The Ministry of Education announced yesterday that 8 billion kip will be available to support students who achieve the highest scores in their entrance exam for state-run universities, colleges and vocational schools.
Deputy Director General of the Ministry's Planning and Cooperation Department, Mr Mixaykone Wannachith told the Vientiane Times yesterday that the support funds are set to be given in three categories: bachelor, diploma and certificate levels.
Normally, scholarships and support funds are given to outstanding secondary school graduates to help them continue their education.
Major reforms to the academic calendar coming into effect this year mean there will be no secondary school leavers to accept them.
The support funds will instead be given to those who gain a high score in entrance exams for state-run universities, colleges and vocational schools.
Next academic year Laos will launch a 12-year school system, adding an extra year to the curriculum.
Current final-year secondary students will stay at school for one additional year.
The new system comprises five years in primary, four years in lower secondary, and another three in upper secondary school.
S upport funds will be received by the best performing 40 percent of certificate level students, the top 30 percent of students applying for diploma courses and the top 20 percent of students applying for bachelor degrees.
The support funds will be given only to newly-enrolled students of normal courses in state-run education institutes.
Newly-enrolled students in special courses will not be eligible for support funds and will be required to pay fees as is normal practice.
Mr Mixaykone said students who want to study some subjects in vocational schools, especially subjects that the government wants to promote, might not have to take an entrance exam, and added that they are just required to have an interview to receive support funds.
The ministry released a statement in May indicating it would grant scholarships to students wanting to study vocational subjects such as mining and land management, as per usual.
This academic year unofficial estimates indicate that about 24,700 places should be available for both diploma and bachelor-degree courses.
Officials were unable to confirm that all the places would be filled this academic year as there are no secondary school leavers.
As a result, the government is now encouraging the previous year's school leavers who do not have a university place, as well as those who failed entrance exams previously, to take advantage of this rare opportunity.
The academic reform also offers opportunities for more government officials to upgrade their expertise at universities.By Souksakhone Vaenkeo
(Latest Update August 4 , 2010)
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