School leadership
2.1. Leadership standards and roles
2.2. Selection and working conditions
2.3. Leadership preparation and training
3. Teachers, parents and students
3.1. School management committees and boards
4.1. Autonomy of school leaders
4.2. Assessment and accountability of school leaders
4.3. Teacher assessment by school leaders
1. Terminology
The 1995 Prime Minister Decree on Private Education mentions and uses the terms “the authorized person”, “the Directors”, and “the person responsible for academic affairs”; however, the Decree does not define these terms.
The 2015 Education Law uses the term "ບຸກຄະລາກອນການສຶກສາ" or education personnel, which is defined as those who are responsible for managing, administering, inspecting, and helping to facilitate teaching and learning in public and private educational institutions.
The 2021-2025 Education and Sports Sector Development Plan mentions and uses the term “school principals”; however, no definition is provided.
The term "ຜູ້ ອຳ ນວຍ ການ“ or school director is the term used in other official documents.
2. School principals
2.1. Leadership standards and roles
Competency standards and leadership frameworks and guidelines
The 2014 Agreement No. 149/MOES/ECE and 2015 Agreement No. 1372/MOES/GE outline the seven-task management for school directors.
The 2021-2025 Education and Sports Sector Development Plan aims to establish a comprehensive framework for executing teaching standards. This framework aims delineate the responsibilities of teachers, school directors, the District Education and Sports Bureau (DESB), the Provincial Education and Sports Service (PESS), as well as the central Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) / Department of Teacher Education (DTE). Furthermore, according to the Plan, standards are being developed for upper-secondary principals to strengthen their capacity to improve teaching and learning.
Roles
Setting expectations/objectives: According to the framework of Education Quality Standard (EQS) for primary schools, developed by the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES), school directors are responsible for developing an annual school development plan (SDP), in collaboration with other school personnel and community members.
Developing teaching and learning: Developing teaching activities is outlined as an essential responsibility of school directors in the 2014 Agreement No. 149/MOES/ECE and 2015 Agreement No. 1372/MOES/GE.
Promoting collaboration: The 2014 Agreement No. 149/MOES/ECE and 2015 Agreement No. 1372/MOES/GE outline collaboration with village education development committees (VEDC) as an essential responsibility of the seven-task management for school directors. However, the standards also do not sufficiently emphasize the need to encourage collaboration between teachers in schools and with other schools.
Supporting staff development: Internal pedagogical advisory work is outlined as an essential responsibility of school directors in the 2014 Agreement No. 149/MOES/ECE and 2015 Agreement No. 1372/MOES/GE.
Acting in accordance with the ethical principles of the profession: According to Article 7 of the 1995 Prime Minister Decree on Private Education, the authorized person, school directors, the person responsible for academic affairs, and the teachers must have good behavior and discipline, and be responsible in performing their duties. Furthermore, according to Article 11 of the Decree, individuals (a juristic person, a Lao citizen or a foreigner) applying for the establishment of any type of private school in the country are required to have good behavior and morals.
2.2. Selection and working conditions
Degree requirements and prior teaching experience
Degree requirements and prior teaching experience: The 1994 Agreement No. 64/MOES lacks specific details regarding the qualifications for primary and secondary school directors. It simply stipulates that school directors should possess a bachelor's degree or its equivalent.
According to Article 11 and 19 of the 1995 Prime Minister Decree on Private Education, the authorized person, school directors, the person responsible for academic affairs must have the qualifications stipulated in the regulations of the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES). However, the Decree does not specify the qualifications. Furthermore, according to Article 11 of the Decree, to establish a private school, individuals must meet specific criteria: no government dismissal, loss or revocation of establishment permission in the past two years, not an incapacitated person, and no criminal record, except for minor offences or negligence cases more than five years before the application.
Article 40 of the 2003 Prime Ministerial Decree on Civil Service delineates formal guidelines for grades and steps for non-teaching school staff. These guidelines are primarily based on the individual's level of education or managerial position and encompass specific criteria such as qualifications, educational credentials, and the requisite standards for each grade. The Decree, however, does not explicitly specify the inclusion of school directors within the classification of non-teaching school staff.
Similarly, the 2021-2025 Education and Sports Sector Development Plan does not specify the required qualifications and teaching experience. However, it aims to develop and approve job descriptions and job specifications at all levels, for each education sub-sector, including school directors in line with their actual roles and responsibilities.
Appointment decision
According to Articles 84 and 85 of the 2015 Education Law, the responsibility for formulating school staffing and deployment plans lies with local governments, specifically at the provincial and district levels. These plans are to be proposed to the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) and guided by the quotas issued by the MoES. Notably, the authority regarding appointing and deploying school directors is explicitly vested in the Chief of the Provincial Education and Sports Service (PESS), as mentioned in the 2002 Decree on Implementing Decentralization in the Education Sector. The Chief of PESS holds the mandate to appoint directors and deputy directors of lower secondary schools, upper secondary schools, complete secondary schools, as well as principals of primary schools and kindergartens. However, the exclusive authority to dismiss principals rests solely with the MoES, should the need arise.
According to Article 20 of the 1995 Prime Minister Decree on Private Education, the nomination of the Director, the person responsible for academic affairs and the teachers in any type of private school must follow the regulations of the MoES.
Employment equity measures
The 2011–15 National Strategy and Plan of Action on Inclusive Education endeavours to advance the inclusion of underrepresented demographics, specifically women, ethnic minorities, and individuals with disabilities, in the civil service and teaching profession. It advocates for enhancing training and development programs for teacher educators, education administrators, pedagogy advisors, teachers, and personnel across, with a focused commitment to the effective implementation of inclusive education. Additionally, it underscores the imperative of providing requisite technical support and calls for data collection and analysis mechanisms to be fortified. It seeks to deepen the understanding of barriers to inclusion and emphasizes using such data to refine planning, monitoring, and evaluation processes associated with inclusive education initiatives.
The advancement of gender equality is integral to the 2016 Human Resource Development Strategy, which lists ten indicators specifically focused on augmenting the involvement of women in leadership and administrative roles.
Working conditions
The Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) manages salaries, and the Provincial Education and Sports Service (PESS) and the District Education and Sports Bureau (DESB) pay school directors based on a centrally determined pay scale.
2.3. Leadership preparation and training
Pre-service training
The 2021-2025 Education and Sports Sector Development Plan does not explicitly mention the pre-service training of school directors.
Induction and in-service training
The 2021-2025 Education and Sports Sector Development Plan does not explicitly mention the induction training of school directors.
However, the 2021-2025 Education and Sports Sector Development Plan emphasizes the importance of training and continuous professional development for school directors and teachers. According to the Plan, the content and focus of training and development programs include developing and implementing mathematics and literacy "boost"-programs for all pedagogical advisors, principals, and teachers in the 40 target districts; developing and implementing academic leadership skills of principals to support them in performing their required roles and responsibilities; strengthening capacity building for school principals to be capable of managing schools; training teachers and school principals in student assessments and progressive promotion policies. To ensure effective use of instructional materials, the Plan aims to develop a capacity-building workshop covering textbook management and care for school principals and teachers. Furthermore, the Plan aims to enhance the capabilities of school principals, District Education and Sports Bureau (DESB) staff, and Provincial Education and Sports Service (PESS) staff. This improvement focuses on their proficiency in utilizing teaching standards, leveraging information and communication technology (ICT) for examination result verification, and effectively monitoring the implementation of sub-sector plans.
3. Teachers, parents and students
3.1. School management committees and boards
The 1995 Prime Minister Decree on Private Education does not explicitly reference the establishment or roles of school management boards. Instead, it aims to establish a consultant council for the organization and management of the private education sector. The council comprises the Vice-Minister of Education, nominated as the President, and a designated cadre with a status equivalent to a Department Director, nominated as the Secretary. Additionally, the council includes the Director of the Vocational, Technical, and Higher Education Department as a member and the Directors of the General Education and Kindergarten Department and the Non-Formal Education System, who serve as members. Furthermore, the council incorporates four senior members: one representative elected by authorized persons from General Education, one from institutions of Vocational, Technical, and Higher Education, one from General Education teachers, and one from Vocational, Technical, and Higher Education teachers. Lastly, the council includes one member from the Committee for Planning and Co-operation and one from the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare.
According to Article 14 of the 1995 Prime Minister Decree on Private Education, the council's primary responsibility involves examining and proposing an implementation plan for the private education sector to the Minister of Education. This includes actively collaborating with other organizations to bolster promotion efforts and ensure efficient management practices. Additionally, the council is tasked with studying and presenting regulations to the Minister of Education. The council aims to establish a specialized unit that executes specific tasks to streamline these functions.
Similarly, the 2015 Education Law does not explicitly reference the establishment or roles of school management boards. Instead, it advocates for decentralized school management by introducing Village Education Development Committees (VEDC). It assigns non-state schools the responsibility of collaborating with local and provincial offices, communities, and parents to oversee each institution's administration, functioning, and budgeting. As outlined in the 2013 VEDC Handbook, the VEDC comprises 7-15 members, with variations based on village size. This includes the chief of the village (as president), the president of the Village Front for Safeguarding and Construction (as vice-president), the school principal (as secretary), teacher and parent representatives, the president of the village's Lao People's Revolutionary Youth Union, and president of the village Lao Women’s Union (LWU). These members actively engage in processes such as school self-assessment, development planning, and budget allocation.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) has the authority to mandate non-state institutions to establish an Advisory Council. This council must include the institution's manager as the Director, a representative from the Ministry or provincial and district offices, a separate representative for teachers and parents, and an individual responsible for academic affairs. Regular meetings, facilitated by the village chief, are also arranged for the broader community and parents to convene and deliberate on school operations.
3.2. Middle leaders
According to Article 51 of the 2006 Law on State Budget (President’s Decree No.01/PO), teachers, in collaboration with school principals, play an important role in preparing the school budget plan for the school year.
Under the provisions of the 2015 Prime Ministerial Decree on Early Childhood Education and Primary Pedagogical Support, the District-Level Pedagogical Advisor (PA) collaborates with the school principal in conducting assessments and evaluations of teaching and learning within the school. Additionally, the PA plays a crucial role in advising and assisting teachers in various aspects, including lesson planning, the development of teaching methodologies, and creating teaching materials. Furthermore, the PA extends support by offering suggestions and recommendations about technical management within the school and fostering coordination among the community, the Village Education Development Committee (VEDC), and relevant entities.
Furthermore, as outlined in Section 3.1, according to the 2015 Education Law, teachers are members of the Village Education Development Committee (VEDC).
3.3. Parents
As outlined in Section 3.1, according to the 2015 Education Law, parents are members of the Village Education Development Committee (VEDC). Parents actively participate in shaping and implementing the budget through their designated representatives within the VEDC.
Section 1 of the 2002 Parent Association Rules No. 269 outlines the primary role of parent associations in school activities, fostering community awareness about education and collaborating on school issues. This involvement extends to tangible support, such as contributions to school infrastructure, provision of teaching and learning materials and equipment, and collaborative problem-solving with teachers and schools on various issues, including oversight of student attendance.
3.4. Students
No specific reference to student councils is found in legislation, education policies and plans. However, as outlined in Section 3.1, according to the 2015 Education Law, the president of the youth union is a member of the Village Education Development Committee (VEDC).
4. Governance
4.1. Autonomy of school leaders
According to Article 12 of the 1995 Prime Minister Decree on Private Education, the Government of Lao People’s Democratic Republic permits the authorized person to loan or rent the school’s assets, when possible. According to Article 24 of the 1995 Prime Minister Decree on Private Education, the director of a private school has the right to award certificates to graduated students with the recognition of the Minister of Education.
According to Article 51 of the Law on State Budget (President’s Decree No.01/PO), school directors play an important role in preparing the school budget plan for the school year.
According to the 2013 Village Education Development Committee (VEDC) Handbook, the VEDC possesses the authority to express opinions on local curricula and supervise certain learning inputs in the classroom.
4.2. Assessment and accountability of school leaders
As outlined in the 2013 School Development Handbook for Achieving Education Quality Standards (EQS) for Principals, the school self-assessment process is a crucial annual undertaking scheduled for May each school year. Teachers and school principals take self-assessment tests. The responsible committee for overseeing this process comprises approximately five to seven members, including the school principal, one or two deputy school principals, two representatives from the Village Education Development Committee (VEDC), and two to three representatives from the teaching staff. The committee's responsibilities encompass preparing assessment tools, gathering relevant data, conducting the self-assessment according to prescribed stages, summarizing assessment results, and drafting comprehensive annual reports, including summaries and school development plans.
An intermediary goal within the broader scope of the 2021-2025 Education and Sports Sector Development Plan, which endeavours to augment the quantity and proficiency of teachers and school principals meeting established teaching standards through systematic performance assessments, involves refining the performance assessment system. The strategic intent of the Plan is to institute a robust institutional framework and procedural guidelines for the national teacher and principals' performance assessment system. This initiative takes cognizance of perceived imbalances, particularly an alleged overemphasis on lesson planning, and instead directs attention towards an evaluative emphasis on student learning outcomes.
4.3. Teacher assessment by school leaders
According to the 2013 Village Education Development Committee (VEDC) Handbook, the VEDC is designated to monitor and support teachers in their instructional practices, particularly those members with expertise in the subject matter. This includes assisting teachers, particularly in local curricula, and facilitating the development of teaching equipment and materials.
The 2021-2025 Education and Sports Sector Development Plan aims to develop a principal’s handbook/guide to assist teachers in performing teaching quality assurance within schools.
