At the handover ceremony of Laos-Vietnam Friendship Vocational School. (Photo: VNA)

Vientiane – The Lao media reported on June 20 that the Vietnamese government has provided a grant of more than 2.1 million USD for the construction of a new secondary school in Xienghon district, Xayaboury province of Laos.

The former school has been demolished and preparations are being made to start construction of the new one, it said.

The new school will comprise a 3-storey building with 27 classrooms, a multi-purpose building along with ancillary works such as a gate, entrance road and drainage systems. It is expected to be completed in mid-2025.

The Lao media quoted Xayaboury provincial authorities as saying that the project is the result of the continuing cooperation between the governments of Laos and Vietnam, aiming at improving the educational environment.

They said that the new school not only helps teachers and students in Xienghon district have better facilities and teaching and learning environment but is also in line with the province’s development policy and Lao government on education and human resources development.

They also thanked the Vietnamese government for its financial support for educational infrastructure, emphasising that the school will add to the long-standing ties, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Laos and Vietnam.

Over the years, the Lao and Vietnamese governments have collaborated in numerous spheres, including economic development, education, public health, agriculture, trade, tourism and human resources development, according to the Lao media.

The two countries are carrying out high-quality projects through cooperation in the fields of education and human resource development for the 2021-2030 period, it said.

Vietnam and Laos have a long history of mutual assistance in the field of education, which has been identified as a strategic area of cooperation, and a symbol of great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.