Final
Report: 39th SEAMEO Council Conference
The Empire Hotel and Country Club, Jerudong
Negara Brunei Darussalam
1-4 March 2004
The Empire Hotel and Country Club, Jerudong
Negara Brunei Darussalam
1-4 March 2004
Proceedings
Contents |
| Proceedings |
| Appendices |
Statement
of H E Prof Dr Bosengkham VONGDARA Vice Minister of Education, Lao People's Democratic Republic |
Your Excellency Pehin Dato Haji Abdul Azir Umar , Minister of Education, Brunei Darussalam, and Chairman of SEAMEO Council Conference, Your Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, |
I
am very pleased and honoured to attend the 39th SEAMEO Council Conference
as the delegate for the Lao PDR and on behalf of H E Phimmasone
LEUANGKHAMMA, our Minister of Education, who deeply regrets for
not being able to attend this important Conference. He has asked
me to convey his best whishes for the success of the Conference. |
On
this important occasion, I would like to extend my sincere congratulations
to His Excellency Pehin Dato Haji Abdul Azir Umar, Minister of Education,
Brunei Darussalam, on his election as President of SEAMEO Council
and Chairman of the Conference. May I also extend my congratulations
to His Excellency Prof Dr Nguyen Minh Hien, Minister of Education
and Training, Vietnam, on his election as Vice President. I am confident
that through their Excellencies' ability and experience, SEAMEO
will be able to further strengthen the cooperation in the field
of education in our SEA region. |
I
also would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere appreciation
to our outgoing SEAMEC President, His Excellency Dr Edilberto de
Jesus Secretary of Education, Philippines, for his untiring effort
and leadership in strengthening SEAMEO's role in educational development
in the SEAMEO Member Countries, particularly in the Regional Cooperation
on Quality and Equity in the last year. |
I
also would like to congratulate the Director of the SEAMEO Secretariat
and all SEAMEO Centre Directors for the successful and efficient
implementation of the policies and programmes approved by the 38th
SEAMEO Council Conference. My congratulation goes also to the 26th
SEAMEO High Officials Meeting for the success of their projects
and programmes. |
I
would like to take this opportunity to convey our sincere appreciation
to SEAMEO Member, Associate Member Countries and SEAMEO Secretariat
and Regional Centers and International Organizations (UNESCO, ADB...)
for their valuable support in human resources development, particularly
in the education sector. I am pleased to express our sincere thanks
and appreciation for the kind cooperation and hospitality of the
Directors of SEAMEO Secretariat and Centres, with whom we have had
the opportunity to share ideas and experiences on education policy
and practices. |
May
I also particularly express our deep thanks to all SEAMEO Regional
Centres for the significant contribution to the development of teachers'
and staff in other sectors of Lao PDR by providing us a large number
of scholarships for upgrading their knowledge, professional skills
and foreign languages. |
| Mr Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, |
In
accordance with the Declaration of ASEAN CONCORD II (Bali Concord
II, October 7, 2003) on ASEAN Socio Cultural Community, SEAMEO is
invited to intensify cooperation in preparing for, and benefiting
from, economic integration by investing more resources for basic
and higher education, for science and technology development in
order to bridge the socio economic gap between and among SEAMEO
Member Countries. |
The
present scientific and technological revolution is a universal movement
and will have an increasingly significant role in changing the way
of life of human society, as we move towards globalization and regionalization
in the 21st century. |
Future
socio economic development will depend more on human resources,
and therefore the need for a highly trained labour forces characterized
by scientific intelligence and technological knowledge and skills
will be increased. In full consideration of the issues and challenges
that we are facing now, the Ministry of Education of Lao PDR has
elaborated a National Education Vision to the year 2020 and the
five year plan (2001 2005) in line with the Government policy for
socio economic development. |
The
general goals of the National Education Vision to the year 2020
are focused on quality improvement, introducing the modern sciences
and information technologies in the curriculum at key levels, encouraging
the participation of all sectors in educational development and
making education as the responsibility of the whole society. |
Lao
PDR has now embarked upon a major multi-sectoral development program
for poverty reduction, the National Growth and Poverty Eradication
Strategy (NGPES), financed by the World Bank and many other international
development cooperation agencies. The education sector is an important
part of the program, targeting firstly and especially the poorest
districts in the country. |
The
overall objective is to strengthen the education system as the cornerstone
of the national human resource development strategy, focused on
poverty alleviation and labour productivity, paying special attention
to the ethnic minority and the disadvantaged groups. |
The
implementation of this program, in the present difficult economic
context of our country, will require a large continuing international
cooperation and assistance. We are confident that Lao PDR will continuously
receive the effective cooperation and assistance from all SEAMEO
Member and Associate Member Countries as well as the SEAMEO Secretariat
and SEAMEO Centres. |
In
conclusion, Mr Chairman, I would like to thank the people and Government,
and particularly, the Ministry of Education of Brunei Darussalam,
the Organizing Committee of the Conference, and especially your
Excellency as Chairman, for the warm hospitality and the excellent
arrangement and facilities extended to us during our stay here.
May I also thank all SEAMEO Member Countries, Associate Member Countries,
International Organizations, all regional centres, and the SEAMEO
Secretariat once again for their kind cooperation in helping Lao
PDR to improve and to develop a quality education. Last but not
least, may I pledge a continued strong support and cooperation to
SEAMEO. |
| Thank you very much for your attention. |
