.
RTC. Regional Training Council. (Compare with
NTC).
RTF. Round Table Forum. (See also RTM).
RTIM. Round Table Implementation Meeting.
(Annual. See also RTM).
RtL. Right to Learn. (Project supporting IE).
2017-07-27
RTM. Round Table Meeting [of Government and
Development Partners]. (Every 4 th year. See also
HLRTM, RTIM).
RTP. Round Table Process. (See also RTIM; RTM).
RtR. Room to Read [Laos]. (NGO, international).
RTTC. [History]. Rural Teacher Training College.
RUPP. Royal University of Phnom Penh.
RVA. Recognition, validation, and accreditation.
RVT. Rural vocational training.
S schooling). (Compare with San Kang, San Ton).
S&T. Science and Technology.
SA. 1. Special Account. 2. Social Assessment.
SAA. [Historical]. State Audit Authority.
SABER. 1. Systems Approach for Better Education
Results. 2. Systems Assessment for Better
Education Results. 3. Systems Approach and
Benchmarking for Education Results. (World
Bank; note that even in official World Bank
documents and websites, these different names
appear).
SAC. 1. Structural Adjustment Credit. (WB). 2.
Self-Assessment Committee.
SAEFI. [Group for] Supporting Asian Education
Fund Ibaraki. (Japanese NGO, Ibaraki Prefecture).
SAGP. School Access Grants Program. (Under
SESDP). (See also EDGP; SAGPM; SSSP).
SAGPM. School Access Grants Program Manual.
Sala. Lao: . An open place of shelter, rest,
meditation, and ceremonies, often associated with
a Buddhist temple (wat).
Salary supplement. See Location Supplement;
Multi-grade Teaching Supplement.
SALT [Volunteer]. Serving and Learning Together.
(Volunteer program of the MCC).
Sam Neua Province. [History]. Under the RLG
administration, the northeastern province, border-
ing on Vietnam, with capital city Sam Neua.
Under Pathet Lao administration, the capital city
was Viang Xai. After the Revolution, renamed
Huaphanh Province, with capital city Sam Neua.
(See also Wapikhamthong Province).
Sam sang. Lao: [literally] Three Builds. Capacity
development policy as introduced by the 9th Party
Congress (March 2011) and expressed in the 7 th
NSEDP. (See also Boukthalu).
R. & V. Noonan
62
Samnanekane Teacher. Lao: Highly Experienced
Teacher. [Title, 3 rd Rank]. (See also Pasopkane
Teacher; Xiosane Teacher; Xiosane Avouso
Teacher).
San Kang. (Also Sankang). Lao: Upper certificate
level vocational and technical program (3-year
program after completion of lower secondary
schooling). (Compare with San Sung, San Ton).
San Sung. (Also Sansung). Lao: Higher diploma or
degree level technical and professional program
(typically 4-year program at polytechnic institute
or university after completion of upper secondary
San Ton. (Also Santon, Santong, San Tonh). 1. Lao:
Lower certificate level vocational program; 1- or
2-year vocational program after completion of
lower secondary schooling; can also be operated in
vocational centers, upper secondary general and
TVET schools, TVET colleges, and enterprises).
2. [Formerly]. 3-year program after completion of
primary schooling (5 + 3), now phased out.
(Compare with San Kang, San Sung).
Sangha. Lao: . [In Theravada Buddhism]
Monastic order; the community of (at least
partially) enlightened people, often referring to the
community of Buddhist monks and nuns.
Sangha College, Champasak. Buddhist higher
education institution.
Historical Note: The Pariyatti Dhamma School
was established in 1940 in Wat Luang Pakse. In
1942 a Pali School is established in the same
monastery. In 1944, the Institute Indigne
Dtudes Bouddhiques was established there, and
after Independence, the Pai Schools and the
Institute of Buddhist Studies were renamed as
Buddhist High Schools. In 2005 Champasak
Sangha College was established.
Sangha College, Vientiane. Buddhist higher
education institution, at Wat Ong Teu. Also
National Monastic College.
Historical Note: In the 17 th century King Souligna
Vongsa transformed Wat Ong Teu into a Buddhist
learning center in order to teach, enlighten, and
inspire worshippers. Pariyatti Dhamma School
was established 1929 in Vientiane; renamed the
Pali Institute in 1953; renamed Buddhist
Educational Institute in 1967; renamed the Sangha
College in 1996.
Sangha School. Lao: . Hong hian song.
Buddhist school, which can include both primary
and secondary level.
2017-07-27
Sangkharat. Lao: . [In Theravada
Buddhism] Abbot of the Lao Buddhist Sangha.
(See also Phra Sangkharat).
SAO. State Audit Organization.
SAR. 1. Self-Assessment Report. 2. Staff Appraisal
Report. (WB). 3. [Of China] Special
Administrative Region. (Hong Kong and Macau).
4. Saravane Province. (Also SRV).
SAREC. Swedish Agency for Research Cooperation
with Developing Countries.
SAT. Sida Advisory Team (for TTEST).
Satellite school. An incomplete primary school
organized into a school cluster. (See Annex Figure
6). (Compare with Core school).
SAV. [History]. 1. School of Architecture Vientiane.
(MCTPC; merged into NUOL in 1995). 2.
Savannakhet Province. (Also SKT, SVK).
Save. See SC. [E.g. She works for one of the Saves
maybe Save Australia.]
SBD. Standard Bidding Document.
SBG. [Formerly]. School Block Grant. (Also BG.
See REF).
SBM. School-based management.
SBS. Sector Budget Support. (Compare with GBS;
see also PRSO).
SBSD. Support for Better Service Delivery. (Under
GPAR).
SBT. School-based training. Compare with DCT.
SC. 1. Save the Children (Australia, Norway (Redd
barna), UK). (INGO). 2. Steering Committee.
3. Standing Committee. 4. Sangha College.
5. School construction.
SC UK. Save the Children [Federation] UK.
(NGO, UK). Also SCF/UK, SCUK.
SCA. Save the Children [Federation] Australia.
(NGO, Australia). Also SCF/A.
SCAC. School Cluster Administrative Committee.
Scaffolding. Instructional support given during the
learning process, tailored to the learning goals and
needs of the student and gradually removed as the
student develops autonomous learning strategies.
A concept closely related to the idea of ZPD.
SCC. Sangha College, Champasak.
SCEP. Steering Committee on Education Projects.
SCF. Save the Children Federation.
R. & V. Noonan
SCF/A. Save the Children [Federation] Australia.
(NGO, Australia; also called Save Australia,
SCA). See also SCI.
SCF/N. Save the Children [Federation] Norway.
(NGO, Norway; also called Save Norway). (See
also Redd barna, SCI).
SCF/UK. Save the Children [Federation] UK.
(NGO, UK; also called Save UK, SC-UK,
SCUK). See also SCI.
School Assembly. Committee comprising the school
principal and teachers or teacher representatives
(depending on the size and organization of the
school) responsible for school management
decisions. (Also called School Management
Committee).
School based training. [According to TVET Law,
December 2013] TVET training based mainly in
schools with occasional practice in real-world
production unit in accordance with the curriculum.
(Compare with Dual cooperative training).
School cluster [Network]. 1. Primary school
cluster. A group of primary schools, usually
including at least one complete primary school
(core school) and one or more incomplete schools
(satellite schools), organized to provide
pedagogical support and collectively complete
primary schooling. (See Annex Figure 6). (See
also Complete school; Groupe scolaire; Khumban;
Muad; School network,). 2. Primary-secondary
school cluster. A group of primary and secondary
schools, where the primary schools serve as
feeders into the lower secondary schools, which in
turn serve as feeders into the upper secondary
schools.
School Life Expectancy [Net of Repetition].
(SLE[N]). UIS Definition: Number of years a
person of school entrance age can expect to spend
within the specified level of education [, excluding
years spent repeating grades].
School Management Committee. Committee
comprising the school principal and teachers or
teacher representatives (depending on the size and
organization of the school) responsible for school
management decisions. (Also called School
Assembly).
School network. 1. The collection of all schools of a
given category in a given administrative unit, such
as the set of all primary schools in a given prov-
ince or district, often used in connection with plan-
ning for rational use of school resources with
respect to demographic distributions. 2. School
cluster.
SCI. Save the Children International.
2017-07-27
63
SCL. Student Centered Learning.
SCN [L]. Save the Children Norway [Laos]. (See
l
also Redd barna).
SCOPE. Strengthening the Capacity of Organization
for Poverty Eradication. (Project in Savannakhet).
Scouts. [Lao]. See Young Pioneers.
Historical Note: The Fdration Indochinoise des
Associations du Scoutisme (FIAS) (Indochinese
Federation of Scouting Associations) was
established during the French Colonial Period, but
scouting activity was interrupted by World War II
and the 1 st and 2 nd Indochina Wars. The FIAS
ceased to exist in 1954. Scouts Lao was estab-
lished in 1959 but was disestablished after 1975
and replaced by the Young Pioneers and the
LPRYU.
SCP. 1. Skills Contracting Program. (Under
STVET). 2. Singapore Cooperation Program.
SCS. [Formerly]. School Construction Services.
(MOES; renamed ECDM).
SCSCD. Strengthening community Support for
Children with Disabilities. (CRS, definition 1).
SCSP. [GMS] Sub-regional Cooperation Strategy
and Program.
SCU. Seoul Cyber University [of Korea]. (See
ACU).
SCUK. Save the Children UK.
SCV. 1. Sangha College, Vientiane. 2. [History].
School of Communication, Vientiane. (MCTPC;
merged into NUOL in 1995).
SD. 1. Service delivery. 2. Skill[s] development.
3. School Director. 4. Social development.
5. Standard Deviation.
Note: An administrative distinction is made
between Skills Development (under the oversight
of MOLSW) and TVET (under the oversight of
MOES).
SDA. Sisterhood for Development Association.
(CSO).
SDC. 1. Skill Development Committee. (In NCTS).
2. Skill Development Center. 3. Swiss Agency for
Development and Cooperation.
SDG4. Sustainable Development Goal No. 4: Ensure
inclusive and equitable quality education and
promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
(See SDGs; Incheon Declaration; 2030 Agenda).
Note: In the Lao national adaptation there are four
key outcomes from the UN Sustainable Develop-
ment Goals, SDG4. For these outcomes and the
associated indicative areas for further development
R. & V. Noonan
64
of interventions and indicators, see Appendix
Table 7.
SDG [s]. Sustainable Development Goal[s]. (Com-
s
pare with MDG. See also ESD; 2030 Agenda;
SDG4).
Note: There are seventeen SDG, to which Laos has
added its own, SDG18: Remove the UXO obstacle
to national development. SDG4 is specifically
relevant to education sector development.
SDIE. Social Development and Inclusive Education.
SDP. 1. Sector Development Program. (Focusing on
the aims and objectives of sector development).
(See ESDP; see also SIP). 2. Sector Development
Program. (Lending product, ADB). 3. Social
Development Plan. 4. School Development Plan.
SDR. Special Drawing Rights. (ADB, WB).
SDS. Sector Development Strategy.
SDTP Staff Development and Training Program.
SE. 1. Supervision Entity. 2. Standard Error [of
Estimate / of Sampling / of Measurement].
SEA Games. Biennial sports event involving 11
countries of Southeast Asia, most notably hosted
by Laos in 2009.
SEA. 1. Southeast Asia. 2. Senior Education
Advisor.
SEAMEC. Southeast Asian Ministers of Education
Council. (See also SEAMEO; SEAMES;
SEAMOLEC; SEAVERN).
SEAMEO VOCTECH. SEAMEO Regional Center
for Vocational and Technical Education. (In
Brunei).
SEAMEO. Southeast Asian Ministers of Education
Organization. (Secretariat in Bangkok). (See also
ASCOE; SEAMEC; SEAMES; SEAMOLEC;
SEAVERN).
Member countries include Brunei Darussalam,
Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Myanmar, and
Vietnam.
SEAMES. SEAMEC Secretariat. (In Bangkok).
SEAMOLEC. SEAMEO Regional Open Learning
Center. (See also QITEP, SEAMEC; SEAVERN).
SEAP. 1. Secondary Education Action Plan.
2. Southeast Asian Peninsula.
SEARCA. Southeast Asian Regional Center for
Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture.
(SEAMEO).
SEA-SPF. South East Asia School Principal Forum.
2017-07-27
SEASREP. Southeast Asian Studies Regional
Exchange Program.
SEAVERN. Southeast Asian Vocational Education
Research Network. (SEAMEO. See also
SEAMEC; SEAMOLEC).
SEAYLP. South East Asia Youth Leadership
Program. (Professional development exchange
program, USA; see also YSEALI).
SECAL. Sector Adjustment Loan. (WB).
Secondary School. Combined Lower Secondary
School and Upper Secondary School.
SEDP. 1. Second Education Development Project.
(WB, commonly referred to as EDP II). 2. Socio-
Economic Development Plan. (See NSEDP).
SEED-Net. Southeast Asia Engineering Education
Development Network. (See AUN/SEED-Net).
SEK. 1. Sekong Province. (Also SKN). 2. Swedish:
Swedish Crown. (Currency Unit).
Semi-examination. 1. Mid-term examination.
2. Partial examination, possibly take-home, open-
book, or oral examination prior to the final
examination.
Semi-Royalist Period. Period between the end of the
French Colonial Period and the Revolution,
December 2, 1975. During this time the PL was
gaining control of a gradually increasing propor-
tion of the country and the RLG or the PGNU were
in control of the diminishing remainder. Hence
only semi-royalist.
Sendai Framework. Reference to the Sendai
Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-
2030, adopted at the World Conference on Disaster
Risk Reduction held in Sendai, Japan, in which
Laos participated.
Senior high school. See Upper secondary school.
Senior primary school. See Upper primary school.
SEQS. Secondary Education Quality Standards.
Serve 2U. (Non-profit charity, Hong Kong).
SES. Secondary education [sub]sector.
SESDP. Secondary Education Sector Development
Program. (External financing by ADB).
(Formerly BESDP II).
Sex Ratio. See Gender Ratio.
SEZ. 1. Special Economic Zone. 2. Specific
Economic Zone. (See also SSEZ).
SF. School facilities.
SFAP. Strategic Framework and Action Plan.
SF [P]. School Feeding [Program]. (See also SMP).
p Government, named for King Sisavangvong,
R. & V. Noonan
65
SFS. [Formerly]. School of Foundation Studies.
(NUOL).
SFU. Simon Fraser University. (Canada).
SG. School Grant.
SHARE. [EU] Support to Higher Education in the
ASEAN Region.
SHEP. Strengthening Higher Education Project.
(External financing by ADB).
SHG. Self-help group.
SHIA. Swedish: Svenska Handikapporganisationers
Internationella Bistndsfrening. [Swedish
Organizations of Disabled Persons International
Aid Association Solidarity, Humanity, Inter-
national Aid]. (NGO. Sweden).
Shifting classes. Classes operating on two shifts
(e. g, morning shift for grades 1-3, afternoon shift
for grades 4-5), as a cost-effective approach to
providing complete primary schooling in sparsely
populated areas. (See Annex Figure 3; compare
with Multi-grade school).
SHN. School Health & Nutrition.
SI. School [building / facilities] Inventory.
SIAA. State Inspection and Anti-Corruption
Authority.
SIBS. Sengdara International Bilingual School.
(Private, Vientiane).
Sida. Swedish International Development Coopera-
tion Agency. (Formerly Swedish International
Development Authority).
SIE. Stockholm Institute of Education (Lrarhg-
skolan i Stockholm, Sweden).
SIF. Singapore International Foundation. (NGO).
SIG. 1. School Improvement Grant. 2. Special
Interest Group.
SIL. 1. Summer Institute of Linguistics. 2. Specific
Investment Loan. (WB).
Silapa School. Lao: . National School of
Dance and Music. (Under MOICT; Compare with
Natasin School).
SIP. 1. Sector Investment Program. (Focusing on the
investment aspects of sector development). (See
also SDP). 2. School Improvement Program.
3. School Improvement Plan[ning].
SIREP. SEAMEO INNOTECH Regional Education
Program.
Sisavangvong University. [History]. University in
Vientiane established in 1958 under the Royal Lao
2017-07-27
 supported by USAID, located at Dong Dok north
of Vientiane. Comprised cole Suprieure de
Pdagogie, cole Royale de Mdecine, and Institut
de Droit et dAdministration. Dissolved following
major exodus of teaching staff (mostly French and
American) after 1975, emerging in 1996 as NUOL.
(Not to be confused with Souphanouvong
University in Luang Prabang).
SISD. Statistics and Information Systems Division.
(See SITD).
SIT. [History]. School of Irrigation Tad Thong.
(MAF; merged into NUOL 1995).
SITCES. Statistics and Information Technology
Center of Education and Sports.
SITD. Statistics and Information Technology
Division. (To be established in DPC under EDP
II; also SISD; see ESIT; see SITCES).
Six Principles of Education Reform. The six
directives on which the NESRS (2006-2015) is
based (not to be confused with the Six Principles
of Education):
1. Aim to develop human resources applicable to
the strategic development of the countrys
economy and international goals;
2. Emphasize the national education structure, so
that attitudes and perceptions in society about
the educational structural reforms are widely
understood;
3. Implement with the participation of society to
ensure that education will continue to grow and
develop;
4. Expand intellectual life, preserve the traditions
and culture of the nation, and inspire a spirit of
solidarity among the population throughout the
country;
5. Expand access to education, promote
capabilities of people, improve their living
conditions, and link with regional and inter-
national situations; and
6. Enhance the status of teachers roles and
positions.
Six Principles of Education. From Education Law
of 2007/08, Article 5: Education Principles.
(Not to be confused with the Five Domains of
Education, also called the Five Principles of
Education or the Six Principles of Education
Reform):
1. Education shall be conducted in accordance
with socialist directives; it shall reflect national,
mass, scientific, and progressive aspects;
2. General education shall relate to vocational
education; (Continued)
R. & V. Noonan
66
3. Education in school shall be in close relation
with education in family, in society, and out of
school;
4. Education shall combine theory with practice,
learning shall go along with experimentations,
and education shall be in close relation with the
world of work;
5. Education shall meet the socio-economic
development needs of each period; and
6. National education shall be relevant to regional
and international education.
SKL. Schools for Kids in Laos. (NGO, Canada).
SKN. Sekong Province. (Also SEK).
SKT. Savannakhet Province. (Also SAV, SVK).
SKU. Savannakhet University. (Founded 2009; see
Annex Table 2).
SLE[N]. School Life Expectancy [Net of
Repetition].
SL. Sign Language.
SLO. Standard Learning Outcomes.
SM. 1. School mapping. 2. School Meals.
SMaLL. [Project on] Small Schools Management for
Lifelong Learning. (SEAMEO INNOTECH).
SMAP. School mapping.
SMATT. Science and Mathematics Teacher Training
[Project]. (Supported by JICA).
SMCS. Social Marketing and Communication
Strategy.
SME. Small and Medium Enterprise.
SMEPDC. SME Promotion and Development
Committee.
SMEPDO. SME Promotion and Development
Office. (Under MOIC definition 1; established
2004).
SMIS. School Management Information System.
SMK. Subject Matter Knowledge. (Compare with
PCK, PK).
SMP. School Meals Program. (See also NSMP,
SFP).
SMU. Singapore Management University
SN. School Network.
S-NCSEZ. Also SNCSEZ. Secretariat to National
Committee for Special Economic Zone. (See also
NCSEZ, SEZ, SSEZ).
SNM. School network mapping.
SNU. Seoul National University.
2017-07-27
SNV. Netherlands Development Organization.
(NGO, Netherlands).
Historical Note: Previously Stichting Nederlandse
Vrijwilligers [Foundation for Netherlnds
Volunteers]. Renamed in 1993.
SO. Strategic Objective. (Compare with ST).
SOA. Statement of Availability.
SOAS. [University of London] School of Oriental
and African Studies.
SODA. Social Development Alliance Association.
(CSO).
SOE. 1. State owned enterprise. (See also SRE).
2. Statement of Expenditure.
SOI [Asia]. School of the Internet [Asia]. (Collabor-
ation among some 20 universities throughout
Asia).
SOLO. Structure of Observed Learning Outcome. A
taxonomy of levels of increasing complexity in
students understanding of subjects:
Pre-structural (Task not attacked appropriately;
student hasnt really understood the point and
uses too simple an approach);
Uni-structural (Students response focuses on
only one relevant aspect);
Multi-structural (Students response focuses on
several relevant aspects treated independently
and additively, and assessment is primarily
quantitative);
Relational (Different aspects are integrated into
a coherent whole); and
Extended abstract (Previous integrated whole
can be conceptualized at a higher level of
abstraction and generalized to new topic or
area).
Note: Proposed by J. B. Biggs and K. F. Collis.
(Contrast with Blooms Taxonomy).
Somdet Phra Loukeo. Lao: .
Supreme Patriarch of the Lao Sangha.
SOMED. Also SOM-ED. Senior Officials Meeting
on Education. (ASEAN; compare with ASED).
SOMS. Senior Official Meeting on Sports.
(ASEAN).
SOP. 1. Standard Operating Procedures. 2. Sector
Operational [Rolling] Plan. 3. Society of
Pedagogy Project. (Project of EDF, definition 2).
SOQ. School of Quality. (Holistic approach to
school quality. See also EQS, QES, PSQS,
SSQS).
Soros Foundation. See OSF.
R. & V. Noonan
67
SOS. Source of supply. (Procurement).
SOSCV. SOS Childrens Village. (INGO providing
orphanages and boarding schools).
Southern Region. Saravane, Sekong, Champasak,
Attapeu Provinces. (See also Northern Region;
Central Region; Special Region).
South-South Cooperation. Cooperation involving
exchange of resources, technology, and knowledge
between developing countries. (Compare with
Triangular Cooperation).
SOV. Source of Verification. (Used especially in
LFA; see also OVI).
SOW. Scope of Work.
SP. Strategy Paper. (EC).
SPA. 1. Secondary Pedagogical Advisor. (See also
PA, PPA). 2. Student-Parent Association.
3. [History]. Supreme Peoples Assembly.
(Renamed National Assembly with the
ratification of the Constitution, 1991).
SPC. 1. State Planning Committee. (Under PMO, in
2002 replaced by CPC, later by CPI). Sometimes
translated as State Planning Commission. 2.
School Procurement Committee.
SPD. [Formerly]. Statistics and Planning Division
(In DPC; see ESIT[C]).
Special course. [Higher education]. Fee payment
university course.
Historical Note: Special course were offered to fee
paying students, typically outside regular teaching
hours but taught by regular university teachers.
Many students attending special courses were
sponsored by their employers and often received a
salary increase upon completion. Fees for students
attending regular university courses were
introduced in AY 2010/11, and special courses
were regularized in AY 2011/12.
Special Region. [History]. Xaysomboon Special
Region. (The districts of the Region were
transferred in 2006 to Xiengkhuang and Vientiane
Provinces; restored as Xaysomboon Province
December 31, 2013).
Special school. School with facilities and resources
enabling them to provide education for children
with severe sensory disabilities. (Compare with
Mainstream school.)
SPIU. [Formerly]. Statistics, Planning, and
Investment Unit. (In DPC).
SPMT. School Project Management Team. (See
EDP II).
2017-07-27
SPPE. Strategy for Promoting Private Education
(2010-2020).
SPRSS. Summary Poverty Reduction and Social
Strategy. (ADB).
SPS. Safeguard Policy Statement.
SPSS. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences.
(Computer program package).
SPU. [Formerly]. Statistics and Planning Unit (In
DPC; see ESIT[C]).
SQAC. [Formerly]. School Quality Assurance
Center. (See ESQAC).
SR. 1. Survival Rate [by grade]. (Sometimes written
to indicate grade level, e.g., SRG5 for Survival
Rate to Grade 5). 2. Special Region. (See also
Northern Region; Central Region; Southern
Region).
SRC. 1. School Readiness Competency. 2. Sector
Reform Contract (EU).
SRE. State Run Enterprise. (See also SOE).
SREAC. Strategy Research and Educational
Analysis Center. (Formerly PAD; SREAD).
(MOES, see Annex Figure 9).
SREAD. [Formerly]. Strategy Research and
Education Analysis Division (of DPC). (Formerly
PAD; renamed SREAC).
SRF. Statistics for Results Facility. (WB; see also
MfDR).
SRG5. Survival Rate to Grade 5. (See SR).
SRGBV. School Related Gender-Based Violence.
SRH. Sexual Reproductive Health [Education].
SRM. Supplementary Reading Materials.
SRP. 1. School Readiness Program. (See also
CBSRP). 2. Short Resettlement Plan. (ADB).
SRS. Simple random sample. (Contrast with PPS).
SRU. [History]. Slippery Rock University.
(Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. Reference to a
study of education financing in Laos in the 1990s).
SRV. Saravane Province. (Also SAR).
SS. School sector. (Covering early childhood,
primary, lower- and upper secondary levels;
teacher education, technical and vocational
education, and non-formal education).
SSA. School Self-Assessment.
SSC. 1. South-South Cooperation. (Compare with
SSTrC). 2. [Formerly]. State Statistics Center.
(Became NSC, now DOS).
SSCP. Special Skill Contracting Program.
R. & V. Noonan
68
SSCTT. Skills Standard, Curricula, and Teacher
Training. (STVET Project).
SSDC. Southern Skill Development Center. (In
Pakse, Champasack Province; under MOLSW).
SSE. School Self Evaluation.
SSEAYP. Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program.
SSEZ. Special and Specific Economic Zones. (See
also SEZ).
SSHEP. Second Strengthening Higher Education
Project.
SSL. School Support Laos. (NGO, Norway).
SSME. Snapshot of School Management Effective-
ness.
SSP. Secondary school principal.
SSQS. Secondary School Quality Standards. (Based
on and replaces SOQ; compare with PSQS).
Note: The SSQS instrument comprise 45 indicators
relating to the student, teaching and learning
methods, the school environment, management and
administration, and community participation, but it
does not include indicators on student learning
outcomes.
SSSP. Secondary Student Stipend Program. (Under
SESDP; see also SAGP).
SST. Secondary school teacher.
SSTrC. South-South and Triangular Cooperation.
(Compare with SSC).
SSTVET [P]. Second Strengthening Technical and
p
Vocational Education and Training [Project].
(External financing by ADB).
ST. Strategic Thrust. (Compare with SO).
STA. [National] Science and Technology Agency.
(See STEA).
Stagiaire. [History]. French: Intern, student teacher.
STCN. See SCN.
STD. 1. Standard Deviation. 2. Sexually Trans-
mitted Disease. (See also STI).
STEA. [Formerly]. Science, Technology, and
Environment Agency. (Established 1996 under the
PMO; restructured in 2007 and absorbed as NSTA
into MOST).
STEIC. Statistic and Technology Education
Information Center.
STEM. 1. Science, technology, engineering,
mathematics. 2. [History]. [United States] Special
Technical and Economic Mission. (Operated
2017-07-27
 mainly in Indochina, early 1950s; replaced by
USOM).
STEP. 1. Skills Toward Employability and Produc-
tivity. Also Skills Toward Employment and
Productivity. (WB). 2. Secondary Teacher
Education Program.
STF. Special Task Force.
STI. 1. Sexually Transmitted Infection / Illness. (See
also STD). 2. Science, Technology, Innovation.
STOU. Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University.
(Bangkok, Thailand).
STP. Short-term Priority. (Compare with LTP,
MTP).
STR. 1. Student/Textbook Ratio. 2. Student/Teacher
Ratio. (See PTR).
STU. Santapol College. (Udon Thani, Thailand).
Student/Teacher Ratio. See PTR. (See also Annex
Table 8).
Students Teacher. Idiosyncratic reference in the
MOES annual statistical Annex to students
enrolled in teacher education programs. (Contrast
with Internship Student).
STVET[P]. Strengthening Technical and Vocational
p
Education and Training [Project]. (External
financing by ADB).
STW. School-to-work [transition].
SU. 1. Souphanouvong University. (Luang Prabang,
founded 2003; see Annex Table 2).
2. [History]. Sisavangvong University.
(Vientiane).
Sub-district. In remote areas, unofficial administra-
tive organization of some ten villages, below the
District level. (Compare with Khumban. See
Commune.)
Sub-SWG. See SWG; Focal Group.
Suksamai Magazine. Education Sciences Journal.
(Published quarterly by RIES).
SUL. Soochow University in Laos. (Overseas
branch campus of Soochow University,
Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, PRC; not to be confused
with Soochow University, Taipei City, Taiwan).
Supplement. See Salary supplement.
SURAFCO. Support to the Reform of the Northern
Agriculture and Forestry College. [Project].
(External financing by SDC, definition 3).
Surveillant. [History]. French: Supervisor (e.g., of
student teachers), Director of Studies.
R. & V. Noonan
69
Survival Rate [to grade n]. (SR). UIS Definition:
Percentage of a cohort of students enrolled in the
1 st grade of a given cycle of education in a given
school year who are expected to reach successive
grades n. It is calculated using the reconstructed
cohort method. Note that a distinction is made
between Survival Rate without repetition and
Survival Rate with repetition (Persistence Rate).
(Compare with Cohort Completion Rate; Gross
Graduation Ratio; PR; TR).
SUSI. Study of US Institutes [Program]. (US State
Department).
Sutta [Pitaka]. Pali: [literally Basket, hence
collection of] Buddhist writings or teachings; the
scriptures of Theravada Buddhism. (See also
Tipitaka).
SV. Senior Volunteer. (See also JOCV).
SVA. Shanti [Sanskrit: Peace] [Japanese Buddhist]
[International] Volunteer Association. (See
JSRC).
SVK. Savannakhet Province. (Also SAV, SKT).
SWAp. Sector Wide Approach [to Development
Programming]. (Also SWAP).
SWELP. Sustainable Womens Employment and
Leadership Project. (GDG).
SWG. Sector Working Group. (See ESWG).
SWOP. State of the World Population. (UNFPA
report).
SWOT. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities,
Threats.
SWOTI. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities,
Threats, Innovation.
SY. School year. (Compare with AY, CY, FY).
T
T/C. Teachers per class. (Note: UIS does not define
this statistic).
TA. Technical Assistance.
TACR. 1. Technical Assistance Consultants Report.
(ADB). 2. Technical Assistance Completion
Report. (ADB)
TAEC. Traditional Arts & Ethnology Center.
(Luang Prabang).
TAF. The Asia Foundation. (INGO).
TAG. Technical Advisory Group.
TAI. Television-Assisted Instruction. (Compare
with CAI; IAI, definition 1; RAI).
2017-07-27
TALIS. 1. Teaching and Learning International
Survey. (OECD). 2. Teaching and Learning
International Study. (OECD).
Note: Even in official OECD documents and
websites, these two different names appear.
TALK. Teaching and Learning Kit. (RIES; BEGP).
TAPs. Technical [and] Administrative Provisions.
(EU).
TAR. Technical Assistance Report. (ADB).
Targeted. Unless otherwise noted, the term
targeted as used in official documents means
pro-poor targeting, targeting vulnerable groups,
persons with disabilities, disadvantaged ethnic
groups, supporting gender parity, inclusive
education, etc.
TASF. Technical Assistance Special Fund. (ADB).
Tasseng. Lao: . [History]. 1. Administrative
unit between village and district; sub-district. (See
Muang, Khumban). 2. Head of this unit.
(Compare with Naiban).
TAT. 1. Textbook Assessment Team. 2. Technical
Assistance Team. 3. Traditional Apprenticeship
Training.
TATF. Technical Assistance and Training Facility.
ASEAN-U.S.
TAVP. Training Assistance Voucher Program.
(Initiated under STVET). (See also TAVS).
TAVS. Training Assistance Voucher Scheme.
(Initiated under STVET). (See also TAVP).
TAVSC. Training Assistance Voucher Steering
Committee.
TB. Textbook.
TBA. Traditional Birth Attendant.
TBC. To be confirmed. (Compare with TBD, TBE).
TBD. To be determined; To be decided. (Compare
with TBC, TBE).
TBE. To be established. (Compare with TBC,
TBD).
TBWG. Textbook Working Group.
TC. 1. Technical college. (Compare with TS).
2. Technical Cooperation.
TCOL. Technical Cooperation Office for the EC
Cooperation Program in Lao PDR.
TCR. Technical [Assistance] Completion Report.
(ADB). (Compare with PCR).
TCTP. Third Country Training Program.
R. & V. Noonan
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TDC. Teacher Development Center (NUOL/FOE,
established under EQIP; also referred to as
TEADC, DEAM; provides services in the field of
teaching and education administrators training).
TDMP. Teacher Development and Management
Policy [Framework and Action Plan]. (See
TDMPF).
TDMPF [AP]. Teacher Development and
ap
Management Policy Framework [and Action Plan]
2010-2015. (See also TRDPF).
TDO. Teacher Development Office (at TEIs).
TDS. 1. Teacher Development Services (at PESs).
2. Training Development Specialist.
TDU. Teacher Development Units (at DESBs).
TE. Teacher education.
TEAB. See NTEAB.
Teachers Day. Also National Teachers Day, 7th
October.
TEADC. Teacher and Education Administrator
Development Center (NUOL/FOE; see TDC, also
referred to as DEAM).
TEAM. Training, Economic Empowerment,
Assistive Technology and Medical Rehabilitation.
(Project of WEL with external financing by
USAID).
TEAR. Transformation, Empowerment, Advocacy,
Relief. (INGO, Christian international aid and
development agency).
TEC. Technical Evaluation Committee.
Technician Diploma. Diploma awarded on comple-
tion of a TVET 12+2 year program. Compare with
Vocational Diploma.
TEE. Total education expenditure.
TEEC. Teacher Education Evaluation and
Coordination. (See TEECD).
TEECD. [Formerly]. Teacher Education Evaluation
and Coordination Division. (See TEED).
TEED. Teacher Education Evaluation Division
(DTE / MOES).
TEI. Teacher Education Institution. (Generic term;
includes TTC and sometimes FOE, definition 1,
also formerly TTS, TTI; compare with HEI). (See
Annex Table 2, Annex Table 3)
Note: Although teacher education institution
represents more progressive terminology, teacher
training college is still widely used in the official
names of teacher education institutions.
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TEIAB. Teacher Education Institution Advisory
Board.
TEIN. Trans-Eurasia Information Network. (See
also LERNET, UniNET).
TELP. Test of English Language Proficiency.
TEMIS. Teacher Education Management Informa-
tion System. (Compare with HEMIS, TMIS).
Temple school. Primary school situated in the
temple compound, following the secular state
curriculum, and often taught by monks qualified
through secular teacher education. Some primary
school age boys also receive religious instruction
outside regular school hours. (Also Wat school;
compare with Pali school).
Temple. See Wat.
Temporary teacher. A teacher (regardless of
qualifications) permanently assigned to one school
but temporarily assigned to a different school.
(Compare with Permanent teacher). (Not to be
confused with Contract teacher).
TES. Teacher Education Strategy [2006-2015].
TESAP. Teacher Education Strategy 2006-2015 and
Action Plan 2006-2010.
TESOL. Teachers of English to Speakers of Other
Languages.
TEVT. Technical education and vocational training.
(See also TVED; VTET; the more commonly used
term internationally is TVET).
TF. 1. Task Force. 2. Trust Fund. 3. Temasek
Foundation. (Non-profit foundation; Singapore).
TFI-SCALE. Temasek Foundation International
Specialists' Community Action and Leadership
Exchange [Program]. (Singapore). (See also TF,
definition 3).
TFR. Total Fertility Rate. Defined by the United
Nations Population Division as a synthetic rate
based on the age-specific fertility rates of women
in child-bearing age, conventionally age 15-44
or 15-49.
TG. Teachers Guide / Teaching Guide.
Tham script. Script used to read and write sacred
palm leaf manuscripts and other Pali texts.
Thematic Focal Group. See Focal Group.
Theravada. Lao: . Pali: Doctrine of the
Elders. The Buddhist tradition of Laos. Also
referred to as Southern Buddhism or Pali
Buddhism.
THR. Take Home Ration.
R. & V. Noonan
Three Builds. Lao: Sam sang. Slogan embodying
the resolution of the 9 th Party Congress (March 17-
21, 2011) and promulgated as the Prime Ministers
Sam Sang Directive of October 2012:
1. Build the provinces as strategic units;
2. Build the capacity of the districts in all regards;
and
3. Build the villages into implementation units, in
some cases through merging villages into
clusters (khumban).
Note: The Lao word sang has a range of meanings.
It can mean build in a literal sense, as in build a
house; it mean strengthen, as in build up your
muscles; it can mean develop, as in capacity
building; or it can mean construction, as in Lao
Front for National Construction, LFNC. (See Note
to LFNC. See also Four Breakthroughs).
Three Characteristics of Education. (Lao: 3
Laksana):
1. Nation oriented (i.e., for national unity);
2. Progressive and Mass (i.e., for equity); and
3. Scientific and modern.
Note: Often cited in connection with the Five
Domains of Education or Five Principles of
Education.
Three Competitions of the Education and Sports
Sector:
1. Teach well, learn well;
2. Oppose negative phenomena; and
3. Create good environment in schools, centers,
and institutions.
Three Pillars of Education Sector Development.
Pillar 1: Access with Equity;
Pillar 2: Quality and Relevance;
Pillar 3: Management and Efficiency.
(Not to be confused with the Four Pillars of
Education).
Note: The Three Pillars, referenced in virtually all
official education sector development documents
in the early years of the 21 st century, began with
The Education Strategic Vision, published by
MOE in October 2000. It was a cross-cutting
alternative to a sub-sectoral approach to sector
development. It appeared as three program
pillars (Access, Quality, and Relevance) resting
on a base (Planning and Management). With the
publication of Education Strategic Planning in
August 2001, the Quality and Relevance pillars
had been merged into one, and the 3 rd pillar was
Administration and Management. The 3 rd pillar
has since become Management and Efficiency or
sometimes Planning and Management. (Cont.)
2017-07-27
71
 Other variants have also appeared from time to
time. The term Three Pillars disappeared with
the publication of ESDP 2016-2020, but the
concepts of the three pillars appear throughout the
document.
Three Revolutions. [History]. From Theory of the
Three Revolutions, theoretical framework for the
socialist revolution in Laos.
1. Revolution in relations of production;
2. Revolution in science and technology; and
3. Revolution in ideology and culture.
Note: Abandoned after the introduction of the
NEM.
TIC. Training in-Country.
TICA. Thailand International Development
Cooperation Agency.
TICW. Trafficking in Children and Women. (ILO;
see also IPEC).
TIJ. Training in Japan. (Compare with TIC).
TIMSS. Trends in International Mathematics and
Science Study
Tipitaka. Pali: Literally three baskets or collections
of teachings.
TISUP. Teacher in-service upgrading program. (See
also UPSET).
TL. Team Leader.
TLC. Teaching and Learning Center.
TLQ. Teaching and Learning Quality.
TMIS. Teacher Management Information System.
(Compare with PMIS).
TNA. 1. Training needs analysis [/assessment].
2. Teacher needs analysis [/assessment].
TNAR. Total Net Attendance Rate.
TOC. Theory of Change.
TOEFL. Test of English as a Foreign Language.
(Developed by ETS). Administered in three
forms:
1. TOEFL CBT Computer-based Test;
2. TOEFL iBT Internet-based Test; and
3. TOEFL PBT Paper-based Test.
TOEIC. Test of English for International
Communication. (Developed by ETS).
TOF. Training of Facilitators. (Compare with TOT).
TOMT. Training of Master [Facilitators/]Trainers.
TOPIK. Test of Proficiency in Korean.
R. & V. Noonan
72
TOR. Terms of Reference.
TOT. Training of Trainers. (Compare with TOF).
Total Net Attendance Rate. (TNAR). UIS
Definition: Total number of students who attended
of any level of schooling at any time during the
reference academic year, expressed as a percentage
of the corresponding population. (Compare with
Net Attendance Rate (Adjusted), Net Attendance
Rate).
Total Repetition Rate [in Primary Education].
(TRR [Primary]). UIS Definition: Proportion of
students enrolled in all primary grades in a given
school year Y who were enrolled in the same
grade in the previous school year, Y-1.
Note 1: Inasmuch as the TRR compares repetition
over all grades with enrolment over all grades, it
also represents a weighted average repetition rate.
Note 2: This indicator was approved by UIS in
February 2015 and will be listed in the next issue
of Education Indicators Technical guidelines.
TPAR. Technical Assistance Performance Audit
Report. (ADB; compare with PPAR).
TPDN. Teacher Profession Development Network.
TPME. Teacher Performance Monitoring and
Evaluation. (See also TQPM).
TPN. Teacher Professional Network.
TPR. 1. Total Physical Response. (Approach to
second language teaching; compare with CLE,
CLT, GTM). 2. Teacher/Pupil Ratio. Note that
the inverse, PTR, is more commonly used and is
the ratio defined by UIS). 3. Textbook/Pupil
Ratio. (Note: UIS does not define this statistic,
although it does appear in some UNESCO reports).
TPWG. Teacher Policy Working Group (EQIP II).
TQM. Total Quality Management.
TQP. Teacher Quality and Performance.
TQPM. Teacher Quality and Performance
Monitoring.
TR. Transition Rate.
Transition - Completion Rate. Also referred to as
Transition/Completion Rate. (Note: UIS does
not define this statistic. When used, it probably
refers simply to the Transition Rate, which
includes repeaters in the final grade of the lower
level, as distinguished from the Effective
Transition Rate, which excludes the repeaters).
Transition Curriculum. Specific curriculum which
continues from a lower level to a higher level of
education or training to facilitate transitioning
between streams or programs by giving credit for
2017-07-27
 prior learning. (Compare with Continuous
Curriculum).
Transition Rate. (TR). UIS Definition: The
number of new entrants into the 1 st grade of a
higher level of education in a given year Y,
expressed as a percentage of the number of
students enrolled in the final grade of the lower
level of education in the previous year, Y-1.
(Compare with Effective Transition Rate. Com-
pare also with PR, SR, definition 1).
Transversal competencies. Competencies that are
beyond subject matter but are useful for occupa-
tional practice, such as teamwork, communication
skills, planning and organization, management of
tasks undertaken, creativity, and reasoned
decision-making.
TrC. Triangular Cooperation.
TRD [PF]. Teacher Recruitment and Deployment
pf
[Policy Framework]. (Initiated under BESDP,
resulted in TDMPF).
TREE. Training for Rural Economic Empower ment.
(ILO).
Triangular Cooperation. South-South Cooperation
supported by bilateral or multilateral development
agencies to implement development programs and
projects. (Compare with SSC and SSTrC).
TRR. Total Repetition Rate. (Compare with
Repetition Rate [by grade]).
TS. Technical School. (Compare with TC).
TT. 1. Teacher Training. 2. [Historical].
Telegraphic Transfer.
TTC. 1. Teacher Training Center. (For in-service
training and upgrading). 2. [Formerly]. Teacher
Training College. (For pre-service preparation of
secondary school teachers. See also TTS; TEI).
Note: Although teacher education represents
more progressive terminology, the term teacher
training is still widely used in official documents
and the names of teacher education institutions.
TTD. [Formerly]. Teacher Training Department
(MOES; see also DTT, renamed DTE). (See
Annex Figure 9).
T-TEP. Toyota Technical Education Program.
TTEP. TVET Teacher Education Program. (GIZ).
TTEST. Teacher Training Enhancement and Status
of Teachers. (EQIP II, parallel co-financed by
Sida). (Sometimes incorrectly referred to as
Teacher Training and Enhancement of the Status
of Teachers because enhancement of the status of
teachers was one of the aims of the project.)
R. & V. Noonan
73
TTI. [Formerly]. Teacher Training Institute. (See
TEI; for historical usage, see LTTI).
TTM. Teacher Training at Masters Degree Project.
(Project of EDF, definition 2).
TTS. [Formerly]. Teacher Training School. (For
pre-service preparation of pre-school and primary
school teachers. See also TTC, TEI).
Note: Although Teacher education represents
more progressive terminology, teacher training
is still widely used in common discourse and in the
official names of teacher education institutions.
TTSC. Teacher Training Schools and Colleges.
(UNESCO). See TEI.
TT-TVET. Teacher Training for Technical and
Vocational Education and Training.
TU. Thammasat University. (Bangkok, Thailand).
TUC. Teacher Upgrading Center. (Province or
district based; see also ISTTUC; ISTUC; NTUC).
TUG. Teacher Upgrade Grant.
TUP. [Province or district based] Teacher Upgrading
Program.
TVE. Technical and Vocational Education. (The
more commonly used term internationally is
TVET).
TVED. Technical and Vocational Education
Department. (See also DVTE). (See Annex
Figure 9).
TVET. Technical and vocational education and
training. (See also TEVT).
TVET Center. Institution for creating, developing,
and upgrading vocational or professional
knowledge and skill to respond the labor market
demand. Under MOES, MOLSW, other line
ministries, chambers of commerce and industry,
public and private enterprises, or labor units.
Defined by Article 32 of TVET Law of 2014.
TVET Certificate. According to TVET Law,
December 2013, an education and training mode
following basic education to provide labor-market
related knowledge, skills, and attitudes in three
levels (see Annex Table 9):
Certificate [level] 1: Worker with basic vocational
skills, 3-6 months after completion of LS;
Certificate [level] 2: Semi-skilled worker, 1 year
after LS or Certificate 1 + at least 6 months; and
Certificate [level] 3: Skilled worker, 2 years after
LS or Certificate 2 + at least 1 year.
TVET Law. Most recent, December 2013.
TVS. Technical [and] Vocational School.
2017-07-27
TWG. 1. Technical Working Group. 2. Textbook
Working Group (EDP II). 3. Trade[s] Working
Group. (In NCTS).
Two Solidarities, Three Goods, Four Develop-
ments. Slogan of the LPRYU:
Two solidarities: External and internal solidarity;
Three goods: Good children, good citizens, good
successors; and
Four developments: Self-development, family
development, organization development, national
development.
U UNDCP. United Nations Drug Control Program.
UBE. Universal Basic Education. (See also UPC,
UPE).
Historical Note: The definition of UBE in Laos has
changed over time as the concept of Basic
Education has changed. (See Historical Note to
Basic Education).
UBP. University Bus Pass. (NUOL).
UBRU. Ubon Ratchathani Rajabhat University.
(Thailand).
UC. University Council.
UCL. University Central Library. (NUOL).
UCW. Understanding Childrens Work. (Inter-
agency program initiated by ILO, UNICEF, WB).
UDX. Oudomxay Province. (Also ODX, OUD).
UGRAD. US Global Undergraduate Exchange
Program. (US State Department).
UH. [History]. University of Hawaii, USA.
UHS. University of Health Sciences. (Vientiane; see
also Phaetsat. See Annex Table 2).
Historical Note: Established as School of
Medicine, Sisavangvong University, 1958-1975;
University of Medicine, under Ministry of Health,
1975-1977; University of Health Science, under
Ministry of Health, 1977-1996; Faculty of Medical
Sciences, NUOL, 1996-2007; University of Health
Sciences, under Ministry of Health since 2007.
UIE. [Formerly]. UNESCO Institute for Education.
(In Hamburg, Germany). (See UIL).
UIL. UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (In
Hamburg, Germany). (Formerly UIE).
UIS. UNESCO Institute for Statistics. (In Montreal,
Canada).
ULW. Union of Lao Women. (See LWU).
UMAP. University Mobility in Asia and the Pacific.
R. & V. Noonan
74
UNC. UNESCO National Commission. (Hosted
within MOES).
UNCDF. United Nations Capital Development Fund.
Uncertified teacher. Teacher lacking a certificate of
completion of teacher training from a TEI. (See
also Certified teacher; Unqualified teacher).
UNCT. United Nations Country Team. (Comprises
in Laos some 20 UN agencies working in educa-
tion, HRD, and other fields).
UNDAF. United Nations Development Assistance
Framework.
Under-age Enrolment Ratio. Enrollment below the
official age group for a given level of education
expressed as a percentage of the official age
population. (Compare with Over-age Enrollment
Ratio, Gross Enrollment Ratio, Net Enrollment
Rate).
Undergraduate Diploma. Qualification below
Bachelors Degree. (Lao: San Kang. Also known
as Associate Degree. Compare with Graduate
Diploma).
Underqualified teacher. A teacher with incomplete
teacher education qualifications for the level at
which he/she is teaching, e.g., a qualified primary
school teacher who has been promoted to be a
lower secondary school teacher. (See also
Qualified teacher; Unqualified teacher).
UNDESD. See DESD, definition 1.
UNDG. United Nations Development Group.
UNDP. United Nations Development Program.
(Headquarters in New York City).
UNESCAP. United Nations Economic and Social
Commission for Asia and the Pacific. (Bangkok).
UNESCO. United Nations Educational, Scientific,
and Cultural Organization. (In Paris).
Historical Note: Laos became a member in 1951.
UNESCO Bangkok. See PROAP. Can also refer to
[UNESCO] Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for
Education.
UNESCO BKK. See UNESCO Bangkok.
UNESS. UNESCO National Education Support
Strategy.
UNEVOC. UNESCO International Center for Tech-
nical and Vocational Education and Training. (In
Bonn, Germany).
UNFPA. United Nations Population Fund.
(Formerly UN Fund for Population Activities).
2017-07-27
UNGA. United Nations General Assembly.
UNGEI. United Nations Girls Education Initiative.
UNICEF. United Nations Childrens Fund.
UNIDO. United Nations Industrial Development
Organization. (Headquarters in Vienna, Austria).
UniNet. Thailand Education and Research Network.
(Serves some 3000 network members, including
NUOL; see also LERNET, TEIN).
Union Aid Abroad [APHEDA]. See APHEDA.
UNISDR. United Nations Office for Disaster Risk
Reduction. (Established in 1999 to facilitate the
implementation of the International Strategy for
Disaster Reduction, ISDR).
Universit de lIndochine. [History]. University of
Indochina.
Historical Note: Established in Hanoi 1906.
Moved to Saigon and renamed University of
Saigon 1954.
UNLD. United Nations Literacy Decade.
UNODC. United Nations Office on Drugs and
Crime.
UNPAF. UN Partner Agreement Framework.
Unqualified teacher. A teacher lacking any
completed teacher education. (See also Qualified
teacher; Underqualified teacher; Uncertified
teacher).
UNRC. United Nations Resident Coordinator.
UNSW. University of New South Wales. (Australia).
UOW. University of Wollongong. (Australia).
UPC. Universal Primary [School] Completion. (See
also UBE, UPE).
UPCD. University Partnerships in Cooperation and
Development.
UPE. Universal Primary Education. (See also UBE,
UPC).
UPI. [History]. University Pedagogical Institute.
Founded 1964. See VPU.
Upper primary school. [History]. Grades 4 5 or
4 6. (Compare with Lower primary school,
Elementary School).
R. & V. Noonan
75
Upper secondary school. Grades 10 12, alt.
Secondary Grades 5 - 7. (See also Matanyom.
Compare with Lower Secondary School,
Secondary School. See Annex Figure 1).
Historical Note: Beginning in the school year
2009/10, a 4th year was added to lower secondary
school, leading to a 12 year school system.
UPSET. Upgrade in-service education and training.
(See also INSET; PRESET; TISUP)
URAT. [History]. UNESCO Regional Advisory
Team.
US. Upper Secondary [Education]. (See USE).
USAID. United States Agency for International
Development.
Note: AID refers to the Agency for International
Development, with headquarters in Washington,
D.C. USAID refers to the field offices abroad,
such as in Vientiane.
Historical Note: USAID operated in Laos from
1961 to 1975, returning around 2000, and returning
to the education sector in Laos in 2014. (See also
ICA).
USC. University of Southern California.
USD. United States Dollar.
USDA. United States Department of Agriculture.
USE. Upper secondary education. (Grades 10 12
since 2009/10). (Compare with LSE).
USIA. [History]. US Information Agency. (See also
USIS).
Historical Note: In 1999 the non-broadcasting
functions of USIA were transferred to the Under
Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.
USIS. [History]. United States Information Service.
(Name applied overseas for the USIA).
USME. Unity School of Management and
Education.
USOM. [History]. United States Operations
Mission. (See also STEM, definition 2).
Historical Note: The United States established the
USOM to the Associated States (Cambodia, Laos,
and Vietnam), Saigon in 1951. In August, 1955,
the United States elevated its diplomatic mission in
Laos from a Legation to an Embassy and
established the United States Operations Mission
in Laos (USOM/L).
USPACOM. United States Pacific Command. (In
coordination with the US Embassy, conducts
humanitarian work in education sector and other
sectors in Laos since late 1990s).
2017-07-27
USS. Upper secondary school. (Compare with LSS.
Also see USE).
UXO. Unexploded Ordnance.
V VDF. Village Development Fund.
VA. Victim Assistance.
VAC School Model. Reference to schools in ethnic
minority areas in Vietnam where schools have a
small garden, a fishpond, and a stall for raising
small animals. See VAC, definition 2.
Historical Note: A Lao modified version of the
VAC School Model for some rural ethnic
communities was considered in early discussions
in connection with education sector development
plans. The aim was to link academic activities to
practical life-skills.
VAC. 1. Village Administration Committee. (See
also VDC; VEDC, definition 1). 2. Vietnamese
Acronym for: Garden, Pond, Stall. (Vn, Ao,
Chung). (See VAC School Model). 3. Violence
against Children.
VALOFRASE. Valorization of French [Language] in
South-East Asia [Project]. (Valorize = Increase the
value of).
Vat. See Wat.
VAT. Value Added Tax.
VAW. Violence against Women.
VAWG. Violence against Women and Girls.
VC. 1. Vientiane College. 2. Vocational Certificate.
(See TVET Certificate).
VC I Vocational Certificate, Level 1;
VC II Vocational Certificate, Level 2;
VC III Vocational Certificate, Level 3.
VCAWMC. Vientiane Capital Commission for the
Advancement of Women, Mothers, and Children.
VCCEB. [Formerly]. Vientiane Capital City
Education Bureau. (See VCESS).
VCESS. Vientiane Capital Education & Sports
Service. (Formerly [V]CES).
VD. Vientiane Declaration. See:
Vientiane Declaration on Aid Effectiveness,
signed in 2006; and
Vientiane Declaration on Partnership for
Effective Development Cooperation (2016-
2025), signed in 2015.
VD II. Vientiane Declaration on Partnership for
Effective Development Cooperation (2016-2025).
R. & V. Noonan
76
VDC. [Formerly]. Village Development Committee.
(Renamed VEDC, definition 1; see also WEDC).
VDCAP. Also VD-CAP. Vientiane Declaration
Country Action Plan.
VDPCC. Village Disaster Prevention and Control
Committee.
VDPU. Village Disaster Prevention Unit.
VE. Vocational Education. See TVET.
VEC. Vocational Education Committee. (In NCTS).
VEDC. 1. Village Education Development
Committee. (See also CCED, EDC; DEDC; VDC;
VEF). 2. [Formerly]. Vocational Education
Development Center. (See VEDI).
VEDI. Vocational Education [Research and]
Development Institute. (Vientiane). (Formerly
VEDC, definition 2).
VEF. Village Education Fund. (See also VEDC,
definition 1).
VELA. Vocational Education [and Training] in
Laos. (Project with external co-financing by GIZ
and SDC).
VEQS. Vocational Education Quality Standards.
VESD. Vientiane Education and Sports Department.
VESL. Village Education in Southern Laos. (VFI
project).
VET. Vocational Education and Training. (The
more commonly used term internationally is
TVET).
VETSA. Vocational Education and Training System
Advisory [Project]. (External financing by GIZ).
VFI. Village Focus International (NGO, USA).
VHS. German: Deutscher Volkshochschul-Verband.
German Adult Education Association. (NGO,
Germany).
VHV. Village Health Volunteer.
VHW. Village Health Worker.
VI. Visual impairment.
Viang Chan. Lao: . Vientiane.
Note: Vientiane is the more common spelling in
English and French language documents, but
Viang Chan is phonetically closer to the Lao
spelling. The romanized spelling, Vientiane,
was given by the French to accord with French
pronunciation.
2017-07-27
ViCAED. Vientiane initiatives on Cooperation for
Adult Education and Development.
Vice Minister. Senior official serving directly under
the Minister. (Also Deputy Minister; compare
with Assistant Minister).
Note: The titles Deputy Minister and Vice Minister
are synonymous, but Vice Minister is the more
commonly used term.
Vichittakam. Lao:
. School of Visual
Arts.
Vientiane Capital. Comprises Vientiane [Capital]
City plus the following districts: Mayparkngum,
Naxaithong, Sangthong, and Xaythany.
Vientiane [Capital] City. Comprises the following
districts: Chanthabouly, Hadxaifong, Naxaithong,
Pak Ngeum, Sangthong, Saythany, Sikhottabong,
Sisattanak, Xaysetha.
Vientiane Declaration [on Aid Effectiveness].
Declaration signed by Laos and DPs at 9th RTM in
November 2006 as the Lao adaptation or
localization of the Paris Declaration on Aid
Effectiveness. Main features include:
Ownership: Laos sets its own strategies for
poverty reduction, improves its institutions, and
tackles corruption;
Alignment: DPs align behind these objectives
and use local systems in their support programs;
Harmonization: DPs coordinate their programs,
simplify procedures, and share information to
avoid duplication;
Results: Laos and DPs focus on development
results and measurement of the results; and
Mutual accountability: Laos and DPs are
mutually accountable for development results.
Note: In 2015 an enhanced declaration was
prepared under the title Vientiane Declaration on
Partnership for Effective Development Coopera-
tion (2016-2025). It is sometimes referred to as
VDI.
Vientiane Declaration [on Partnership for
Effective Development Cooperation, 2016-
2025]. (Referred to as VDII. Signed November
2015. Compare with Vientiane Declaration [on
Aid Effectiveness]). Main features include:
Ownership;
Alignment;
Harmonization and simplification;
Inclusive partnership for development results;
Transparency, Predictability and Mutual
Accountability;
Domestic Resource Mobilization;
R. & V. Noonan
77
South-South Cooperation, Triangular
Cooperation, and Knowledge Sharing; and
Business as a Partner in Development,
(See details in Annex Box 2: Vientiane
Declaration on Partnership for Effective
Development Cooperation, 2016-2025).
Vientiane MCPT. See Vientiane Municipality.
Vientiane Municipality. Note: In common writing,
the terms Vientiane Municipality, Vientiane
Capital, and Vientiane Prefecture are often used
synonymously, but the term Prefecture is
obsolete in the Lao context, and the current official
names are Vientiane Capital and Vientiane
[Capital] City.
Vientiane Prefecture. [Formerly]. Vientiane
Capital. (See Vientiane Municipality, Vientiane
Capital and Vientiane [Capital] City).
Vihara. Pali: Literally abode, where monks live,
usually within a wat. Buddhist monastery.
Village school. A school, typically (but not always)
in a rural or remote area and offering only 1, 2, or
3 grades. (See also Incomplete school, School
cluster).
Village teacher. See Community teacher.
Vinaya [Pitaka]. Pali: [literally Education Basket,
or Discipline Basket, hence collection of rules
for education]. The regulatory framework for the
Sangha. (See also Tipitaka).
Vipassana. Pali: Insight, intuitive understanding,
gained through meditation.
VIS. Vientiane International School. (Private;
International Baccalaureate World School).
Vision 2020. 1. ASEAN Vision for the Year 2020.
(Adopted 1997). 2. 2020 Goal.
Vision 2030. Development policy vision for Year
2030 adopted by the 10 th Party Congress and
expressed in the 8th NSEDP.
Note: A major component of Vision 2030 is for
Laos to rank as an upper-middle income develop-
ing country by 2030.
VITA [Park]. Vientiane Industrial and Trade Area.
(An SEZ, definition 1).
VLE. Virtual Learning Environment. (See also
CMS, LMS).
VM. Vice Minister.
VMG. Vision, Mission, Goals.
VND. Vietnamese Dong. (Currency).
VO. Village Organization. (See VDC, VEDC).
2017-07-27
Vocational center. Also Vocational Training Center.
Generic term for place in which basic vocational
training is conducted.
Vocational Diploma. Diploma awarded on
completion of a TVET 12+3 year program.
(Compare with Technician Diploma).
VOCTECH. SEAMEO Regional Center for
Vocational and Technical Education and Training.
(In Brunei Darussalam).
Volunteer teacher. 1. Teacher who is a recent TEI
graduate awaiting a quota assignment, often
serving without regular pay. (Compare with Quota
teacher). 2. See also Community teacher.
VPA. Voluntary partnership agreement.
VPES. Vientiane Provincial Education Services.
VPS. Vientiane Patthana School. (Private school,
Vientiane).
VPU. [History]. Vientiane Pedagogical University.
(Merged in 1996 with other institutions to become
NUOL; see PERP).
VQF. Vocational Qualification[s] Framework. Also
LNVQF, NQF, NVQF.
Comprises 5 levels according to the TVET Law of
2014:
Level 1: Basic vocational training;
Level 2: Semi-skilled worker;
Level 3: Skilled worker;
Level 4: Technician; and
Level 5: Higher Technician.
Note: These vocational qualifications in detail are
specified in the National Qualification[s]
Framework (NQF). (See also Annex Table 9).
VS. Village Science. (NGO, USA).
VSA. Volunteer Service Abroad. (NGO, New
Zealand).
VSDC. Vocational Skills Development Center.
(Under MOLSW).
VSO. Voluntary Service Overseas. INGO.
VT. Variable tranche. (E.g., with EC budget
support; compare with FT).
VTC. 1. Vocational and Technical College.
(Compare with VTS). 2. Vocational Training
Center. (Compare with VSDC).
VTE. 1. Vientiane [Capital City]. (Not to be
confused with Vientiane Province). 2. Vocational
Teacher Education.
R. & V. Noonan
78
VTED. Vocational Teacher Education Department.
(Faculty of Engineering, NUOL). (Formerly
VTTD).
VTET. See TVET.
VTI. Vocational and technical institution. (Generic.
See VTC, VTS).
VTM. Vientiane Municipality. (Renamed Vientiane
Capital City. See VTE).
VTP. 1. Vocational Training Program. 2. Vientiane
Province. (Not to be confused with Vientiane
Capital City, see VTE)
VTS. Vocational and Technical School. (Compare
with VTC).
VTTD. [Formerly]. Vocational Teacher Training
Division. (Faculty of Engineering, NUOL). (See
VTED).
VWU. Village Womens Union.
VYDA. Vulnerable [Lao] Youth Development
Association. (Lao NPA, definition 2).
W
W/A. Withdrawal Application.
WA. Withdrawal Application. (ADB, WB).
Wapikhamthong Province. [History]. Created as a
province carved out of eastern Saravane province
in 1962 and restored to Saravane province at the
end of 1975. (See also Sam Neua Province).
WASH. Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene. (UNICEF).
Wat . Lao: . Buddhist temple complex, including
a temple, other religious and residential buildings
enclosed by a wall with gateways. (Also Vat).
(See also Vihara).
Wat school. See Temple school. See also Pali
school.
WATSAN. Water and Sanitation.
WAU. World Around Us. (Primary school curricula
and textbooks in social studies).
WB. World Bank.
WBG. World Bank Group.
WBI. World Bank Institute.
WCS. Wildlife Conservation Society. (NGO, USA).
WD [&]R. World Development & Relief. (INGO).
&r
WDI. World Development Indicators. (WB).
WE [/ Consortium]. [Formerly] World Education /
Consortium in the Lao PDR. (NGO, Laos). (See
WEL).
2017-07-27
WE/C. Also WEC. See WE / Consortium.
Wearing white. Reference to a lay person (i.e., not
ordained into the Buddhist monkhood). (See also
White robe).
WEDC. Womens Education Development Center.
(Compare with EDC, VEDI, DEDC).
WEDGE. Womens Entrepreneurship Development
and Gender Equality. (ILO).
WEF. World Education Forum.
WEI. World Education International. (INGO, see
WEI / Consortium).
WEL. World Education Laos. (NGO, Lao field
office for World Education, Boston. Engaged in
agriculture, education, health care, income
generation, UXO, people with disabilities. In Laos
since 1992.)
WES. Water and Environmental Sanitation.
WFCL. Worst Forms of Child Labor. (ILO
convention, No. 182, 1999, to which Laos is a
signatory).
WFFC. World Fit for Children.
WFP. World Food Program. (UN).
WG. Working Group.
WGHRD. Working Group on Human Resource
Development. (GMS Economic Cooperation
Program)
WHE. [Young People's] World Heritage Education
[Project]. (UNESCO project launched 1994 as:
Young Peoples Participation in World Heritage
Preservation and Promotion).
WHH. See DWHH.
White robe. Reference to either: (a) The robe of a
candidate for ordination as a Buddhist novice
monk; or (b) The robe of a Buddhist nun (Lao:
Mae Khao). (See also Wearing white).
Historical Note: In some historical documents the
term white-robed priests is used disparagingly to
refer to Christian missionaries (i.e., not ordained
into the Buddhist Sangha, hence wearing white
instead of saffron robes).
WHO. World Health Organization.
WID. [Formerly]. Women in Development. (See
GDA).
WIDE. World Inequality Database on Education.
(UNESCO).
WinS. WASH in Schools.
World Concern. (NGO, USA).
R. & V. Noonan
79
World Education. (NGO, USA). (See WEL).
WPE. Work Plan on Education. (ASEAN).
WR. World Renew. (INGO, Christian Reformed
Church in North America). (Formerly CRWRC).
WS. Workshop.
WSIS. World Summit on the Information Society.
WTO. World Trade Organization.
Historical Note: Laos joined WTO in February
2013.
WV[L]. World Vision [in Lao PDR]. (INGO.
l
Christian humanitarian organization).
WWF. World Wildlife Fund. (INGO).
X Y Z
XAI. Xayaboury Province. (Also XYB).
XIA. Xiengkhuang Province. (Also XK, XKG,
XKH).
Xiosane Avouso Teacher. Lao:
.
st
Senior Expert Teacher. [Title, 1 Rank]. (See also
Pasopkane Teacher; Samnanekane Teacher;
Xiosane Teacher).
Xiosane Teacher. Lao: .
Expert Teacher.
nd
[Title, 2 Rank]. (See also Pasopkane Teacher;
Samnanekane Teacher; and Xiosane Avouso
Teacher).
XK. Xiengkhuang Province. (Also XIA, XKG,
XKH).
XKG. Xiengkhuang Province. (Also XIA, XK,
XKH).
XKH. Xiengkhuang Province. (Also XIA, XK,
XKG).
XYB. Xayaboury Province. (Also XAI).
. Japanese Yen.
YB. [Statistical] Yearbook.
YDI. Youth Development Index.
YEAL. Youth Entrepreneur Association of Laos.
YES. [Honda] Young Engineers and Scientists.
(Independent program supported by Honda
Foundation).
YESS. Young Entrepreneurs Strategies for Success.
YF. Youth Forum.
YGMS. Young GMS Professional Program.
(Mekong Institute).
2017-07-27
YICMG. Youth Innovation Competition on
Lancang-Mekong Regions Governance and
Development.
YLP. Yong Leaders Program. (Japanese
Government. See also JDS).
YMCA. Young Mens Christian Association.
(Compare with YWCA).
Young Pioneers. Organization for age children, 9-14
years old; under LPRYU. (Compare with
Juveniles).
Note: Sometimes translated as Scouts (see
Scouts, Historical Note), but that misses the
political dimension of the Young Pioneers, which
is organized under the leadership of LPRYU, a
Mass Organization, itself under the leadership of
the Party.
YOY. Also YoY, y-o-y. Year-on-year [growth rate],
for example of enrollment, population, GDP;
GDP/c. (Contrast with Average Annual Growth
Rate).
Note: For any extended period of time, the
Average Annual Growth Rate is preferred because
the YOY growth rate becomes increasingly
misleading as the number of periods increases.
YSEALI. Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative.
(Professional development exchange program, US
Mission to ASEAN).
YWCA. Young Womens Christian Association.
(Compare with YMCA).
ZOA. Dutch: Zuidoost-Azi. [Southeast Asia].
(NGO, Netherlands; best known internationally
simply as ZOA).
Zomia. Geographic term (somewhat contentious)
referring to the highlands of northern peninsular
Southeast Asia (Laos, northern Vietnam and
Thailand, the Shan Hills of northern Burma) and
the mountains of Southwest China. Often used in
discussions concerning ethnic minority commun-
ities living in the highlands and mountainous areas.
Zone of Proximal Development. (ZPD). The
difference between what learners can do without
help and what they can do with help.
Note: Concept introduced by and associated with
Lev Vygotsky.
ZOPP. German: Zielorientierte Projektplanung.
Objectives-Oriented Project Planning. Author
trans. (See also OOPP).
ZPD. Zone of Proximal Development.
ZSKF. Zsigmond Kirly Flskola. [Hungarian].
King Sigismund Business School. (Budapest,
Hungary)

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80
 ANNEX

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81
 Annex Figures

Figure 1: School System Structure as of School Year 2015/2016

Notes:
1. The UNESCO International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED 2011) codes are shown.
2. In School Year 2009/10 the three-year lower secondary school was replaced by a four-year lower
secondary school, changing the 11-year 5+3+3 system to a 12-year 5+4+3 system. See Figure 2.
3. Grades 6-9 are often referred to as Secondary Grades 1-4, and Grades 10-12 are often referred to
as Secondary Grades 5-7. See M1-M4, M5-M7, Matanyom.

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82
Source: MOES Annual School Census for SY 2007/08 to 2011/12, published 2008 to 2012

Figure 2: System Reform Period Enrollment in Lower & Upper Secondary School

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83
 Figure 3: Alternate School Forms as of School Year 2015/2016
Notes: 1. For Multi-grade School, 1-teacher model, see Figure 4 below.
2. Over the past decade approximately 28 % of Primary classrooms have been multi-grade.

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84
 Figure 4: Double Cohort, Alternate Year Intake Multi-Grade Form

Note: This one-teacher, five-grade school approach is allowed for small, remote communities where
only one teacher is available. It enables the provision of complete primary schooling (five grades) for
all children in the community, while the teacher handles only two or three grade levels each year. It is
allowed but seldom used because it is considered too difficult to manage.

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85
 Figure 5: Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Forms

Figure 6: Typical Primary School Cluster: Core School and Satellite Schools

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86
 Figure 7: Implementation Plan for Teacher Education 2010/10 to 2014/15

Notes:
1. The curriculum
and teaching and
learning methods in
Lao TVET are in a
state of transforma-
tion. Many TVET
institutions are intro-
ducing competency
based training.

2. The Diploma and

Higher Diploma
earned in the regular
TVET stream and the
IVET continuing
stream are formally
equivalent.

Figure 8: General, TVET, and IVET Streams after Lower Secondary Education

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87
 Figure 9: MOES Organization Chart (September, 2014)

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88
 Annex Tables
Table 1: PESS and DESB Organization
PESS DESB
Director Director
Deputy Directors Deputy Directors
Administration Administration
Organization and Personnel Organization and Personnel
Statistics and Planning Statistics and Planning
Pre-school and Primary Education Pre-school and Primary Education
Secondary Education
TVET
Non-formal Education and Basic Skill Training Non-formal Education and Basic Skill Training
Arts and Physical Education Arts and Physical Education
Teacher Development
Community Sport Sport Exercise
Elite Sports
Inspection and Evaluation Inspection and Evaluation
Pedagogical Advisors

Table 2: Universities and Faculties

Universities under MOES
Champasack University (CU), Pakse. Established 2002. Faculties: Agriculture, Economic and
Business Administration, Education.
National University of Laos (NUOL), Vientiane. Established 1995. Faculties: Agriculture,
Architecture, Economics and Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Forestry,
Law and Political Science, Letters, Medical Sciences, [Natural] Sciences, Social Sciences,
Water Resources.
Savannakhet University (SKU), Savannakhet. Established 2009. Faculties: Agriculture and
Environmental Sciences, Business Administration, Education, Food Science, Linguistics and
Humanities.
Souphanouvong University (SU), Luang Prabang. Established 2003. Faculties: Agriculture,
Economics and Business Administration, Education.
Universities under Other Ministries
University of Health Sciences (UHS), Vientiane. Established under MOH in 2007. Faculties:
Basic Science, Dentistry, Medical Technology, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Post Graduate
Studies and Research.
Notes:
1. MOES has broad oversight responsibility for all education development, but CU, SKU, and SU have
autonomous administrative authority. NUOL has more autonomy.
2. The University of Health Sciences was established in 1958 as the Royal School of Medicine and has been
renamed several times since then. It has been managed alternately under the Ministry of Education and the
Ministry of Health. In 2007 it was renamed University of Health Sciences and placed under the Ministry of
Health.

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89
 Table 3: Teacher Education Institutions
TEIs Location
8 Provincial & Regional TTCs

Luangnamtha TTC Namtha District, Luang Namtha Province

Luangprabang TTC Luang Prabang District, Luang Prabang Province

Phone Savan, Capital of Pek District, Xieng Khuang

Khangkhai TTC (KKTTC)
Province

Bankeun TTC (BTTC) Thoulakhom District, Vientiane Province

Savannakhet TTC (STTC) Kaisone Phomvihan District, Savannakhet Province

Saravane TTC Saravane District, Saravane Province

Pakse TTC Pakse District, Champasack Province

Dongkhamxang TTC Hadsaifong District, Vientiane Capital

4 Specialized TTCs

National Art Education Teacher Training School Vientiane Capital

National Physical Education Teacher Training Ban Thongpong, Sikhottabong District, Vientiane
College Capital

Wat Ongtue TTC Vientiane Capital

Wat Thahin TTC Pakse, Champasack Province

Vocational Education Development Institute

Ban Watnak, Sisattanak District, Vientiane Capital
(VEDI)

4 University Faculties of Education

Champasack University (CU) Pakse

National University of Laos (NUOL) * Vientiane

Savannakhet University (SKU) Savannakhet

Souphanouvong University (SU) Luang Prabang

* The Faculty of Engineering includes a Vocational Teacher Education Department (VTED).

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 Table 4: Ethno-Linguistic Groups and their Population Distribution, 2015

No. Ethnic group % No. Ethnic group %

Lao-Tai Linguistic Sub-group Mon-Khmer Sub-group Continued
1 Lao 53.2 30 Cheng 0.1
2 Tai 3.1 31 Sedang 0.0
3 Phoutai 3.4 32 Suay 0.8
4 Lue 2.0 33 Nya Heun 0.1
5 Nyouan 0.4 34 Lavi 0.0
6 Yang 0.1 35 Pacoh 0.4
7 Xaek 0.1 36 Khmer 0.1
8 Tai Neua 0.2 37 Toum 0.1
Total 62.5 38 Ngouan 0.0
39 Moy 0.0
Mon-Khmer Linguistic Sub-group 40 Kri 0.0
9 Khmou 11.0 Total 23.7
10 Phai 0.4
11 Xing Moul 0.2 Tibeto-Burman Linguistic Sub-group
12 Phong 0.5 41 Ahka 1.8
13 Thaen 0.0 42 Phunoi (Singsily) 0.6
14 Oedou 0.0 43 Lahou 0.3
15 Bit 0.0 44 Sila 0.0
16 Lamet 0.3 45 Hanyi 0.0
17 Samtao 0.1 46 Lolo 0.0
18 Katang 2.2 47 Ho 0.2
19 Makong 2.5 Total 2.9
20 Tri 0.6
21 Yrou 0.9 Hmong-Yao Linguistic sub-group
22 Tariang 0.6 48 Hmong 9.2
23 Ta Oy 0.7 49 Iu Mien Yao 0.5
24 Yaeh 0.2 Total 9.7
25 Brao 0.4
26 Katou 0.4 Other / No answer
27 Halak 0.4 50 Other & Not Stated 1.2
28 Oy 0.4
29 Kriang 0.3
(Continued) National Population Total 100.0
Source: MPI 2015, Table P2.7, pp. 121-122.

Historical Note: The RLG classified the multi-ethnic population of Laos into three groups (Lao Loum, Lao
Soung, and Lao Theung) based on the assumed topographical distribution, with little regard to ethno-linguistic
characteristics. The 1992 Central Party Resolution on Ethnic Minorities recommended that this classification no
longer be used. The National Edification Committee of the Lao National Ethnic Classification Conference in
August 2000 agreed on a two tiered system comprising 49 ethnic groups (as shown above) and 160 sub-groups.
As of the school year 2007/08 the ethnicity data collected by MOES is based on the ethno-linguistic
classifications, not the topographical classification.

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91
 Table 5: EFA National Plan of Action (EFA-NPA) - Objectives, Targets, Activities
Objec- Activ-
Program tives Targets ities
Pillar 1: Access and Participation 22 30 139
1 Access and Participation in ECCD 4 4 17
2 Access and Participation in Formal Primary Education 5 21 32
3 Access and Participation in Lower Secondary Education 4 2 19
4 Youth and Adult Literacy 7 2 53
5 Skills Development Program for Disadvantaged Groups 2 1 18

Pillar 2: Quality and Relevance 13 6 110

Quality and Relevance in Formal Primary and Lower
6 13 6 110
Secondary Education

Pillar 3: Management 7 8 26
7 Education Administration and Management 7 8 26

Total 42 44 275
Source: Ministry of Education (MOE). (2005). Education for All National Plan of Action 2003-
2015. Vientiane: MOE. Pp. 41-65.

Table 6: Lao National Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for Education

Target
No. Indicator (%)
MDG 2: Ensure that by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be
able to complete a full course of primary schooling.
6 Primary Net Enrollment Rate 98
7 Primary school Survival Rate 95
8 Literacy rate in age range 15-24 99

MDG 3: Eliminate gender disparity at all levels by 2015.

9 Gender Ratio for enrollment at all levels 100
10 Gender Ratio for literacy in age range 15-24 100
Note: Only those MDGs and indicators directly and specifically related to the education sector are listed
here. For a complete listing the reader is referred to the relevant official documentation, e.g., Government of
Lao PDR and United Nations. (2004). Millennium Development Goals Progress Report Lao PDR.
Vientiane and New York: GOL and UN.

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92
 Table 7: Lao Adaptation of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) for 2030

Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning
Key outcomes extracted Indicative programmatic areas for the further development of
from SDG 4 interventions and indicators:
(i) Free, equitable, and Universal access to primary education, improved retention &
quality primary and graduation;
secondary education Secondary education: improved access, retention and graduation;
Improved quality of primary & secondary education, relevant and
effective learning outcomes;
Knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development
(see target 4.7 for complete list, Table 4.2);
Gender equality in all of the above;
Child, disability, and gender sensitive quality education facilities.

(ii) Improved access to Access to ECD and pre-primary education;

quality early childhood Quality of ECD and pre-primary education services and facilities;
development, care and
pre-primary education Gender equality in all of the above.

(iii) Increased skills for Affordable and quality tertiary education;

employment, decent jobs
and entrepreneurship
Affordable and quality TVET, reform and modernization of the
TVET system;
Knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development
(see target 4.7);
Disability and gender sensitive quality education facilities;
Gender equality in all of the above.

(iv) Universal literacy Youth literacy (15-24 years )

among youth Adult literacy (age 15 and above)

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93
 Table 8: Official Student/Teacher Ratio Targets by Level of Educational Institution
Target Ratios
Education Sector Teacher Education
Type of Institution Development Plan Action Plan 2011 PMO Decree 2012
Pre-school 20:1 20:1 15:1
Primary School 31:1 30:1 34:1
Lower secondary school 25:1 25:1 30:1
Upper secondary school 20:1 20:1 25:1
Vocational school n.a. n.a. 20:1
Teacher Education Institutions n.a. 25:1 n.a.
University n.a. 30:1 30:1
Sources:
Education Sector Development Plan (MOES 2011b);
Teacher Education Action Plan 2011-2015 (MOES 2011c);
Decree on Teacher Civil Servants. (PMO 2012).
Note: The PMO Decree covers public schools only.

Table 9: National Qualification Framework Standards for Vocational Teacher

Higher Education and Skill Training
Qualification Level Sport (MOES) TVET (MOES) (MOLSW)
Doctors Degree
Specialist 2
7
Masters Degree
(professional)
Specialist 1
Graduate Diploma
6 Bachelors Degree Bachelors Degree
Associate Degree Higher Diploma / Foreman / Supervisor /
5
Higher Technician Skill Level 4
Diploma 2 / Technician Tradesman / Skilled
4
Level 3
Diploma 1/ Certificate Skilled Laborer / Skill
3
4 / Skilled Worker Level 2
Certificate 3 / Semi- Semi Skilled Laborer /
2
Skilled Worker Skill Level 1
Certificate 2 / Practical Award
Skills
1
Certificate 1 / Basic Award
Skills
Source: NUOL. (2014). Development of Standards for Vocational Teachers at Bachelors level in
Lao PDR. Faculty of Engineering, National University of Laos. P. 26.

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94
 Table 10: TVET Institutions under MOES Supervision, with Enrollments, 2011/12

Fem. as %
Institution Total Female Total
Dongkhamxang Agricultural Technical School 434 181 42
Integrated Vocational School, Saravane Province 215 37 17
Integrated Vocational School, Sekong Province 147 44 30
IVET School, Huaphanh Province 204 62 30
IVET School, Luangnamtha Province 501 156 31
IVET School, Oudomxay Province 376 55 15
IVET School, Phongsaly Province 278 126 45
IVET School, Xayabury Province 786 272 35
IVET School, Xiengkhuang Province 359 97 27
VTS, Khammuane Province 1,086 430 40
VTS, Luangprabang 1,156 375 32
VTS, Savannakhet Province 618 167 27
VTS, Attapeu Province 251 56 22
VTS, Bokeo Province 412 115 28
VTS, Borikhamxay Province 92 50 54
Lao-German Technical School, Vientiane 602 12 2
Pakpasak Technical College, Vientiane 4,665 2,825 61
Polytechnic College, Vientiane 2,387 433 18
Technical College, Vientiane Province 1,604 651 41
Vientiane-Hanoi Friendship Vocational School 1,281 554 43
Vocational & Technical College, Champasack Province 1,031 316 31
Vocational Education Development Institute 126 22 17

Total Enrolment 18,611 7,036 38

Note: The Vocational Education Development Institute (VEDI) is also referred to as the Vocational
Education Research and Development Institute.

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95
 Table 11: Public TVET Delivery System under Other Ministries and Organizations

Entity TVET Institutions Number of Trainees Content of Courses

Ministry of Health University of Health In 2008/09: 13
Science and 12 Nursing Masters degrees, 52
schools specialists, 308
Bachelors degrees,
227 higher diplomas,
90 diplomas, 638
nursing certificates
Ministry of Finance 3 training institutes In 2008/09 4,500 Finance, banking,
trainees in certificate accounting
and diploma courses
Ministry of Agriculture 5 specialist training In 2009: 448 students Crop production,
and Forestry institutes graduated livestock, fisheries,
forestry, irrigation
Ministry of Information 5 training institutes
and Culture
Ministry of Justice 3 training institutes
Bank of Lao 1 training institute
Lao Womens Union 3 training centers In 2008/09 440 trainees Cookery, garment
in non-formal courses making, hairdressing,
beautician
Lao Revolutionary Youth 10 training centers In 2008/09 900 trainees Languages, beauty,
Federation tailoring, computing
Community Learning 321 centers across the 1,608 trainees in Literacy, equivalency
Centers country 2008/09 and short basic
vocational skills
Source: UNESCO. (2013). Policy Review of TVET in Lao PDR. Paris: UNESCO. P. 26.

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 Table 12: Official Names of Lao Government Structure, as of July 2014

Sometimes found in current writings

Official Name & Standard Abbreviation but out of date or incorrect
Ministries
Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry (MAF) Ministry of Agriculture

Ministry of Education & Sports (MOES) Ministry of Education

Ministry of Energy & Mines (MEM) Ministry of Energy & Mining

Ministry of Finance (MOF)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)

Ministry of Health (MOH) Ministry of Public Health

Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA)

Ministry of Industry & Commerce (MIC) Ministry of Industry & Handicraft

Ministry of Information, Culture, & Tourism (MICT) Ministry of Information & Culture

Ministry of the Interior

Ministry of Justice (MOJ)

Ministry of Labor & Social Welfare (MOLSW)

Ministry of National Defense (MND) Ministry of Public Defense

Ministry of Natural Resources & Environment (MONRE)

Ministry of Planning & Investment (MOPI or MPI)

Ministry of Post & Telecommunications (MPT) Ministry of Post, Telecom, & Communications

Ministry of Public Security (MPS) Ministry of National Security

Ministry of Public Works & Transport (MPWT)

Ministry of Science & Technology (MOST)

Ministry-equivalent Organizations
Bank of the Lao PDR

Government Inspection Authority

Government Office. (Also known as Prime Ministers

Office, PMO)
Note: This list is provided here because references in English language literature, including official
translations of GOL documents, often give out-of-date names or home-made translations. Here we list the
official names as provided on the official websites. Sometimes variants can be found on the same official
website. In such cases we have listed here the most common variants found in authoritative and well-written
documents.

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 Table 13: Spelling of Administrative Divisions and Common Place Names

HASC &
Code Administrative Units Common Abbreviations ISO
1 Attapeu Province ATP, ATT AT
2 Bokeo Province BKO, BOK BK
3 Borikhamxay Province BKX, BOL BL
4 Champasack Province CHA, CPS CH
5 Huaphanh Province HOU, HPH HO
6 Khammuane Province KHA, KHM, KMN KH
7 Luangnamtha Province LN, LNA, LNT LM
8 Luangprabang Province LPB LP
9 Oudomxay Province ODX, OUD, UDX OU
10 Phongsaly Province PHO, PLS PH
11 Saravane Province SAR, SRV SL
12 Savannakhet Province SAV, SKT, SVK SV
17 Sekong (or Xkong) Province SEK, SKN XE
13 Vientiane Province VTP VI
14 Vientiane Capital City VTE VT
15 Xayabury Province XAI, XYB XA
16 Xaysomboon Province (See Notes 2 & 3 below) XN
18 Xiengkhuang Province XIA, XK, XKG XI
Notes:
1. There is no official spelling in English for names of provinces. The spellings given here are those used in
the statistical reports issued by the Lao Statistics Bureau. The spelling of other common place names follows
the most authoritative sources.
2. The districts of Xaysomboon Special Region were transferred in 2006 to Xiengkhuang and Vientiane
Provinces and restored as Xaysomboon Province December 31, 2013.
3. The Code is the province number commonly used in official reports. Note that the Code given here follows
alphabetical order of province name if Sekong is spelled Xkong, but Sekong is the more common spelling in
English language documents. In the 2005 Census report and other official publications the Codes followed a
north-to-south order. The Codes given above are taken 2015-06-07 from: http://www.statoids.com/ula.html
4. Vientiane Capital City (or simply Vientiane Capital) is on the same administrative level as a province but is
not formally a province. It is sometimes called Vientiane Municipality or Vientiane Prefecture.
5. HASC: Hierarchical administrative subdivision codes. For full identification in a global context, prefix
LA. is added. ISO: Province codes from ISO 3166-2. For full identification in a global context, prefix
LA- is added.

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 Annex Boxes

Box 1: Summary Timeline for Major Education Policy Development, from 1990
1990 (March). Laos signs World Declaration on Education for All (EFA) in Jomtien, Thailand.
1991 (May). Laos accedes to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CORC), assuring the rights of
every child, irrespective of gender, language, religion, ethnicity, disability, or other status.
1996 (August). Prime Minister signs Decree on Compulsory Education.
1996. Gender and Ethnic Minority Education Unit (GEMEU) established under the Department of General
Education.
2000 (April). Education Law 2000 mandates free and compulsory primary education.
2000 (September). Laos commits to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) at the Millennium Summit
at the UN headquarters in New York.
2000 (October). MOE publishes The Education Strategic Vision up to the Year 2020 for presentation at 7 th
Round Table Meeting.
2001 (March). Seventh Congress of the Lao Peoples Revolutionary Party (LPRP) presents a 5-, 10-, and 20-
year development strategy and endorses the 5 th National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP5)
(2001-2005).
2001 (August). MOE publishes The Education Strategic Planning, 20 Years (2001-2020), 10 Years (2001-
2010), and 5 Years Development Plan for Education at the 5 th Plenary Session (2001-2005).
2005 (March). Education for All National Plan of Action 2003-2015 (EFA NPA) is approved by the Prime
Minister, committing Laos to national EFA goals and targets in accordance with the Framework for
Action adopted at the World Education Forum in Dakar in 2000.
2006 (March). Eighth Party Congress endorses 6 th NSEDP (2006-2010), which promotes economic
development, with human resource development as a key instrument.
2006 (November). At the 9 th Round Table Meeting, Vientiane Declaration (VD) on Aid Effectiveness is
signed.
2007 (July). The National Assembly approves the Revised Education Law 2007, stipulating extension of
lower secondary schooling to four years and promotes private education sector investment.
2008 (April). National Education System Reform Strategy (NESRS) 2006-2015 is promulgated.*
2009 (January). Development Partners endorse draft Education Sector Development Framework 2009-2015
(ESDF) as common framework for support to government for education sector development and
recommends Lao PDR accession to Fast Track Initiative (FTI) Partnership.
2009 (April). Education Sector Development Framework 2009-2015 (ESDF) is promulgated.
2010 (January). PMO promulgates Decree on TVET and Skills Development.
2010 (March). Lao PDR successfully secures USD30 million from FTICatalytic Fund to support
implementation of the sector plan.
2011 (September). Education Sector Development Plan 2011-2015 (ESDP 2011-2015) is promulgated.
2011 (September). In accordance with directions in the 7 th NSEDP, and after merger with Lao National
Sports Committee, Ministry of Education (MOE) is reorganized and re-named Ministry of Education and
Sports (MOES).
2011 (October). The 7 th NSEDP (2011-2015) is approved.
2013 (July). MOES approves the implementation of Minimum Education Standards of Higher Education
Institutions.
2014 (January). TVET Law and Labor Law are approved.
2015 (June). Decree on Higher Education (No. 177), probably the most significant and comprehensive legal
document ever written about higher education in Laos.
2015 (August). The National Assembly approves the Revised Education Law 2015.

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 2015 (September). Laos commits to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the Sustainable
Development Summit at the UN headquarters in New York.
2015 (September). National Qualifications Framework (NQF) is approved.
2015 (December). Education and Sports Sector Development Plan 2016-2020 (ESDP 2016-2020) is
promulgated.
2016 (June). Eighth 8 th NSEDP (2016-2020) is approved.
* Although the NESRS was promulgated after the promulgation of the Education Law (Revised 2007), the
Law is based on the preparatory work by the National Education System Reform Committee (NESRC)
during Phase I (2006-2008) of the reform strategy. The Education Law (Revised 2007) provides the
juridical basis for the system reform, as required by the NESRC. (See NESRS, Section VIII).

Box 2: Vientiane Declaration on Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation,

2016-2025
Ownership: DPs will support GOL leadership in policy, program, operation, monitoring, and evaluation, and
GOL will integrate ODA into mainstream financing and budget frameworks and will lead in identifying
capacity development needs;
Alignment: GOL and DPs use mutually agreed diagnostic tools, risk assessments, and mitigation measures on
the basis of comprehensive and transparent national budget information;
Harmonization and simplification: GOL and DPs will jointly plan, review, monitor, and evaluate priority
development effectiveness issues to support the national development agenda;
Inclusive partnership for development results: GOL and DPs form an inclusive development process, with
multiple actors (including civil society, private sector, and south-south and triangular cooperation) aligned
with the national development goals;
Transparency, Predictability and Mutual Accountability: GOL will produce transparent and accountable
national budgets and financial reports to enable assessment of development results, and GOL and DPs will
jointly conduct annual reviews reflecting the indicators defined in the Global Partnership Monitoring
Framework;
Domestic Resource Mobilization: GOL will increase mobilization of public and private domestic resources for
development, improve the DP GOL balance in co-financing priority development programs, increase
expenditure on vital social services, and broaden the tax base;
South-South Cooperation, Triangular Cooperation, and Knowledge Sharing: GOL will develop south-south
cooperation and triangular cooperation at strategic, policy, and project levels, and will promote integration
of south-south cooperation partners in the RTP and SWGs; and
Business as a Partner in Development: GOL will engage with business associations, trade unions, and others
to improve the legal, regulatory, and administrative environment for mobilization of private investment in
development activities, taking into account social and environmental safeguards and encouraging CSR.

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