Marking a new milestone in international educational cooperation, on the morning of July 28, 2026, at the Chao Anouvong Meeting Room of the Ministry of Education and Sports of the Lao PDR, the Signing Ceremony of the Long-term Cooperation Contract for implementing the ERA Kids Project (Sex education and sexual abuse prevention skills for children aged 3-5) for the 2026-2031 period was held solemnly, affirming the strategic vision of both nations in child protection.
Demonstrating the stature and strategic significance of the event was the presence of distinguished guests and senior leaders from various departments and agencies. The ceremony was honored to welcome Mr. Lavanh VONGKHAMSANE – Chief of Office of the Ministry of Education and Sports of the Lao PDR; Mr. Phonesy Bounmixay – Consul General, Consulate General of Laos in Ho Chi Minh City; Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Thang – Education and Culture Counselor, Embassy of Vietnam in the Lao PDR; and Mrs. Chompheng Vongsa – Director General of the Early Childhood Education Department. The event also witnessed the presence of leading representatives from: the Early Childhood Education Department, the International Cooperation Department, the Teacher Development and Educational Management Department, the Planning and Finance Department, the Organization and Personnel Department, and the Institute of Education Sciences and Training Research; along with all heads of divisions and specialists within the Early Childhood Education Department, as well as leaders and specialists from the aforementioned units attending this solemn ceremony.
On the part of the working delegation from the Institute of Education Sciences and Training Research (Vietnam), the ceremony was attended by Mrs. Tran Thi Que Chi – Vice Dean; Mr. Huynh Thanh Sang – Senior Advisor; and Mr. Nguyen Tan Tai – Head of Department and Delegation Coordinator.
The focal point of the event was the signing ceremony of the long-term cooperation contract between the representatives of the two units. This strategic document was established on the foundation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on March 26, 2026, in Ho Chi Minh City. The official approval of the contract not only consolidates a solid legal framework but also materializes the bilateral commitment to improving the quality of early childhood education and optimizing the child protection system in the host country.
Based on the agreed terms, the ERA Kids Project will be implemented throughout 5 consecutive phases from 2026 to 2031, creating a sustainable and highly inheritable development roadmap. The core objective of the agreement is to systematically and scientifically integrate age-appropriate sex education programs and sexual abuse prevention skills into the national early childhood education curriculum of Laos. Through a comprehensive approach, the project is committed to directly supporting national educational priorities, making practical contributions to enhancing child welfare, and creating a safe and inclusive learning environment from the macro-system level down to every school, family, and the children themselves.
The specific action objectives for Phase 1 (2026-2027) include:
– Localizing the standard curriculum into the Lao language to ensure consistency with the indigenous culture.
– Organizing in-depth and systematic training for the core trainers as well as direct teaching staff.
– Piloting the model at preschools in Vientiane Capital to evaluate its effectiveness prior to scaling up.
– Ensuring all terms and series of activities within the contract framework are strictly committed to by both parties, adhering to the spirit of equal cooperation, transparency, mutual respect, and always placing the best interests of the children as the guiding principle for all actions.
The signing ceremony concluded with resounding success, sharing the collective pride of all attending delegates. The completion of this strategic long-term contract not only marks a macro-level outreach of the Institute of Education Sciences and Training Research on the international educational map but also serves as a vivid testament contributing to cultivating and further tightening the great traditional friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two nations of Vietnam and the Lao PDR.
