Supporting the Non-Formal Education System

The Non-Formal Education System is an integral part of the Lao education system addressing the needs of all target groups that have dropped out of the formal education system or were never part of it.

Since 2016, DVV International supports the Ministry of Education and Sports and particularly the Department for Non-Formal Education (DNFE) in establishing and improving a non-formal education system answering the needs of the most vulnerable and marginalized ones at national, provincial, district and village level.

The major responsibilities of the NFE system the following ones:

To support Formal Education by providing NFE for children of school age who lack opportunity to attend or who have dropped out of formal education, and to provide a new choice for educational service for these persons that has equivalence to Formal Education.
To provide Education for adults who don’t have access to order educational services and to provide a way to study vocation for the improvement of life quality
To support Informal Education in order to open opportunities to gain knowledge and Continuing Education through they live.

In the project phase from 2021 to 2023 DVV International particularly supports the DNFE in the following areas:

Role and functions of the NFE structure, particularly the NFE Centres and Community Learning Centres. At present there are NFE Centres in 3 regions, NFE Centres in all provinces, around 36 at District level and 342 Community Learning Centres (CLCs, village level).
The development of mobile skills training guidelines that facilitate cooperation with the Department for Technical and Vocational Education (DTVET).
The implementation of the Lifelong Learning Decree as described separately on this website.