Ministry of Education and Sports of Lao PDR and Australia begin filming the fourth episode of the national Education Promotion campaign

This week, the Ministry of Education and Sports of Lao PDR (MoES), with support from the Australian Government through the BEQUAL program, began filming the fourth episode of their national Education Promotion campaign. Led by the Research Institute for Educational Sciences (RIES) and produced by RIES’ Information Media Center (IMC), the episode titled “The village that supported education”, presents a moving, community-led response to declining school attendance and shows how collective action can secure better futures for children.

Dr Daravone Kittiphanh, Vice Minister of Education and Sports of Lao PDR visited the set on the first day of filming to observe and encourage the production team. She reaffirmed the importance of the campaign to change the perception of education. “This campaign is about building a shared vision: when communities value schooling, children gain the skills they need to thrive and our nation grows stronger. By showing how teachers, families and communities can work together, we aim to change attitudes and make education a priority for every family.”

The story follows three central characters whose lives change because their village chooses to support education. Ms Dao helps at home instead of attending school; Mr Phone spends his days playing; and Ms Phern, who has a physical disability, is not enrolled. The village chief convenes a community meeting to highlight the long-term negative impacts when children do not attend school. The community responds: parents repair the school, teachers counsel families, fathers help cover textbooks, mothers accompany children to class and grandparents support learning at home. The film then jumps forward twenty years to show the results of that collective commitment: Dao returns to the village as an architect, Phone as a nurse, and Phern as a teacher. The story closes with them sharing their stories with a new generation of students.

Dr Daravone commented “This episode powerfully shows that education is not only a family matter but a community responsibility. When community members work together to remove barriers to schooling, the benefits ripple through families and across generations. I congratulate the production team and all volunteers for bringing this vital message to life.”