This year’s Non-formal Education Conference of the Ministry of Education and Sports was enriched by several expert participants from Asia Pacific countries like Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Korea, Thailand as well as regional organizations like SEAMEO, APUCEN and ASPBAE, and others working with PASCAL and CR&DALL.

HE Lytou Bouapao, Vice Minister of Education and Sports presented an important opening speech discussing the relevance of “Quality Education and Lifelong Learning for All” as a challenge for all sectors and people in Lao PDR. Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education from Korea, Prof. Kim Shinil presented in a keynote the policies and experiences from his country. “Quality Education and Lifelong Learning for All” is likely to become the overarching goal for the post 2015 education and development agendas. It would therefore be good to align the Education Sector Development Plan 2016 – 2020 in this perspective.   

After two days of rich information and exchanges between Lao as well international colleagues, DNFE continued for three days with national and provincial representatives of the field of non-formal education. In a parallel meeting representatives from the National University of Laos as well as Universities like Chiangmai, Seoul, Phnom Penh, Ho Chi Minh City, Penang, Melbourne, Glasgow and Waikato exchanged on policies and practices of how universities could support non-formal education and lifelong learning through research and training. A full report is in preparation. Further information via [email protected]