Asian, European parliamentarians meet in Vientiane - Vientiane Times

4 Home news Thursday October 4, 2012
Vientiane Times
Students and their teachers pose at Wattay International Airport in Vientiane at the start of their trip
to Japan.
Students get firsthand experience of
Japan’s disaster recovery efforts
Times Reporters
A group of 46 secondary
school students and four
teachers on Sunday travelled
to Japan, where they will see
for themselves how people
are rebuilding their lives
in the wake of last year’s
earthquake.
The group will be in
Japan from October 1 to 10
at the invitation of the Kizuna
Project. The word ‘kizuna’
means bond.
Under the project, more
than 10,000 young people
from 41 countries are invited
to Japan to promote global
understanding of Japan’s
ongoing revival efforts in the
wake of the Great East Japan
Earthquake.
The scheme also aims to
strengthen bonds between
young people of different
nationalities.
This year, more than 200
young people will be invited
to Japan under an agreement
between Lao Prime Minister
Thongsing Thammavong
and Japanese Prime Minister
Yoshihiko Noda, according
to the Japanese Embassy to
Laos.
During their 10 days
in Japan, Lao students will
visit cities damaged by the
earthquake and tsunami in the
country’s northeastern Tohoku
area. They will tour Mito,
Kasama and Oarai-machi
to learn about the recovery
efforts there.
While in Oarai-machi they
will observe reconstruction
work and meet up with local
high school students.
The Lao group will also go
to Nara and Osaka prefectures
in the Kansai area in the
west of Japan to learn about
advanced disaster prevention
technology, as well as aspects
of Japanese culture, business
and society.
After returning to Laos,
it is hoped the students will
share their experiences with
their friends and families to
promote mutual understanding
between Laos and Japan.
News in Brief
Better health care for Oudomxay communities
Oudomxay province’s Namor and Xay districts have greatly improved their public health
network with most people having access to better services.
Previously, people in many parts of the targeted districts, especially those in rural areas, had
difficulty accessing dispensaries, and hygiene and sanitation standards were very poor.
The district has seen outstanding improvement over the past few years, however, and maternal
and infant mortality rates have fallen.
Between 90-95 percent of the population now has access to hygienic latrines and many
villages have opened dispensaries.
Many people have also been trained in first aid and have the skills and knowledge necessary
to treat people in emergency situations.
Luang Namtha farmers harvest wet season crops
Farmers in Long and Sing districts of Luang Namtha province are preparing to harvest their
wet season crops and are expecting to finish by the end of next month.
Harvesting began at the beginning of this month and around 15 percent of a total 30,000
hectares of rice have already been reaped. The province expects to produce 4.6 tonnes of rice
this year.
This season, many farmers were affected by extreme weather conditions and insect infestations,
which led to the loss of several tonnes of crops.
Farmers are also cultivating cash crops such as sweetcorn, cotton, peanuts, soybeans, ginger
and sesame.
Attapeu officials set sights on higher standard of education
Non-formal education, rural teachers and the development of education standards were key
topics of discussion among education officials in Attapeu province recently.
District representatives discussed issues relating to the Ministry of Education and Sports’
strategies for the next four years, with a focus on expanding educational networks, addressing
illiteracy and reducing the number of failing students at all levels, according to the provincial
Education and Sports Service.
This academic year, higher kindergarten enrolment and education for children over five are
the areas singled out for improvement.
The service’s strategy aims to progressively increase participation in kindergarten to improve
children’s integration into, and achievements in primary education.
The service’s vision for early childcare and education involves bolstering pre-primary education
by improving and increasing the number of state-run nursery schools and kindergartens.
The services available are still insufficient in some rural areas, however, so further collaborative
efforts to provide better education opportunities are being considered.