Thesis work

APPENDIX B: STUDENT QUESTIONNAIRE, LUANG NAM THA TTS Q1. Are you female or male?  Female  Male Q2. What is your age? Age: ______________ Q3. What is your religion? (Choose one alternative)  Buddhist  Christian  Animist  Other (Please specify) ____________________________ Q4. Which of the following does best describes your ethnic origin? (Choose one alternative)  Lao Loum  Lao Theung.  Lao Sung Q5. What language is your mother tongue (first language)? ___________________________________ Q6. When you entered teacher education, which was your highest education level?  Grade 5  Grade 11  Grade 8  Other (Please explain)_____________ _______________________________ Q7. Please estimate the total score in your final year of general education! 51

 High  Middle  Low  Don‘t remember Q8. Which is your study program? (Choose one alternative)  5+4  8+3  11+1 Year: _____ Year _____ Year _______ Q9. What type of house is your parents‘ or guardian's home?  Brick with zinc or concrete roof  Wood with zinc roof  Brick with upper part wood with  Wood with thatched roof zinc roof Q10. Which of the following things exists in your parents‘ or guardians' house?  Electricity  TV  Car  El. some time per  Radio/Tape rec  Motorcycle day  Tube water  Refrigerator  Tek-tek  Water sealed toilet  Telephone  Bicycle  Video  Computer  Parasol antenna Q11. Can your parents or guardian read and write? Mother Father Cannot read and write at all   Can read and write a little   Can read and write very well.   Q12. What is the highest level of education of your parents/guardian? (Choose one for mother 52

& one for father) Mother Father   No formal education   Adult literacy programme   Some primary school   Completed primary school   Completed lower secondary/basic technical certificate   Completed upper secondary/medium technical certificate   Completed 11+3 education or post secondary Q13. What is your parents'/guardians' main occupation? (One for mother & one for father) Mother Father Profession Mother Father Profession  Farmer  Teacher  shop seller  Business owner  street vendor  Higher level employee  craftsman  Middle level employee  day-laborer  Lower level employee  Laborer  Soldier/policemen  House work  Unemployed Q14. You have been admitted to the TTS by which of the following three criteria?  Quota  Exam  ‗nayobay‘ Q15. What was the most important reason for you to begin study at the TTS? (One alternative) 53

 Parents sent  Wanted to have certificate  Persuaded by friends  No opportunity to study other subject  Wanted to be a teacher  Had no choice  Wanted opportunity to study  Other(Explain) __________________________  Wanted to get stipend _______________________________________ Q16.Do you regularly receive economic support from someone? (Only one)  No  Yes, from an organization  Yes, from my parents,  Yes, from a stipend  yes, from other family members Q17. How do you live during your education? (Only one)  In a dormitory  Renting a room/house  With parents  At the temple  With other relatives  Other (Explain) _________  With friends ______________________ Q18. In teacher education which of the following is the most important for you? (Only one)  Subject matter content  Teaching methods  Theories about teaching and learning  How school-aged children behave, think and learn Q19. If you think of what you now know about the teaching at the TTS, is it easier or more difficult from what you first expected when you began study? 54

 Easier than expected  Like I expected  More difficult than expected Q20. Have your ideas about being a teacher changed since you first entered the teacher training program? Choose one of the statements below that you mostly agree with.  Before entering I wanted and still  Before entering I didn't want to be want to be a teacher a teacher, now I want to  Before entering I wanted to be a  Before entering I didn't want to be teacher, but I now don't want as a teacher and I still don't want to much as before Q21. Who do you think is best suited to be a teacher?  Women  Men  No difference Please explain why:__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ Q22. What are your plans after finishing teacher education? (One alternative).  I plan to be a teacher for a while,  I plan to find a non-teaching job then look for another job  I plan to be a teacher for a while,  I plan to continue my studies elsewhere then continue my studies  I plan to be a teacher as my  I'm not sure what I will do professional career Q23. If you plan to be a teacher, where do you want to work? (One alternative).  In my village  In my home province, but not necessarily in my home district  In my home district but not  In another province necessarily in my village 55

Q24. An employer who is Lao Lom offers a job that requires at least a lower secondary school level. There are two candidates who both have an exam from Grade 8. One is a minority student. The other is a majority student. Who do you think will get the job?  The majority  The minority student  Impossible to tell student Q25. If you seek an employment, which requires at least a lower secondary education diploma, which of the following things do you think are important for you? Put 1 for what you believe is most important, 2 for what you believe comes second in terms of importance. to have the highest educational diploma to come from a rich family to have the right social connections to belong to an ethnic minority group to be a man to be a woman to come from a respected family to be a member of a political organization (party, youth organization, etc.) 56

References 57

Search for ERIC Identifier: ED460243 ERIC Digests Publication Date: 20011- 2-00 About This Author: Nora, Amaury Site and Copyright Source: ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Privacy Education New York NY. Policy How Minority Students Resources Finance Their Higher for Library Education. ERIC Digest. Instruction All types of financial aid have been shown to have a positive influence on college enrollment, regardless of the students race or ethnicity (St. John & Noell, 1989). Today, financial aid is central to the successful enrollment and retention of low-income students. For the majority of these students (90 percent), receiving financial assistance is critical in paying for college. Moreover, the availability of funds to meet tuition and other college-going costs not only impacts students decisions on whether to attend college, but it also greatly influences their choice of college. Surveys indicate that student loans, specifically, play an enormous role in all student decisions regarding college (e.g., Baum & Saunders, 1998). For minority students, whose financial aid does not meet college costs, the difference can be problematic. Having sufficient funds enhances college students academic performance, facilitates their social integration on campus, and increases their chances of persistence to graduation (Nora & Cabrera, 1996). This digest examines the various financial sources minority students use to meet the costs of a higher education, some of which were created with the specific goal of promoting their college attendance. It concludes with recommendations for public policy to increase the availability of aid for college attendance based on student 58

Information experiences with existing practices. Literacy Blog SOURCES OF FINANCIAL AID Federal Student Loans. It has been estimated that more than 50 percent of students earning degrees have had their education at least partially financed through Federal student loans (American Council on Education, 1997). That figure has been confirmed in a study reporting rapidly escalating financial aid awards as the major source of financial assistance, which also confirms a strategy of emphasizing grants in the early year packages and shifting to loans in the later years (Fenske, Porter, & DuBrock, 2000). Among borrowers, students (mostly minorities) attending community colleges and other two- and three-year colleges have relied heavily on Federal Stafford loan programs, available to those from lower-income families. Many of these students are also able to meet their costs through Federal Pell grants and some additional resources (e.g., family savings, current income). Pell grants are a resource for students whose annual family income is no more than $40,000 enrolled in, or accepted for enrollment in a college. Student loans are the most common source of aid for low-income students, as 73 percent received Federal student loans, and 35 percent had loans 59

from other sources (O'Brien & Shedd, 2001). Pre-College Programs and Grants A study conducted by The Institute for Higher Education Policy on the impact of pre-college programs on student success found that for those who participated in pre-college programs such as the Federal TRIO programs or institution-sponsored programs the impact was positive with regard to several performance indicators (O'Brien & Shedd, 2001). Minority students and Pell Grant recipients, both largely low income, had some of the highest participation rates in pre- college programs. Study findings were consistent with other national data indicating that 49 percent of low-income students nationwide receive a Pell Grant. Approximately 66 percent of financial aid recipients reported that their financial aid met the cost of attending college. However, for those whose financial aid did not meet the costs of attending college, the financial gap was a hardship. College Prepaid Plans As of October 1999, 20 states offered a new mechanism for financing a students college education: College Prepaid Plans (Olivas, 1999). These programs work on a very straightforward principle: parents place a lump sum in a contract (or make monthly payments) that guarantees the money will be sufficient for an equivalent of tuition and fees in a set period of time in the future. Some states have now also established similar programs--savings program trust funds (SPTF)--which have gained tax exempt status in recent years and make it possible for individuals to invest in a state-operated investment fund for college tuition and related expenses such as room and board. The funds permit parents to defer the gains made from their investments and to delay and transfer the earnings to the beneficiary children, who are 60

taxed at lower rates than are wage-earners. Olivas (1999) underscores the fact that it is very unlikely that middle- and low-income families will profit from such ventures, however. Even as early as 1990 evidence indicated that not all sectors of society (and specifically those most in need of financial assistance) were benefiting from prepaid plans or savings program trust funds; it was, in fact, the richest population with children that purchased the majority of monthly payment option contracts (Lehman, 1990). Student Credit Cards One of the most disturbing means of paying for college expenses, from tuition to books to meals, is through student credit cards (e.g., Blair, 1997). The abundance of credit cards offered to all college students, along with the ease with which they can be acquired, make it possible for today's college students to have more opportunities for making credit purchases than any prior generation of students. Included in the lure to attract students to credit card use are minorities and low-income students. Evidence that credit card usage is a means for them to meet college-related finances is seen in O'Brien and Shedds (2001) study which found that low- income college students in New England not only used money earned from working or savings to help them pay for college, but that 50 percent of those students received money from their parents and nearly 25 percent used credit cards. IMPLICATIONS FOR FEDERAL POLICY ON HIGHER EDUCATION Historically, Federal policy related to the goals and financing of higher education have been affected by political cycles that exist for various public policy issues- cycles which alternate between concerns 61

to improve quality and concerns to improve access, according to Nora and Horvaths 1989 review of the impact of financial assistance on minority enrollments and persistence. Further, Campaigne and Hossler (1998), in their report on the impact of financial aid programs on student achievement and success, found that financial aid policies have not been judicious or focused, and that no clear goals were evident from the decisions, although [i]t would be appealing to report that changes in federal financial aid policy have been driven by data, rational planning, and clear policy objectives. It is difficult to ascertain the influence of Federal student aid programs, and student loan programs in particular, for numerous reasons. Campaigne and Hossler (1998) concluded that the consequences of economic, social, and public policy trends differentially affect students and families from different income groups. To effectively study the effects of Federal loans on student access, institutional choice, and persistence, perceptions and subjectivity cannot be disregarded. For some families, and college students, the impact of cost and subsidies is simply more important than for others. Given the various patterns of financing a college degree as shown above, policy recommendations, grounded in current policy and data, should reflect the following (e.g., Wolanin, 2001): * Increased stress on grant aid resources at Federal, state, and institutional levels that lower dependence on loans for low-income 62

students. * Growth in work-study programs that help integrate working students into the institution and help them finance their education. * Reassurance to students regarding the availability and timing of student aid to lessen the potential negative impact of paying for an education on their ability to persist in higher education. * Targeted financial aid programs for students whose need is not met by current financial aid programs, specifically part-time and minority students. * Continued state support through need-based grants. Efforts to address the issue of subsidizing the costs of attaining a higher education degree have overlapped with important political concepts of the 1980s and 1990s that focused on accountability and efficiency. The result has been a shift in the old argument over who benefits from a higher education: the individual or society. Federal grants, more indicative of the belief that society benefits, have been reduced substantially. They were replaced by an emphasis on Federal loans, tax exemptions, and prepaid college plans, which place the burden on the individual who is to benefit from a college degree. One outcome of this shift has been an increase in student indebtedness and a desperate search for alternative means of financing a college education, namely, credit card usage. The upshot has been that graduates from low- income families, and students who withdraw from college, find themselves in debt not only to the Federal government but also to private credit card companies. While those fortunate enough to earn a college degree have letters following their names, repayment of huge debts incurred while in college almost totally negates any rewards. REFERENCES 63

American Council on Education. (1997, October). New information on student borrowing. ACE Policy Brief. Washington, DC: American Council on Education. Baum, S., & Saunders, D. (1998). Life after debt: Results of the national student loan survey. Braintree, MA: Nellie Mae. Blair, A.D. (1997, November-December). A high wire act: Balancing student loan and credit card debt. Credit World, 86(2), 15-17. Campaigne, D.A., & Hossler, D. (1998). How do loans affect the educational decisions of students? Access, aspirations, college choice, and persistence. In R. Fossey & M. Bateman (Eds.), Condemning students to debt: College loans and public policy. New York: Teachers College Press. (ED 430 434) Fenske, R.H., Porter, J.D., & DuBrock, C.P. (2000, February). Tracking financial aid and persistence of women, minority, and needy students in science, engineering, and mathematics. Research in Higher Education, 41(1), 67-94. (EJ 601 738) Lehman, J.S. (1990, April). Social irresponsibility, actuarial assumptions, and wealth redistribution: Lessons about public policy from a prepaid tuition program. Michigan Law Review, 88(5), 1035-1141. Nora, A., & Cabrera, A.F. (1996, March- April). The role of perceptions in prejudice and discrimination and the adjustment of minority students to college. Journal of Higher Education, 67(2), 119-148. (EJ 520 132) Nora, A., & Horvath, F. (1989, May). Financial assistance: Minority enrollments and persistence. Education and Urban Society, 21(3), 299-311. (EJ 391 565) O'Brien, C., & Shedd, J. (2001). Getting 64

through college: Voices of low-income and minority students in New England. Washington, DC: Institute for Higher Education Policy. (ED 451 770) Olivas, M.A. (1999). College prepaid and savings plans: Third generation progress and problems. Working paper. The Institute for Higher Education Law and Governance, University of Houston, Houston, TX. St. John, E.P., & Noell, J. (1989, December). The effects of student financial aid on access to higher education: An analysis of progress with special consideration of minority enrollment. Research in Higher Education, 30(6), 563-581. Wolanin, T.R. (2001, April). Rhetoric and reality: Effects and consequences of the HOPE Scholarship. The New Millennium Project on Higher Education Costs, Pricing, and Productivity Working Paper. Washington, DC: The Institute for Higher Education Policy. (ED 451 819) Library Reference Search Please note that this site is privately owned and is in no way related to any Federal agency or ERIC unit. Further, this site is using a privately owned and located server. This is NOT a government sponsored or government sanctioned site. ERIC is a Service Mark of the U.S. Government. This site exists to provide the text of the public domain ERIC Documents previously produced by ERIC. No new content will ever appear here that would in any way challenge the ERIC Service Mark of the U.S. Government. Satellite TV DVD Rental DVD Rentals www.eriedigests.org/2002-3/finance.htm 1: 58pm 7 September 2006 65

www.iup.edu/liberal/policies/minority-gender-in-ls.html 3:33pm 6th September 2006 LIBERAL STUDIES Director‘s Office: 353 Sutton Hall Secretary‘s Office and Mailing Address: 352 Sutton Hall Telephone: 357-5715 October 1, 1988 SUBJECT: INCLUSION OF MINORITY AND GENDER ISSUES INTO LIBERAL STUDIES COURSES TO: Department Chairpersons, Department Curriculum Chairpersons, and Academic Administrators FROM: Charles Cashdollar, Director of Liberal Studies Maureen McHugh, Director of Women‘s Studies Alphonse Novels, Director of Minority Affairs When the University Senate adopted the \"Criteria for Liberal Studies Courses at IUP\" last spring, we all committed ourselves to \"include the perspectives and contributions of ethnic and racial minorities and of women, wherever appropriate to the subject matter.\" We are writing to remind you of that commitment and to suggest some ways of beginning. You will find enclosed two \"models\" for thinking about the inclusion of minorities and women in your courses. One is an adaptation, prepared by the Liberal Studies Committee, of an article by Marilyn Schuster and Susan Van Dyne. The second [this is available as Xerox copy only] is taken from an essay by a geographer Janice Monk (whom some of you will undoubtedly recall meeting when she visited IUP last year) . Although Monk makes an occasional geography-specific reference, you will quickly see that her five-point approach can be helpful to just about every discipline. And although her model refers only to the inclusion of women in the curriculum, you should have no difficulty using it as a way of thinking about the inclusion of minority contributions. We are also enclosing a copy of a questionnaire on \"Evaluating Courses for Inclusion of New Scholarship on Women\" which is published by the Association of American Colleges; by extension, many of the same questions could be applied to the inclusion of scholarship on minorities. This is an important part of our curricular revision, and every proposal for a Liberal Studies course should show evidence of progress in this area. At first glance, this may seem fairly easy in some areas like sociology or history, and almost impossible in others. And it may indeed be that initial steps will be more obvious in some disciplines. But if we take seriously the University Senate‘s criteria, then all of us who are teaching Liberal Studies courses must assume a share of the responsibility. We can all become more conscious of how we use language. We can all be more inclusive when we choose examples or write assignments. Word problems in mathematics or case studies in business can be constructed in inclusive, non-stereotyped ways. We can all be more 66

sensitive to the visual representations in the books or media we select. We can all think about ways to include minorities and women when we bring outside speakers into the classroom or encourage students to attend campus events. And, all of our disciplines have a history and a theoretical foundation to which recent scholarship on women and minorities brings new questions and insights. Charles Cashdollar and other members of the Liberal Studies Committee will be happy to answer questions about their expectations for course syllabi. Maureen McHugh and Al Novels are available to consult with departments or individuals about curriculum revisions, or to refer you to someone on campus who has some expertise in your field. Maureen‘s office has a collection of resources which you are welcome to use; Al‘s material will be arriving as the year goes on. Also, watch for our announcements about workshops and speakers. If you have ideas or experiences you are willing to share, let us know. We want to do what we can to help, and this will be easier if we know what you need and what you can offer to others. A MODEL FOR THINKING ABOUT THE INTEGRATION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES INTO LIBERAL STUDIES COURSES: \"The Stages of Curriculum Reform\" By adopting our new Criteria for Liberal Studies Courses at IUP, we all committed ourselves to \"include the perspectives and contributions of ethnic and racial minorities and of women, wherever appropriate to the subject matter.\" Liberal Studies Committee members have been talking quite a bit about just what that involves. We think we now can better understand what can be accomplished, but we also can imagine the questions which will occur as individuals begin to rework old courses or invest new ones. Actually, integration of new content into courses can occur at varying levels of sophistication, from the more simple to the more subtle. It can mean no more than inserting a few new names and examples; it can mean as much as a thoroughly reconstructed discipline. We would like to suggest a model which might help us think about those levels. The model is not our own; it is largely borrowed from a 1985 piece by Marilyn Schuster and Susan Van Dyne, although we have reworked their model substantially to fit our own needs. We do not suggest that this is the only way of imagining integration or that all disciplines will fit into its stages with equal ease. But the model does have the virtue of being reasonably straightforward, and it points up what we take to be two fundamental notions: that integration may take place at increasingly complex levels and that the higher levels need to be preceded by and built upon advances at the lower levels. 1. The simplest, and least fundamental, change which we can make is the insertion of a few exceptional women and minority representatives into a current syllabus. Our questions at this level are fairly uncomplicated. Who are the great women-- the female Dickenses, the female Darwins? Or, who are the great African- Americans--the great black politicians, the great black poets? At this level we are interested, it seems, in affirmative action/ compensatory actions which add 67

new names without disturbing the basis of the old course outline. At this level, Marie Curie‘s experiments are given new attention, Frederick Douglass makes his appearance in a history class, Mary Cassatt invites attention to women artists, and Ralph Ellison shows up in a modern fiction class. The work at this level is valuable and necessary, but it is also limited. Women and minority individuals who are added to the syllabi exist in isolation from each other; students might even see them as apparent anomalies within their gender or race. Part of the difficulty is that we tend initially to look for new individuals who resemble the white males already present in the traditional curriculum; the criteria by which greatness and excellence are defined remain unexamined. It is possible, therefore, for some of us to become discouraged about the possibility of finding enough people who \"measure up.\" In fact, our efforts at this level usually raise more questions for us than they settle. 2. As we struggle to find answers to those questions, and to incorporate them into our courses, we move to another level. We now ask more searching questions about social justice and the effects of persistent discrimination. Why are minority roles and contributions so often devalued? Why do the levels of health care vary among racial groups? Why are there so few women scientists? Or, conversely, why have other fields, such as nursing or elementary education, been largely populated by women? What social mechanisms are used to deny power and access? We begin now to widen our intellectual vision and inquire into the historical and cultural context which affects achievement and experience. As we incorporate these new understandings into the syllabus, our course is more fundamentally transformed. 3. Once we begin to expand our horizons in this way, we move rather naturally to study women and minorities on their own terms. What was (and is) women‘s experience? What was (and is) the experience of Hispanic Americans? What does it mean to be a black person in America? Asking such questions encourages us to explore important aspects of life which were previously ignored by scholars (and consequently by university courses). These might include the history of the family and of marriage, the psychological and biological implications of gender, or the origins and meaning of jazz music. As we all know, there has been within the last twenty years a veritable explosion of sound, exciting research on such subjects. The more we learn of it, the more subtle our courses become about gender and race and ethnicity. We now notice and incorporate differences within groups. How do the perspectives of urban blacks differ from those of blacks in the rural South? Are there significant differences between women‘s roles in western Europe and in Asia? Students can now view the perspectives and contributions of women and minorities with more sophistication and depth. 4. Perhaps the most surprising thing about this new scholarship on women and minorities is the potential which it has for challenging and ultimately transforming the traditional discipline. How valid are our current definitions of greatness? If we find out, for instance, that traditionally much of women‘s artistic creativity was channeled into domestic crafts such as weaving or into more private writing forms such as letters and diaries, must we then rethink the definition of \"great art\" or expand the number of accepted literary genres? How must our questions change to account for women‘s experiences, diversity, difference? Can we use what we have learned about race to question in profound ways the frameworks that organize our traditional courses? Can we use 68

categories such as gender, race, or ethnicity to transform our perspectives on familiar data and concepts? How valid, for instance, are our current divisions into historical periods? Does some long familiar economic theory appear any more or less convincing once we have focused on its ability to incorporate minorities or women? If we bring different questions to Plato‘s Republic, do we say different things about it? If we enlarge our focus to give equal attention to females, do biological definitions of what constitutes sexual behavior have to be enlarged as a result? Or, what effects do studies of minorities or of women have upon our diagnostic categories for thinking about mental health or our definitions of \"normal\" behavior? Can we find ways to use gender as a methodological category to analyze male experience as well as female? 5. Ultimately, what we are striving for is a thoroughly transformed curriculum understanding the experiences of women and men, or of minorities and majorities, together. At this level our courses would offer an inclusive vision of human experience that attends as carefully to difference and genuine pluralism as to sameness and generalization. Here we would see how race and ethnicity and class and gender intersect. Here the work done in previous stages — the incorporation of exceptional women and minority representatives, the examination of the dimensions of discrimination, the study of women and minorities on their own terms, the resultant challenge to our usual ways of thinking and categorizing — all come together and are integrated with the traditional material which was on the syllabus from the beginning. Citation: Marilyn Schuster and Susan Van Dyne, Women‘s Place in the Academy: Transforming the Liberal Arts Curriculum. 1985. Prepared by IUP Liberal Studies Committee, 1988. PROVISION OF THE MINISTER ON THE THE NATIONAL CHARTER OF TEACHER COMPETENCIES - Pursuant to decree of the Prime Minister No 167/PM dated 9/9/1999 on the organisation of the Ministry of Education - Based on the Educational Strategic Plan 2005-2020 and the consultations of the Department of Technical Education through a consultation exercise - The Ministry of Education issues the provision on the National Charter of Teacher Competencies as the following SECTION 1 Purpose and objectives Article 1 The National Charter of Teacher Competencies has been developed to promote good practice and to clarify the Ministry of Education‘s and societies expectations of teachers. 69

Article 2 The National Charter of Teacher Competencies will allow further development and integration of various pre-service, upgrading and in-service teacher education curricula through accreditation. Article 3 The National Charter of Teacher Competencies will facilitate integration of the performance of teachers into the design of revised salary scales and incentives SECTION 2 Scope Article 4: The National Charter of Teacher Competencies illustrates the key abilities, qualities and skill areas in which each teacher should be competent. To begin with these competencies are developed by a teacher trainee through his or her participation in academic and practical studies, action research and teaching practice during their pre-service courses. Newly trained teachers will have some experience and some training in many of these key abilities, qualities and skills but they will need to be developed further. Article 5 It is recognised that it takes more years than those of pre-service teacher education to become a fully competent professional teacher. As teachers become more practicised through experience, self-development and opportunities on upgrading and in-service professional development programmes, these competencies will be strengthened and broadened. SECTION 3 Teacher competencies Article 6 The National Charter of Teacher Competencies summarises three equally important parallel sets of key abilities, qualities and skills:  Teaching, learning and professional practice  Knowledge of children  Subject knowledge and practical teaching wisdom Article 7 Teachers‘ characteristics and professional ethics: Teachers should - grasp firmly and put into practice correctly the policy platform of the party, the state law and regulations and be self discipline. - respect Lao cultures and traditions and offer consistent and fair treatment to pupils whatever their gender, social, cultural, linguistic, religious or ethnic background. - Teachers should take care of diversity and encourage pupils to respect each other. - be socialist and live by the same personal values that they expect from their pupils. - teachers shohave high expectations of pupils; support their development as learners and achieve highly in their learning. - improve their teaching through self-evaluation and listen to the observation, comments and advice of others. - take rights, roles and responsibility for continuous personal professional development in order to keep up to date with changing in academic knowledge and be responsible for pupils‘ learning outcomes. - work collaboratively with other teachers and community. - form and develop partnerships with parents and guardians of pupils by promoting their roles, rights and responsibilities in raising their children. - Be a good model for the society in terms of morality and integrity 70

and contribute to the community development and guide the community in promoting and developing local arts, cultures, and traditions. Article 8 Knowledge of Children: Teachers should - understand children‘s development, thinking, feelings and rights - be aware that children‘s environment and health affect their learning - accept that children learn in different ways and use a range of appropriate teaching and learning approaches - develop good human relationship with students - encourage interaction among students within the classroom - ensure children have some control of their own learning and support learning through group work and investigation - support children with special educational needs - encourage children with special attention to their creativity - create a positive classroom environment to stimulate the learning of students - learn the culture and languages of children where the teaching is taking place Article 9 Subject Knowledge and Practical Teaching Wisdom: Teachers should - implement national curriculum and known how to design local curriculum and relevant activities. - employ teaching methodology, techniques and new subject knowledge in teaching and learning. - set learning objectives that match with the real situation of the pupils. - select appropriate teaching materials to maximise pupil learning. - teach lessons sequentially and attractively while taking account of pupil learning. - use different modes of assessing children‘s work and integrate assessment into planning. - assess pupil progress in relation to the basic learning competencies identified in the national curriculum. - record pupil achievement systematically - organise and manage classrooms effectively - provide children with learning opportunities both in and outside school hours. SECTION 4 Implementation Article 10 In order to implement the National Charter of Competencies effectively the Department of Teacher Training will develop detailed guidelines for utilisation of the listed competencies in curriculum development, and liaise on their use in performance monitoring and incentives with DOP. Article 11 When this provision becomes effective, it replaces all earlier provisions related to the matters included in this provision. This provision relates only to the education sector and shall enter into force on the date signed. Acting Minister of Education 71

Interview of Ms Doangchanh Teacher student from Nasai Village. (interview in Nasai Village) Date 10 July 2005 Interviewer (I): Staffan Translator (T): Sengamphone Interviewee: Ms Doangchanh, teacher student from Nasai Village. Selected for NasaiVillage. In brief Ms Doangchanh is 21 years old and lives together with her parents and 7 older brothers in Nasai village. She belongs to the Hmong people and is selected to be a teacher in Nasai Village. Her father has finished Grade 3 of the French Primary School system. Her brother finished Grad 3 in the new system but had to come back to the farm. Mini Disk9 10 July 2005 What program are you selected for? 5+4. Now she‘s finished Grade 2 and will start Grade 3. PA Seng selected her. Her parents with the father wanted her to start at TTS. She was very glad to receive the selection. In advance she thought TTS to be a big place, a ―civilized‖ place. (Now raining hard). She had only some knowledge of what teacher training was about before entering. She couldn‘t really say no to the selection (that‘s something I interpret many of the interviewees response to my question. That is: Are you selected you are selected and that‘s an honest). PA came to her house to talk with her parents about the selection… not to stop learn at Grade 2 or 1, but continue all the way. What is good with being selected? Why was she happy with being selected? She was happy with being funded by the program. It‘s good to have a chance to get a higher education. Why knowledge is good is difficult for Ms D to explain. Anyway she wasn‘t nervous Ms Doangdjan is 21 years old and live in Nasai village. She‘s selected to teach at Nasai Village. It‘s a good choice to select her for Nasai Village, because she will have an opportunity helping the village in giving the children education. She will teach them to read and write. Ms D belongs to the Hmong people. She will use the Lao language otherwise she will use Hmong too. But the Hmong children understand the Lao language well so there will be no problem with them. But Akha children from Huay Kaem Village will be mixed with Hmong In Nasai, so therefore she will very much use the Lao language. Ms D cannot speak Akha. How many people live in your house? 13 people. Father, mother and 7 older brothers and one sister in law and an older brother have 3 children. Ms D is the last child in the family. Father farms rice, corn. He has no other professions. He is 60 years old and has finished Grade 3 in Primary School of the old French school system and can both read and write (T say her father speaks very good Lao). Ms D doesn‘t know anything this old system. Her mother works as a farmer 72

and has no education. When she‘s finished at the farm she comes back to the house to prepare food. The older brother finished Grade 3 but the family needed him back at the farm. (No Ms Sulisai calls us to have dinner at her house.) Track 6. Interview of Ms Doangchanh Teacher student from Nasai Village. (intev rec in Nasai) Date 7 July 2006 Interviewer (I): Sengamphone Interviewee: Ms Doangchanh from Nasai village 5 km from Muangsing In brief Ms Doangdjan is 18 years old and lives together with her parents and 7 older brothers in Nasai village. She belongs to the Hmong people and is selected to be a teacher in Nasai Village. Her father has finished Grade 3 of the French Primary School system. Her brother finished Grade 3 in the new system but had to come back to the farm. So, she finished from TTS in this year. Mini Discussion 7 July 2006 Name and basic information Ms Doangchan is 18 years old and lives in Nasai village. She belongs to the Hmong people (Lao Soong) and believes in the animistic religion. Her mother tongue is Hmong. She lives with her parents. In her house there are 13 people living together. She‘s selected for Nasai village and will as a teacher in one month continue live in her parents house until she‘ll get married and she as a woman move to her husbands house. Her father works at the farm and the family has about two Hectar (1Hectar=1000m x.1000 m) for rice cultivation, two H for rubber tree plantation and some area to for corn plantation. Her sisters and brothers all works at the farm, except one brother who stay in Luang Namtha to study at the Saipatana Economic School (Economic Collage, which is a private school for among other subjects accounting and English. Cost different amount of money depending on subject, but about 600.000 per term). The school have dormitory for students who live far away. The person in the house contains three families. Two of her brothers are already married and live there with their families. One brother is Chairman in Nasai village. School and teaching Ms D says she has selected by the DEB through her brother. The brother asked her if she wanted to study as a teacher and she agreed with that and came to the TTS. She claims she could have said no to the selection and the DEB then should have chosen another person to teach in Nasai Village. When she was chosen GTZ supported the village with a new school. The school has three grades and receives also pupils from Huay Kaem village to study the third grade because Huay Kaem village only have two grades. 73

Ms D says it is sometimes difficult to teach because the children don‘t manage the Lao language too well. When it comes to the Hmong children it‘s easier because she can use Hmong language and teaching aid like different materials, as picture cards, but when the Akha children doesn‘t understand the Laos it is more difficult because she doesn‘t know any Akha language. Then she must trust the teaching aids. Ms D had her practice in Nasai village. Before her practice one Thai Dum teacher was working there and a male teacher who by then were educating himself at TTC, Luang Prabang. When Ms D arrived the Thai Dum teacher left. One reason, Ms D says, is that this teacher lived far away from Nasai and she didn‘t want to be a teacher anymore. The man finished his education and stayed at Nasai on purpose from the Chairman. Today the school has three teachers including Ms D. Two men, one educated at TTC in Luang Prabang and one man who finished his education at the TTS. If it is possible she rather teach in a non Hmong village because she needs to practice Lao language and it‘s too easy to slip in the Hmong language because the children know she knows Hmong language. She thinks it should be better to have teachers from some majority group to teach in Nasai. That should give the children better knowledge in the Lao language. The health situation is stable and there are no big problems. Malaria is not very common, but the health changes with the season. In the rainy season some people get fever from colds. Selection and education Ms D was selected for the 5+4 program and has just finished her education. Ms D says her biggest interest in terms of subject is in the Lao language, which she needs to improve. (Mrs Sengamphone, who did the interview, confirms that Ms D does need to improve her Lao language). Ms D adds that she understands all Lao words, but she has problems to speak. By the education she‘d received at TTS she‘s learned to make lesson plans and skills to teach and know how to use teaching aids like picture cards. Ms D believe she‘ll have the same positions as the male teachers in her school does when she start work as a teacher. But in the village the men possess the highest positions. ―The men can make decisions‖. She will ware a different suit from when she was a student, a sin (Lao skirt) with a special pattern and shirt with collar. Colors she can choose herself. The last book she red was ―Ko men pai?‖, which means ―Who is the teacher?‖, which is about responsibilities for the occupation of a teacher. Then ―Bia mai bai sotthai‖, , which can be translated as ―Only one leaf is left on the tree‖ from 1989. The book contains 19 short stories by Mr Bonseum Sengmany when he was a student in the Sovietunion, Japan and New Zeeland. It‘s important especially for the children from minorities to learn how to read and write, says Ms D, so that they can get by in the society. F ex if a family have rice or corn to sell in the market it will be difficult to do that without education. 74

The teachers and the students, says Ms D, are viewed upon as being equal and are not treated differently. Relationships She expects herself to meet with the Chairman in cases when the pupils don‘t attend class. The same is for parents. She believes it will be a change of her position when she starts work as a teacher and that she‘ll acquire a higher position among the villagers. She has no idea if her salary will be enough or not. The money she received as a trainee was not enough (90.000 Kip/month). Language As already mentioned she tries to use the Lao language as much as she can. It‘s more difficult to teach Grade 1 than the other Grades though because these children are very small and don‘t know very much of the Lao language. Occasionally she explains in her mother tongue, which also is mentioned above. Religion The beliefs in the village, which is inhabited by Hmong people, is related to satana Phi (worship of spirits). In December the Hmong people do celebrate Kinjang which refer to the Hmong New year, when people comes together and dress up in Hmong traditional clothes. Ms D says she doesn‘t know why the Hmong people celebrate this event, only that her father knows. But the father is now hospitalized in Luang Namtha for curing his back, which is injured. (Perhaps something, which has disturbed her fathers nerve system, is our interpretation). (Mrs Sengamphone mention an event she has visit when men and the women stand in lines in front of each other and threw a ball like cloth between each other in purpose to format a couple and for a future marriage). Marriage Ms D doesn‘t have a boyfriend yet. No one has come to see her in the village, she says. Ms D gives a somewhat shy impression. Perhaps she doesn‘t dare to approach a young man, is an interpretation. If and when she marries she‘ll move to her husbands house, to her parents in law. It is possible for Ms D to marry a man from Akha or Lao Loum people. For her parents it‘s ok to marry with whom she wants as long as they love each other. Women are better caretaker of the children than men are, she thinks. The decisions in the family Ms D thinks will be equal between the man and the woman in her family. For the future If it is possible she will work as a teacher for some time and then if there were a selection she would like to continue her education in Vientiane or Luang Prabang. Her father, says Ms D, have economical means to support her study otherwise. Interview of Inkam Teacher student from Nam Lek Village Date 8 July 2005 Interviewer (I): Staffan Translator (T): Sengamphorn 75

Interviewee: Miss Inkham, teacher student from Nam Lek Village In brief Miss Inkham is 19 years old and has been a teacher student at the TTS for … years. She has selected for the 5+4 program by the DEB, the District Education Bureau. Miss Inkham lives together with her parents in a wooden house build by her father. The sun was already set when we started the interview and the reddish sky colored the porch outside the house where the interview was recorded. After a while people from the village approached the session, as did also Ms Inkhams father, which may have had an impact on the response from the respondent. Ethnically the family belongs to the Akha people. Recorded 8/7-05 Mini Disk5 8 July 2005 I: Was it possible for her to refuse the selection? T: No, she must go Who told her to be a teacher? DEB and her parents Have she made a good choice? Don‘t know. How does shed feel about teaching? That‘s ok and the students in that village can speck Lao too What’s best with being a teacher? The students can know about education. It‘s not good for the money. Salary is low. What does her parents say when she’s not helping with the farm? It doesn‘t matter. They say nothing. But she help with the farm at Saturdays and Sundays. How many people live in her house hold? Seven people. Her parents, two brothers, two sisters and her self. Ms Inkham is nineteen. The oldest sister is married. Ms Inkham is the second. The third one is a younger brother who study at the Minority School and had finished the lower Secondary last year. This year he stopped to learn. The father is a farmer. What farming does he do? He‘s cultivating rise and corn and sugar tree. This year only corn (maize). For this year he plans to plant rubber tree. The hole family is helping, not the village. He has no education. He can read a little but cannot write. The mother? She has no education. She‘s also working at the farm. She‘s taking care of the house hold. Some days her younger sister is taking care of the house hold. Some days no one. Sometimes the family cooks food when they come back after work. Her father did build the house. He learned by himself to do carpeting. He went to see other people building houses and copied from them. 76

And the grandfather? Died. Before he only worked at the farm. No education. Does she have an uncle and an aunt? She has a sister in Law, sister of her father. She‘s also working at the farm. How does she think about TTS now when she’s been there for some years? Here the disk ended. The sunset had recently colored the sky red and now we were in total darkness. We could see nothing no more. Video camera was no alternative. Interview of Noi 24 June 2005 Teacher student from Village (Hmong) Interviewer (I): Mikael Translator (T): Sengamphorn Interviewee: Miss Noi, teacher student from Hong Leuy Village Miss Noi is … years old and has been a teacher student at the TTS for … years. She has selected for the 5+4 program by the DEB, the District Education B… ♦. The father of Miss Noi has two wives. Miss Noi is one of three children from the first wife. With the other wife her father has five children. Miss Noi lives together with her relatives and an uncle who has the small restaurant by the roadside we‘re having our spontaneous interview at. He also has a small amount of rubber trees. The raw rubber he sell to Chinese merchants. The camera wasn‘t prepared for the interview and didn‘t got enough power to record the whole talk. Ethnically the family belongs to the Hmong people. The interview is recorded on the road from Muang Sing to Luang Nam Tha. The interview takes place under rather noisy conditions with children loudly playing, adults talking and motor vehicles passing by. The village is situated on the hilly mountain of … quite near the town of Luang Nam Tha in northern Laos. Recorded 24/6-05 Video Tape3 Interviewer (I): She lives in this village? (tape3, 31.11) Translator (T): Yes, she lives in this village. With her father and mother? Yes, (?) together with the brother of her father. Brother of my father is the same as uncle. Did she finished her primary in the village school?(tape3, 31.48) Oh, at Hadt Njao Village. Finished at grade four. If she had not been selected for the 5+4 would she had continue to lower secondary school? (tape3, 32.46) 77

She says that it is very far from this place and her friend stopped to learn at the lower secondary school. So she think that she want to stop too. Because it very difficult to go in the morning to that school. What does her father do? (tape3, 35.19) I don‘t know the word in English. F ex you are my boss and you give me money and I do work for you (T So he works for others? Mmm! (Yes. Nodding her head. His profession remains unclear though) But the uncle has this business? (Rubber tree and little restaurant) (tape3, 36.34) Mmm! Does she have sisters and brothers? Her father has two wives. The first wife is her mother. Her mother has three children. But now she (Noi?) lives with the family and the new mother. Her father and the new mother or the new wife has five children with her father and now her father and new mother want to divorce… again. How long did her father go to school? (tape3, 38.39) He finished at grade two. He was a chairman in this village for fifteen years old (?). Only this year he stopped to work as a Chairman. Until now an engine has been sounding during the interview and it‘s been quite difficult to hear the voices. At this moment there‘s a cut in the recording and the interview continues without the sounding engine. Cicadas are sounding in the back. They are now talking about in what language Noi is using in her teaching. (tape3, 40.08) … She teaches in Lao language. So when students don‘t understand she will try Hmong language. Does she have visited from the PA in the district, the Pedagogic Adviser? (tape3, 40.17) Every weeks a new meeting. Here in the village? Hmm! (Yes!) The sound from a motorbike overtakes the sound of the interview. Then follows: But what does she do? Does she advice how to teach? (the PA) If the old teacher has a work to do she will tell her … (and the sound drowns in the sound from a Tek Tek, a vehicle used on farms, a sort of a tractor. The camera capture the Tek Tek and after that the Hmong house and people in behind)… But does she know how to make a lesson? (tape3, 42.23) … Ok, he (she) can do but if… it‘s difficult she wait PA to help or ask the old teacher. Does the PA tell her to use the Hmong language sometimes? Ok, … use Lao language. So the PA tells her to use Lao language? Mmm! (yes) 78

But sometimes they speak Hmong in the classroom? (tape3, 43.30) She uses the own language because some students… a few… don‘t understand… or for ex she explained several time, but this person can‘t do the exercise and she use about the own language. The PA, does she talks about student centered teaching? (Cries from an angry child completely cover the sound of the interview) What does it mean she thinks? (Sound from the crying child covers completely the interview and the camera turns to the child. But then the camera man, me, then falls over to the ground and happy laughter comes from everybody, including the camera man and it becomes a little easier to go on, I feel) … she say that only a few use about the student centered. Why? She said that is because the student can‘t do the activity that she gives… only the teacher will explain that. For ex if the Lao language… write the board (black board) (cannot hear quite)… to listen and want the student to read. If the student can‘t understand or can‘t read the teacher will explain. If it is student centered, what can she do then? (tape3, 46.49) Ok that she means about only why the students in the group and give the topics to do. After that one person he will read, he will exercise that picture. The interviewee continues on her own: but now the students is a… children is very small… will not understand and use (Noi will use) the student centered teaching. Sorry use the teacher centered teaching. Why is it good with student centered teaching? She think is a teacher will explain and explain to the student and she think is a… the teacher is teacher centered. (?) She‘s very young. Do the children have respect for her when she‘s teaching? (tape3,, 48.48) The students are very stupid. Stupid to her? Mmm, because they think she is very young. So they don‘t show respect to her? Yes! But for the other teachers they show respect? (tape3, 49.21) The old teachers told her they are stupid too. To them? Mmm, to them. So… when she come sto practice teaching and they choose her to practice from the student who stupid for grade one and grade two In the future, will she come to teach in this village?(Hong Leuy) (tape3, 50.20) Ok she chose to teach in there. (the answer is not clear) Does she like that? Here the power of the camera was finished 79

Interview of Ms Noi Teacher student from Hong Leuay Village. (intev rec in Hong Leuay) Date 7 July 2006 Interviewer (I): Sengamphone Interviewee: Ms Noi from Hong Leuay village 6 km from Luang Namtha In brief Ms Noi is 19 years old and lives in Hong Leuay Village. The village contain …. people and 60 families. The village is situated around 5 km from Luang Namtha town in the district with the same name. Mini Discussion 8 July 2006 Name and basic info Noi is 19 years old. She say she belong to Lao Huay (Lanten) which refer to Lao Soong. She also speaks Lao Huay. She lives with her relatives in in Hong Leuay about 6 km from Luang Namtha (ca 16 km to TTS). She will in September start her new job as a teacher in Hong Leuay. The school is situated just nearby her house and contains since this year five grades plus two classes for preschool. The school has seven teachers. The school specializes in female teachers. The pupils in the school belong partly to two ethnic groups, Lao Huay and Phounoi, under Lao Soong, ie the classifying system that use the three groups Lao Loum, Lao Theung and Lao Soong as the main groups. The other belong to groups within Lao Theung. So, Ms Noi will stay in her village to teach. She expects the teaching to be quite difficult because of the different ethnic groups. The main difficulties will be the language. She will use the Lao language when she teach, but the ethnic groups don‘t share the same mother tongue and Ms Noi will have use for the Lao Huay language to the Lao Huay children when they don‘t understand the majority language, Pasa Lao. But she will have bigger problems with the children with whom she don‘t share a common language. Then she will use teaching materials like black board, picture cards, draw on paper etc. Another difficulty in terms of communication, she says, is being a teacher for all five grades. That is, the first grade is the most difficult to teach because they cannot speak Lao language at all. She will teach each grade one week continuously and start again with the first grade after five weeks have past. The education is taken over by another teacher when Ms Noi is not their teacher. Ms Noi says DEB will in the future help with workshops on how to teach in multi ethnic situations in school. No big health problem, says Ms Noi. Every year two or three people have Malaria. Selection and education 80

Ms Noi did finish the 5+4 program in Mai 2006, which is supported by the GTZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit). Ms Noi has not many personal reflections to give on her education other than that she‘s experienced a change in the Lao language to the better. That is also a comment from Mrs. Sengamphone who interviewed her at this session. Ms Noi tells that she has made friends with students from majority groups like Lao Loum Leu and Thai Dum, at the TTS and being able to improve her language skills. She adds though that she‘s learned such as how to make lessons plans, ho to teach, how use teaching materials like technical aids for easier understanding of ex mathematics, etc. One reason for selecting Ms Noi, she her self believe, is she was the only one student to had finished grade five at that moment. She says she could have said no to the selection and that the DEB (District Educational Bureau) then should have chosen a student from another village. If she hadn‘t been selected she would have continued to Secondary School. Ms Noi has no best subject, she says. The character is about the same in every subject. But mathematic and particularly Geometry, and Physics, she says, is more difficult than other subjects. Ms Noi gives no opinion of possible differences for women and for men to be teachers. At the same time she claims that the villagers have more respect for men as teachers than for women. And at the Hong Leuy School the people in position are men, both the director and the deputy director. Men have also the highest position in the village. The highest position in the family is her grandfather. Ms Noi thinks it will be different for her to work as a teacher when it comes to for example clothing. While she as a student wore a certain kind of uniform she will as a teacher use another. By this and the fact that she now is a teacher will give her a higher position. The title of the last novel Ms Noi red was ―Bai mai bai sotthai‖, which can be translated as ―Only one leaf is left on the tree‖. When questioned what it was about she shyly smiled as if it was about something difficult to talk about. The book is from 1989 and contains 19 short stories by Mr Bonseum Sengmany when he was a student in the Sovietunion, Japan and New Zeeland. The other book was an educational literature ―Pai men ko?‖, ―Who is a teacher?‖. If the children cannot read and write they will face problems transporting themselves. Education helps them also to develop when it comes to daily shopping and how get by when traveling by reading signs. It is difficult to live in the society without education. When it comes to possible differences in viewing minority students at the TTS she has no other comments than believe that all people respect each other equally. (We are aware of that the question could have been put the question in another way in another way but weren‘t done at the moment) The village teacher –relationships So far Ms Noi has done practicing. Some weeks she has had weekly meetings with the chairman, some weeks she hasn‘t met him at all. The discussion has been about naughty 81

pupils. Either the Chairman or other villagers have helped her with anything else except this. She is not expected to do anything else but teaching, she says and she claims that she is not treaded in any different way than other villagers. She believes that the government will pay her salary. She doesn‘t give a comment on if it will be enough for living. She lives in the village and has her relatives there. Language In her practice Ms Noi before used to teach in the majority language, Pasa Lao, and will continue to do so as a professional teacher. Sometimes she explained some tings in her mother tongue, Lao Huay, and if f ex the Phounoi pupils (Lao Soong) didn‘t understand she told the more experienced teachers to help her out. Ms Noi says that people in her village combine talking in the Lao language and the mother tongue Lao Huay Religion Ms Noi is a Lao Huay girl (Lao Soong). It means that she believe in worship of spirits (satana Phi). Ms Noi tells during the interview how people of Lao Huay conduct a scarifying ceremony. For ex if a person is sick from something, a pig is sacrificed by cutting the throught off. Then the animal is carefully slaughtered and involves cleaned up than put back in the body. Then the body is layer in a basket together with a bowl of its blood. Another basket is brought to be filled with ceremony clothes from the person who has the problem, together with for example a glass of alcohol, cigarettes, beetle nut, and kinds of vegetables for the spirit in power to consume. Then a medicine man chants from his memory to get contact with the spirit to heal the person who is sick. After the ceremony people gather together to have a feast on the left over from the pig. Everything is cooked and consumed now by the people. The ceremony is carried out in the Lao Huay village of Ms Noi and she. Ms Noi did visit the Buddhist temple together with her Buddhist friends to se what it was like. Still she is a believer of the worshiping of spirits. Marriage Ms Noi doesn‘t have a boyfriend and she doesn‘t know when she‘ll have one. It‘s ok for her to marry a man from another ethnic group, like Akha, and her parents will not have anything to say about that. During the coming time when she will meet a boyfriend, she tells, the boy cannot visit her house before marriage. After the marriage, which is an agreement between the couple‘s parents, the girl move to stay at the boys house. A dowry will traditionally be pay by money. Her husband will have the higher position according to the Lao Huay culture. She will take care of the children and the housework while the man takes care of the decisions to be made for the household. Expectations for the future She isn‘t sure about her future. If there will be another selection for more education, she can think of accepting that. But she also tells that she most of all will stay in her village to work as a teacher and not goes anywhere else. Her parents will have nothing to say about her future possible education. 82

Interview of Ms Sullisai Teacher student from Huay Kaem Village. (intev rec in Seua Daeng Village) Date 9 July 2005 Interviewer (I): Staffan Translator (T): Sengamphone Interviewee: Ms Sulisai, teacher student from Huay Kaem Village. Selected for the same village. In brief Ms Sulisai is 18 years old and is teacher student in Grade 3 at the TTS. It‘s the first time she‘s been interviewed. She is selected for the 5+4 program by the DEB, the District Education Bureau. Ms Sulisai lives together with 11 people in a wooden house, five older sisters and four older brothers. She‘s the last child in the family. Her father died when she was eight years old. Only the mother lives together with the children. He was only 30 years old when he died. ´Her family was rich from cultivating Opium which they used for buying and selling cattle. Somebody used black magic against her father, according to Ms S. Now the family is considered as being poor, says Ms S. Never the less she get a small supply from her family, except for the money she receives from being selected. If the villagers want her to stay to teach in the village she will do that. But if her wish comes true she would like to be selected to programs for further education as a nurse in Luang Prabang or Vientiane. Ethnically the family belongs to the Akha people. The interview is recorded 9/7-05 in a school which is closed for the semester. Mini Disk6 9 July 2005 How were you selected to the program? Who told you to go the TTS? PA (Saeng) told her. She didn‘t know anything about TTS in advanced. She didn‘t know any teacher in advance. How did you feel by being selected? She was very glad to be selected, because she had the fund to pay her education at the TTS. She knew students who been studying at the TTS. She‘d only heard about an education program driven by GTZ from another person (her older sister) and did think of perhaps being selected to this program, but later on she was selected to the 5+4 program at the TTS. They are she, her older brother and an older sister who are studying at the TTS. Because of that she wanted to study there too. In advance she doubted her capacity to learn. Was it possible for her to say no to the program? No, it was not possible. PA selected her and she had to go. S is very determent she had to accept because PA made a big effort for her. Her family was happy she was selected because they didn‘t have money to fund her study. She has finished three year. Next year it will be the last year. Positive and negative things with being selected? 83

Positive: 90.000 Kip per month from the program. Her family gives her a little supply. Negative: She‘s a little bit worried having to stay away from her family and the work at the farm. Living condition in her house? 11 people live in her house, five older sisters and four older brothers. She‘s the last child in the family. Her father died when she was eight years old. Only the mother lives together with the children. He was only 30 years old when he died. ´Her family was rich before he died. Now the family is poor. Somebody made black magic to her father and he got sick and hade to go to the hospitable. Who did black magic to her father? The person who did this was a friend to her father in advance. This friend lived in Poka village. He stole a ring from her father to use in black magic towards him because of enviousness of his richness. In the past the family was a rich one. The family got rich from cultivating opium. From the money he bought cattle (cows and buffalos) to sell in other villages. It generated good money. More living condition Right now it‘s ok (with the money), but not much because her mother works at the farm (not really farm but vegetable garden and crops for food for the animals, pigs and cows) and sell to the market. Her mother is old 62 years old. Only stay at home (interpretation: her mother stays at home working with the veg garden). The children take care for everything els. When cultivating poppies her father had many people to help him. Int is not clear. Later S say only here father did the cultivating himself. Int is that many people did like him, but he did the harvest himself. Either her father or mother were/are educated. ♦(Track 7) Older sister, age 30, (the first child) work with the TTZ (GTZ?). Confusion concerning t the origin of the program. (Possible the GTZ.♦). I says the 5+4 program is supported by AUS-aid and the government. This Australian proj help the Akha too. S: if the village is in need for the supply of water AUS-aid has possibilities. Her sister has five years of primary ed. Cannot speak English. Her sister works with this project for 10 years. S lives in Huay Kaem Village about 7 km from Seua Daeng. Her sister lives with two her own family lives (confusion). The older brother have two children, the second one have one child and lives together. 9 people lives together. One people sell, who stays with the chairman, food on the market. Another person works at the farm. The money is enough to support the family. Has no uncle but have one aunt. Only stay at home take care of the household. She has a younger brother of her mother who lives in another place and works at the farm. When S came to TTS the first time, what did she think? She was surprised and a little bit worried when she stayed in front of the L Nam Tha TTS. She was thinking back to her family and worried about her abilities to learn. She came by bus from Muang Sing. She came by songtaew. In the songtaew were only the students for TTS. How’s life at the TTS now? 84

She misses many people. Now she knows many teachers at the TTS and has to learn many things. She has two or three best friend. One comes from Ban Vieng Neua, a ―Galom‖-people that links to Lao Lum. Otherwise she has friends from all kinds of Lao people. There are no problems between the students at the TTS and the teachers are very friendly. She‘s never had problems with the teachers. (track9) Has she ever seen any problems between students at the TTS? No, never saw, but she has seen the teachers at the TTS rebuke when students have done something wrong. F ex the different sexes cannot enter each others dormitory without risking punishment. They risk being cut off their score. Ms Sulisai knows a student from 11+1 who has been expelled from TTS. She came from Pong Saly and stole money many times from the food stalls right outside TTS. Otherwise she doesn‘t know anybody being expelled. I she afraid of teaching? The first time yes, but now she‘s alright with that. Ms Sulisai has been teaching in a village one day near TTS. She thinks it‘s quite difficult to teach because there are some differences concerning text books from when she first went to primary School. Before the teacher could by the books at the market, but now they have to get certain books specially designed for minorities which are supported by AUS-aid. The methodology is somewhat different. More strict for the minority. The most difficult with teaching is to make a lesson plan. She makes one every time she teaches. Then Ms S describes how she introduces a lesson: Welcome, presence, checking homework. The real teacher is sitting in the back of the classroom for checking. In the beginning she was nervous, but now it‘s alright. Can Ms Sulisai describe a normal lesson at the TTS? Some teachers divide the students in groups to discuss the lessons and then choose one student to make report. They use ―student centered‖ teaching. Here the disk ended. I changed to a new disk (disk 7) Mini Disk7 How does she handle a situation when a pupil is naughty? She tells them that if you don‘t learn you‘ll have no education. She‘s not allowed to hit pupils. Only give exercise. On my question if it is aloud according to the law with physical punishment both Ms S and Mrs Seng seems confused and rather say what a teacher should do. I interpret this they don‘t know. Does the villagers think of the teacher as a different person from a normal villager? No, not at all, but the people in the village thinks the teacher is an important person because the teacher helps with the education in the village. It‘s not a big problem for the villagers to have their children in the school instead of having them to work at the field. In fact the parents want the children to go to the school. Is it many pupils that don’t attend to school? Yes, and then she gives the pupils extra homework as a punishment. For the future. How long time will Ms S teach in Seua Daeng? 85

Around 4 years. After that she can choose somewhere else or stay. If the villagers want her to stay in this village she will do that. She wants to have more education, Ms S say with a smile. She want to be a nurse, Mrs Seng translates. Ms S says if it‘s possible she wants to receive education in Luang Prabang or Vientiane. But she must be selected to a program. She will not herself be able to manage the needed money. Mrs Seng asks Ms Sulisai if she wants to get married with a local man from the village, but Ms Sulisai cannot answer the question. If she select a person for to marry she wants him to have higher education than her. Thank you for answer the questions. (track 4) Interview of Ms Sullisai Teacher student from Huay Kaem Village. (intev rec in Huay Kaem Village) Date 7 July 2006 Interviewer (I): Sengamphone Interviewee: Ms Sulisai, teacher student from Huay Kaem Village. Selected for Seua Daeng village. In brief Ms Sulisai is 19 years old and has finished the 5+4 program at the TTS. Ms Sulisai lives together with 11 people in a wooden house, five older sisters and four older brothers. She‘s the last child in the family. Seuadaeng village has 294 inhabitants. 7/7-06 in Huay Kaem Village. Mini Discussion 7 July 2006 Basic information Ms Sulisai (S) is 19 years old and lives in the Akha village of Huay Kaem. According to her ethnic background her religion is satana Phi (beliefs in spirits). Her mother tongue is Akha language which is very different from the Lao language. (perhaps more alike with Chinese is our interpretation, but we don‘t know). In her house she lives with her mother. She is selected for Seua Daeng village and she will stay there when she‘ll begin work as a teacher. It‘s very difficult to stay in Seua Daeng, she says, because she will stay in a room in the school and there already live a family of husband, wife and a child. These parents also work as teachers in Seua Daeng. On top of this they also have a small shop in the room, which in the end will give Ms S a small space to live on. There are plans for building a house for teachers, but these plans have not yet been realized. 86

She‘s not nervous to begin teach and she have no special expectations for her coming work as a teacher. Her family works on the farm. She lives with her mother who is 70 years old. Ms S says that the age counting in the Akha tradition is quite complex. She gives an example. If a child is born the day before New Year this child will be considered as one year after this day. If the child is born one day before next month this child will be considered as one month the day after. If the child is born 15 of June this child will be considered as one the first of July. Ms S‘s mother stay home because of age. She is 70 years old. She has no father since he already have passed away. Today two brothers together with their wives and five children and Ms S live together with their mother. One son to an older sister to Ms S also lives in the house. This son and another teacher named Ms Seewan (Wan) will marry soon. They met while Ms Seewan was working as a teacher In Huay Kaem village. Her future husband will next year continue his education Secondary school. School and teaching PA Ms Seng selected Ms S to the 5+4 program and the DEB wanted her to be a teacher in Seuadaeng village. Seuadaeng has 4 grades and two teachers for grade 1 and 2 and the second teacher teach grade 3 and 4. Grade 1 have 20 pupils, gr 2 10, gr 3 she doesn‘t remember and gr 4 6 pupils. The village wants to have also gr 5, but probably there will be non, says Ms S, because there are not enough gr 4-pupils. A minority school is different from a majority mainly because of the language situation. The minorities often don‘t have enough knowledge in the Lao language and the teacher will have use for her/his knowledge on their mother tongue. Ms S says it is more difficult to teach in a minority school because or that. On a question if Ms S wants to teach in a majority school she answers that it will be up to DEB if they want her there. The distance between Seuadaeng and Muangsing is about 6 km. Health situation is quite good. Only a few people get Malaria. Some stomach ache happens (Yack Yack). Selection and education Ms S has just finished the 5+4 program at the TTS and will start work as a teacher in two months in Seuadaeng village. She could have refused the selection if she‘d wished so and DEB should have chosen another student, but she thought it would be better to accept because through the fund and the selection she could now have a profession, which was very important for her. If she‘d continued Sec School there would perhaps be no fund for her later on. Therefore it was never a question for her to accept. She was selected by PA Ms Seng when Ms S studied at Grade 1 in Secondary School in Namkaewnoi village. PA came to tell Ms S and another student about their selection. Ms S says she have no best subject. That is she doesn‘t have better character one subjects than in another, but she‘s very interested in a quite new subject where students have possibilities to discuss issues about sex and how to live together. Among many other things one discuss HIV and other sexual transmitted diseases. The second subject she mention being interested in is in Politics. When Mrs Sengamphone asks a little more about this Ms S have problems to tell what the subject really is about. Ms S says her 87

teacher in this subject is very kind. The third subject she‘s interested in is in teaching methodology. But she says that she will have problems when she begins work because she‘ll have a class with two grades at the same time. It‘s difficult to f ex make lesson plans. In this school the women and men are equal, but she‘ll expect her self to have lower position than the teachers who have more experiences than her in teaching. The Chairman in that village, which always is a man, has the highest position. As a teacher she will where a typical Lao suit for teachers, including sin of a certain kind together with a shirt with collar. The color she can choose herself. This robe is quite different from the suite of the student who always where black Lao skirt and white shirt with collar and scarf. The last novel Ms S red was ―Bai mai bai sotthai‖, which can be translated as ―Only one leaf is left on the tree‖. It is a novel which is red by most of the students we‘ve been talking to. It is very important for the children to learn how read and write because they must get knowledge. The future society will perhaps be more ―civilized ―. The children and the other villagers too have to learn for the future. It can be difficult to live in the future society otherwise. The villagers, says Ms S, knows about this and they want their children to have knowledge for the future. Ms S says the people in TTS don‘t make a difference between minority and majority. She believes teachers and students regard all people in TTS as equal. Village teacher - Relationships Sometimes she meets the Chairman several times per week. Other weeks she‘ll not meet with him at all. When they meet they talk about the teaching and the pupils when they are naughty. First she‘ll go to the Chairman if they are naughty and then to their parents. She‘ll discuss with the parents why f ex the children doesn‘t come to school. The villagers will help her with food because she‘s a new teacher who has nothing extra in this village and she‘s regarded as an important person as a teacher. The other teachers in the village they will not help, says she, because they already have a shop from where they can have income. The salary she will get from DEB and she doesn‘t yet know if it is enough or not. She doesn‘t know what to do if it is not enough to pay her living. During her practice she sometimes asked the chairman to help her when the money wasn‘t enough and the Chairman then asked the villagers for supply. She‘ll by things like shampoo and body lotions etc for her salary. The villagers will supply her with food. Language She‘ll use the Lao language in her teaching. Only if the pupils don‘t understand she‘ll use her mother tongue. Otherwise she‘ll use different teaching aids TTS supply the village with. Religion In this Akha village one believe in the worship of spirits. Ms S followed her Buddhist friends to the temple because she wanted to see how they worshiped Buddhism, but she 88

is a believer in her own religion. She hasn‘t felt one has looked down on her religion at the TTS. Marriage Ms S doesn‘t have a boyfriend yet, she says. Her family (mother, brother and sister) told her to teach one, two or three years and then get married, so she is following this will. It is possible nowadays for Akha people to marry people from other ethnic groups, so yes, it‘s possible also for Ms S to marry a person from another ethnic groups. (to Mrs Sengaphone and Mr Staffan it looks like the group, her family, decide for her in the first place whom it is possible to marry and in the second place it is her own decision). Future If it is possible she will teach some years and then continue her education and learn the English language. She says that she actually is dependant on fund money to be able to continue her education. Next year it is perhaps possible to study English in TTS L Namtha, but she claims that she probably will not have enough money. If it is possible she would like to teach English in the future. But she‘s not so sure if she‘ll manage that. Interview of Wan 27 August Teacher in Pijeu Village 2005 Interviewer (I): Staffan Translator (T): Sengamphorn Interviewee: Miss Wan, teacher in Pijeu Village Miss Wan is 21 years old and has been teaching in Pijeu village for two years. She began teach in Pijeu after her graduation from Hong Hien San Kho, the Teacher Training School (TTS). This time counts as her practice years and she needs one (?) more year to get her license as a teacher. Miss Wan is the first daughter in a family of mother, father and 6 sisters. Ethnically the family belongs to the Lao Lom family. The interview is recorded at the house veranda of the family house, which is situated on the road to TTS, just outside the little town of Luang Nam Tha in northern Laos. The interview takes place under the sounding from animals in the garden and trucks on the road beside. Recorded 30/6-05 Video Tape4 and Mini Disc1 Interviewer (I): Welcome to this interview. We will now ask some questions about your life in Pijeu, something about your life in this house and something about the village teacher in Pijeu and also what your expectations for the future is. (tape4, 48.27) (The translator, T, translates the opening info to the interviewee) Interviewer (I): How long time have you been a teacher?(disc1, 3) Translator (T): Two years. T: She likes to be a teacher. And she know the work as a teacher is very hard but she wants to be a teacher to help to improve the education. To teach minority students is difficult. It‘s difficult to understand each other because the students (Akha) and the teacher don‘t have the same language. 89

Is it difficult to understand each other because of different cultures? It is difficult because if we explain about the lesson but they don‘t understand. She use about the old language when she explain. So she and the students learn about each other. They (pupils) know about Lao but they can‘t because they are shy to speak. They know only about 70% of Lao language. She use about the material. It helps. She about the picture for ex. For ex she shows a picture about this (shows an image) and ask what it is called in Lao. When they don’t understand, what do the pupils do? Just sits there? Talking between each other? (tape4, 57.26)(disc1,8) The students discuss together. For ex if they don‘t know the Lao words of the picture they ask the teacher to show about that word. How is it when they are naughty? What do they do? They change to put the game in that class and after that if they stop to enjoy about the game and after that they continue to learn that new lesson. T: Make the rules. If they don‘t listen to the teacher… she put the back of the book on the desk (difficult to understand). The second one is if they don‘t listen to the teacher she complain about their parents. For ex your mother and father don‘t have education so you should have education. Do the children obey her? Do the children do what she say? Yes, they do because in that school the students are not absent to the school. They go to school every day. Ok but naughty. For how long time per day does W teach? One day start at 8 o‘clock to 11.30 and at the afternoon 1.30 to half past four. Two years Ms Wan has been working in Pijeu. When she finished at the TTS and continue to teach at Pjeu. When she finished at 11+1 she went to PE.. (PES). The director told her to go to Ban Ta Oh. But her father, no her mother don‘t need her to go to Ta Oh. Why, because her mother said it is very far to the road. It is very difficult to travel and so that she choose at the Pijeu. And she choose not mother. But mother don‘t need her to go to Ta Oh but she need to go to Pijeu because she want to know about Akha village. How much did she know about Akha before? Because she is Lao Lom? Nothing. I hade yet never been to an Akha village before. W wanted to see and want to learn And the first time she came to an Akha village. What was her impression? What did she think? What did she feel? It is very difficult to live about there because she don‘t know about Akha language. It is the same a person who can not speak. Only sit and smile. Did she have to drink Lao Lao? Little The first time she came to Pijeu. Which people did she met? Chairmans house (Nai Ban). The Chairman take her to DEB at Muang Sing.Came with Songtaew, similar to Tuk Tuk. Tuk Tuk go to the Pijeu village 90

Now she has been teaching for two years. Is she content with the teaching? Or does she want to change? She needs to continue to work as the teacher but… For ex if you finish at this school you should teach at that village and you… for two year or three year and after that you are teacher So after she’s done this practice in Pijeu, she want to stay in Pijeu? No, it‘s hard to live in there (interviewee laughs a little embarrassed). She don‘t how to say because she are single (interviewee laughs a little embarrassed). Maybe if she is married she maybe will move to live with her husband or… For ex if the husband live in there she will came back to live with her husband. If her husband live at the Akha village she will live at Akha. So can she think of marry with Akha? I don‘t know. If Akha is kind to her that‘s OK. Is it possible for a Lao Lom to get married to an Akha? It‘s possible to for Lao lom to marry an Akha. It‘s OK about you for the Government. It‘s Ok because it is Akha and Lao (Akha is Lao) If the man does not speak pasa Lao. How can she live together? Practice to learn a lot about Lao language. She should learn Akha and Akha learn Lao Maybe she have an fiancés in Akha village? No! Not yet (laughter at all this conversation about marriage). Only grade two in Pijeu. But they have grade two is two class and grade one for one class. Last year she make the plans to building the school that they haft (?) about that school. (talkings about the new built school which was finished 22 of May with help by AUSAID. They are planning for Grade three. And she think next year she will know about the money from the project to give and to make the new building to be a grade five. And now, where are they going for the third grade? (disc1,29) They study at Nam Dai village. But she say that… last year doesn‘t make to grade three but grade three no teacher to teach and after that the students will change to learn at Nam Dai. In Pijeu, so the student at Pijeu who finished the grade two will continue to learn at Nam Dai. And then after five? Ok, at the Lower Secondary School at Gang Mai village. About five km from Pijeu. How old are they in the third Grade? 11 years… 18 years and there are also some 21 years. So, basically in Grade one how old are they? 10, 12, 13 for Grade one. Oh, they are old! Yes, they are old. (Continuing by herself) … Maybe the boy student will… for ex… is they interested about their teacher (laughter). 91

…Yes, ask her that! No, don‘t have…. (laughter). I don’t believe… (laughter). … Ok, in the past she didn‘t know, but now… she said, not me said, is Akha people only talked to be a friend. Not to get married. Some students want her to get married, for ex a student have an older brother and she or he want her to get married with her or his brother. So because they want to teach her to stay at that village (little embarrassed laughter from the interviewee). She accepts also to go and meet somebody? … That she wents to their home… not accept the student who have a brother. Only a few student or some student to… friendly… to her and so she will visit their family and talked to their parents. Nothing… come together…? No! They accept this also, the boys and girls? Do they accept that she don’t come and visits their brothers? (confusion over my question and the response and my understanding of the response in return starts a discussion to sort out the meanings) Except girls! The girls think it’s Ok? Mm! (Yes!) And the boys don’t think it’s Ok? Mmm! (Yees!) Why is it not OK? (disc1,35) Ok, the boy have to want her to get married with their brothers, but girls are higher then the boys (?). … Ehh… Higher? What does that mean? Higher? … The students is girls… want her to get married with their brother. So higher than boy. The boys only a few.. Aha, so more boys want her to get married…? No, more girls wants her to get married, but boy only a few. And when she say no. Is it ok for them? No, she doesn‘t say no to them. How does she say? Only make them to understand each other. For ex their brother love her. That‘s ok. So how does she show? How can she show? 92

… (embarrassed smiles)… only say to the children to understand. For ex if brother of the children love… we will talk to each other and make to everything to understand each other. Is it difficult? (disc1,36) So she only live there for two year. No boy to talk with her about that way (laughter). Only talk with friend. To be a friend and how each other to make cousin. (We talk a little about a Lao custom that it is sometimes possible to regard a younger person as his or her daughter or son. The subject of the teacher and her relationship with boys becomes a little uneasy to talk about and I get a strong feeling both interviewee and T wishes to leave it). I ask because she is young and beautiful and that it can sometimes be difficult for a woman in a position as a teacher. She said many people want to get married with her. But.. For ex … who have a wife they want to get married. If she can‘t its ok (can‘t understand), but she don‘t like to do that way, because she want that village to be felly (fair?)… because she have high education than in that village. As I understand you (T) she don’t want to get married with somebody who don’t have as much education as her? Is it? (T ask interviewee) Yes, because is lower education as her. So who is she going to marry she thinks? (disc1,37) She wants to get married with the person who have the high education than her and want to control about the family and take care her and children. Ok! Lets turn to her house here? She’s unmarried right? And how many years are she? (track39) 21 years old. How many people live in this house? 7 people. Father, mother and five children. No one else. Who is the strongest person of this family? Father is strongest. Does her father give her a lot of advises? Ok, father to give the way but she choose to talk with mother. For ex: You should teach at that village! Her father to give the topic and she will discuss with her mother choose or not. So different connection? Mmm. Different connection. The big show is father and the small show is talk with her mother. Disc1 ended. Disc2 take over. Why did she become a teacher? (disc2,1) 93

Because she want the children at that school at the rural area to improve their education and to make them to understand about educate,to improved. But they don’t need this knowledge in the farm? Ok, she thinks the children want to study because the children is very active when she teach them. Can she see that they learn something from her teaching? Only a few children like to study. Because some children the brain is not good. Can‘t remember. But all of them want to study. Want to imrove. Does Akha people learn less good than other Lao people? …Ok about 80 or 85% of Akha people go to study… at Pijeu. (Here follow information about things I haven‘t asked for. I also suspected this under the interview and tried to clarify myself) She said before that the Akha in Pijeu had bad memory. Is this something special for Akha people? To have bad memory? Memory is good I think, she said, but she (Akha girl) don‘t like and he don‘t like to study and they don‘t do. Why don’t they want to study? The first is the parents, they didn‘t have the education and only want the children to go at the farm. Because the parents only stay at the farm. Don‘t help the children to study. Only the teacher told them to study. And the pojaj? (Chairman of the village) (disc2, 3) But they listen to the Chairman. If you want to stop to learn… the villagers told he or she continue to learn. Yes, that‘s Ok. (After this a small discussion takes place between I and T to understand the situation. I propose and T confirm). So the chairman want them to study? Ok, the chairman want the villager to study. But the family they are more like we must have help on the farm? Mmm! Yes! So it is something like a conflict between… Yes… it‘s something very confused about their children. So the children sometimes feel bad about they want to help their family but they must do what Chairman say? Mmm! So actually the Chairman is high? High educate? Yes, I mean have authority? Oh, Yeah! (T continue to ask the interviewee. Response is as follow) If the student who have low educate she should talk with the chairman and with the parents to help or to improve. So actually she is an important person in the village? (A silent moment appear on the recording when something happened with the disc and the immediate response falls out. Then follow) (disc2,4): 94

… for example if they have the gun (fund?) she go to visit that village. The Chairman want to use the student, the teacher, to help or if that village have the fund to help… sorry… the teacher help that work too… Oh, so she is not only teacher. She is also administrator? Yes, yes! So how does she feel about that? Ok? Yes… she‘s very glad to that village because… what she say… ah, sorry. Because she want that village to connect to annothey (another?) or to the guys or to the fund who helped that village. (discussion takes place of the meaning and the translation between I and T) Does she mean that she want to improve…? Improve! (express happiness to the appearance of the word) Yes! Want to improve that village. The education standard by having connection with the next village? Mmm! Yes! I see, so then she is very important actually? Yees! Soon we will have a short break, but before that I want to end this living condition part. Her parents… what do they do? (disc2,5) Farmers! Both of them? Yes, make about the field. Does her father do something else? When her father finished about the field, her father is a… (can‘t find the word) a carpenter. He do something else also? Only carpenter and a farmer. And the mother? When she‘s finished at the field she take care of the house and take care of the garden. Make the chili. The other children in her family. What do they do? Students. Five girls. No boy!! She is the first. The second is only in grade five and stopped… because she want to help their parents in the house or in the farm. Does she want to learn? She stopped because she could not pass grad five. After she stopped the teacher of that school come to tell her to go to school but she is shy. Why shy? (disc2,7) Not good to study… for ex grade one 2 year, grade two 2 year. When she has grade five she has older than friends and make her shy. 95

Why did she had to go one grade two times? Many in that family told her to study but… she can‘t. (T: I think is a not good memory to remember about that lesson). And the other. They study? The third one is study about upper secondary school. And then she want to continue also? She want to be a lawyer. (T continue to by herself ask the Interviewee about her sisters) The fourth one is study at grade two, Lower secondary school Grade two. The last one is eleven years old and study at grade five Her father and mother, do they have education like this? (disc2,8) Ok, for father is learn at grade 3. Mother grade 4. And… how old are they? Father is 49. Mother is 45. When they were young… I mean today in Laos you have to study 5 years. That’s the law! Right? But when your mother and father was young, how many years… ? Is very different… not the same from now… and the parent study for ex Grade one they should learn at 2 years, for Grade two is 2 years, Grade three is 2 years. 6 years for three grades, so the people who learned at that time they can speak French…. Continue to explain that Laos was a French colony. So her father speak French? In the past that‘s ok, but now don‘t know! But when he study at school they have to talk French in school? I mean the teacher talk French? The teacher is French. So the education was on French? Mmm! (Yes) Shall we take a break? Five to ten minutes? Mmm! Back from break! Does she (Miss Wan) love that village (Pijeu)? (disc2, 10) Yes, she like to live that village. Is there something she don’t like with that village? She don‘t like about the custom of that village. What custom? For ex is a man or woman… I can‘t explain (T goes on asking the interviewee herself) Ok Akha custom. When the sun is down… the boy and the girl go to sleep… together. 96

Don‘t get married. The custom from Akha… (heavy rain is falling) the girl is only twelve or thirteen years old. Want to stay outside… with the boy. Do also the girls want…? I think is both! Boy or girl, because is the custom. The custom from Akha is the man… sleep with other girl. When the woman or a girl have a pregnant the man want to get married to that girl. So, when they are already pregnant they want to marry her? (disc2,11) Mmmm! Many boy or many men to sleep with her… I think you understand what I mean… when she get married many boy want to get married with her. (our voice rises considerably because the sound from the rain) But usually it’s vice verse… when the girls are pregnant… At least in my culture (I come from Sweden) the boys leave the girl (alone). Not leave… but they don’t want to sleep with her. But in Akha it is the opposite? Mhmm! Yes!! The opposite! Lao too! For ex in Lao… Ok I will start from Lao and Akha. The Akha… if the girl have a pregnant many boys want to marry her, but if Lao people… if a girl get married, many boy, to sleep with her… they don‘t like! … ask about the marriage. Ok, for ex… who have a pregnant the boy who want to get married with her… the boy go to the parents in law… only put about… alcohol, one bottle of alcohol and cigarette or have a chicken one or two that‘s ok! Enough for the parents of the girl. Very easy! And in Lao Lom (culture)? Nooow! Can‘t do that! (laughter of the ridiculous question if you can do this also in the Lao Lom culture) So in Lao Lom. If you get married. How much should a man pay? (disc2,13) … ok, for ex if the family is… it‘s ok for family (?) and things about … what do we call… the boy is rich or poor. If the rich family… they will get more. If the poor they get a little, that‘s ok… (lots of happy laughter from everybody) How much (I insist)? For ex you!! (laughter) Ohh! (ohh from both the Interviewee and T) Ok, I don‘t want to say anything about her. Only about Akha. Aha? Akha get married... the man can get married with two or three women. Suppose the first one don‘t have the baby, you take to another one. If this person get baby to… he… should take this away and only get baby to this wife. Is this custom? Mmm! So maybe if she (the Interviewee) get married in Pijeu she will be first wife, second wife or third wife? Ok she don‘t want to get married with Akha people because for ex if she don‘t have a baby the husband should take another woman. Ok? And she don’t want to get married with a man with two women? Ohhnn! (oh noo!!). Me too! Joke! Ok? 97

Oh yes, shall we turn back to the school? What did she know before about Pijeu? Had she heard the name before? Did she know where it was? (disc2,14) She, she know, the family know about Pijeu because PES send her to the DEB and the DEB send the leader (Chairman?)… sorry… the Chairman to take her to that village. When was the first time she heard the name Pijeu? Yes…is the first time (that is the first time) she know about Pijeu,village because the Pijeu village have many project go to helped them to improved about the education. The first village… And the first time she heard the name Pijeu? Was it from the PES? Yes, from the PES. So many people in Luang Nam Tha and Muang Sing speak about Pijeu? Yes, the people talk about the Pijeu because the Pijeu is the cultural of Akha village. Is the big… And are there still Akha villages in the Mountain? Only a few Akha live at the mountain. Does she know how Pijeu came to be? Ok, the Pijeu from Siang Kaeng. Siang Kaeng is near Pa Ma, near the border from… Myanmar. Does she know about the story of how the village came to be? (disc2,15) First of all when they moved to live at the low land, only 13 or 14 houses to live at that place, but only 1,2 or three months after they cam back to lived to the old place (got back to the mountains). Only four houses lived that lowland (now a sounding rooster makes his entrance on the scene) and so the first family is a Pijeu. So the four family vote Pijeu be a Chairman… and make the village for Pijeu. The name of the Chairman. But now the province want to change about the name of the Pijeu village, to be a cultural village of Akha. But now they don‘t use about this name. Only call Pijeu. So it is already a name? What is the name? Yes the government give. Ban Watanatam, The Cultural Village. So the government or the PA, they plan program in the village for people to come to see the village? Ok, in the past they had fund from GTZ. The GTZ is a helped them to make the road to make the water supply to that village. They will also increase visitors like us? Yes, they visits several time (I doubt T understood ―increase‖) And the villagers like to have visitors? Yes, they liked. For ex for us who want to get the information to improved the education, yes, they like. But support… I give example. For ex the person or the falang go there and take the dugs (drugs) or what do you call… marihuana… they don‘t like. So in this village they don’t take… ? 98

No, in this village they don‘t take drugs. I’ve heard that some villages have Opium. But is this in the mountain? (disc2, 16) 2000 and 2001 Pijeu grow… (Poppy). But in 2002 they stopped to grow it. Doeas falang often come to Pijeu? Several times What do the falang do in the village? Tourists. They want to learn, want to se about the culture of Akha. And then falang have to drink (Lao Lao)? Yes! Just a few more questions now. Coming back to the school. Can she describe a day in the school? From the time she wake up in the morning till she goes to bed? (disc2,17) Several times (?). No I think no run (rules). Have a class for 8 o‘clock will get up at 7 o‘clock or 6 o‘clock. Depend on her. I think is not run. If we work hard we will get up early… and work at the kitchens and after finished at the kitchen go to teach the student at 8 o‘clock. Ok, that village have to… what do we call.… rubt (?) about the illitalets (Illiterate?) of the older… who has 30 years old to 60 years old… I don‘t know to use about rubt (?) it… want the people to have the educate… for ex you don‘t have education you should study at that time. Now she start at 7.30 to 9.30 every day to the villager. So she’s telling the villagers about the meaning of teaching? No? The people who don‘t have educate. For ex… When I was young (I=in general here and does not correspond to a certain person, and a long time back) I don‘t have to study at the school (T is raising her voice intensely to make me understand that this is actually a Night School for those illiterate in the village. Yet I haven‘t got it though), so now I am 30 or 40 years old, but I don‘t have Gor Gaj, Kor Kaj (The initial letters in the Lao Alphabet, to compare with A, B, C as initial letters in the latin Alphabet in this special case). Ok? So the teacher should teach that people in that village, that we call rubt the illiterate (lob laang gan teug nangseu). This old people, even young and old and Granmother? Ok, at that village only 30 years old to ―lattan soot maen‖ (?). Ok 18… Only thought (taught?) them to read about the sign. For ex them go to Muang Sing where the hospital they can find them. Basic education! Yes! Basic education. And after that she have classes with the first and second grade? With three Grade! Three grades to student who old… at night. No Primary school in this talk about old people that study at the village 7.30 to 9.30 (pm). Yes, of course. How many hours? Fourteen hours. When she teach the old people. They understand what she teach? (disc2,20) They understand about the lesson because the lesson is thought the same of grade One. For ex the Lao people… f or ex the letter is A. Ok letter go to apple or dog start with D. 99

They respect her? Are they naughty? About the age is…18 they have boy and girl… (laughter from the interviewee) don‘t want to study. Only talk, talk, talk. What do she do? Use the teaching aids to show them. For ex use about the picture of the people who don‘t have the educate to show and ask the question ―why‖… and the student answer the question to her. Ok then she direct, she focus on those people who are… (I make a little show to illustrate a teacher who concentrate on a certain student) (confirming laughter from both T and the Interviewee) What kind of teaching does she do? I mean is she very often talking herself? Or does she involve the pupils in her teaching to talk? Who is talking most? She often use about the teacher centered. Teacher speaks a lot. And in her education did she learn anything about how to make discussions in the classroom? When she finished at the TTS she had a workshop for two times. Workshop to know about how to use the material at the classroom. Is her lessons based on textbooks? (disc2, 21) Ok, learn to take the text book to teach them and take another book to teach two (?) for relate to the write and the read. Suppose that she made discussion groups in her classes. Can you ask if this is possible? Ok, she make the group, but the small group, for the only three people to discuss together… so if many (people in a group) they go out about the lesson… only talk another way to that… but… she thinks not often to make about discussions, because if she make discussions the class is a… go out to the lesson. Only teacher to speak and explain and control them to say and… ask them one by one. So, suppose that she begin to work in another school with more Lao Lom, Tai Dum like that. Should it be different in this respect? Ok, is very different because Tai Dum and Lao easy to understand. Because Akha have the mother language. But Tai Dum also have their mother language too, but quite similar to Lao. Suppose, an Akha teacher come to the village. Should it be more difficult or less difficult for this teacher to teach them? … Minority people come together only speak their mother language. They don‘t like to speak Lao. She thinks it‘s very difficult to students. So it means if Akha learn how to speak Lao it will be easier to have lessons? She say it‘s easier than her because she knows about the mother language. If the student don‘t understand about the lesson she can explain about the hole. 100