UNICEF provides 4.5 mln USD for education, water, sanitation, hygiene in Laos

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has provided 4.5 million U.S. dollars for Education and WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) to Laos through the Schools Multiple Year Work Plan 2017-2018.

The signing of the Education and WASH funding was held in Lao capital Vientiane on Tuesday, signed by Sengdeuane Lachanthaboun, Minister of Education and Sports, and Gao Hongwei, UNICEF Representative to Laos.

The program will be implemented in the three provinces of Phongsaly, Savannakhet and Champassack, said Lao News Agency (KPL) on Tuesday.

The cooperation will also support capacity building at sub-national level (province and district education authorities), implementation of the WASH package, including behavioral change communication interventions on sustainable use of WASH facilities and hygiene practise, in over 100 primary schools of selected provinces, and support the review and revision of guidelines, standards and designs of packages for WASH facilities in schools.

The cooperation between UNICEF and the Ministry of Education and Sports will ensure that children, especially the most disadvantaged and those in hard-to-reach areas, have access to quality early childhood education (ECE) and basic education services, and complete the basic education cycle with improved learning outcomes. It also will ensure access to basic water, sanitation and hygiene services for pre and primary school students including practicing hygiene behaviors daily.

The cooperation will support the development and implementation of national education policies, plans and standards for enhancing enabling environment of the education sector, including the national pre-school and primary curricula, and expand equitable access to quality ECE and primary services, especially in remote and disadvantaged communities, focusing on improving students' learning outcomes.

The implementation of the quality education package for ECE and primary schools, including teacher training, pedagogical support and teaching-learning materials, enhanced engagement of parents, care-givers and communities through parenting education and scaling up of the communitybased school readiness program, said the report.