News Feb 2007

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Lao Educational Opportunities Trust

Registered Charity Number: 1115944

LEOT - Latest news, January - February 2007

Lao Educational Opportunities Trust visiting Laos

We are delighted to be able to report on excellent progress being made by our first 2 students. They will both be sitting their end of semester examinations in Mid January, but already have the results of their mid-semester tests.

In Luang Prabang, Touy achieved an astonishing 90%. He is in his second year and at this point last year scored an adequate but unremarkable 60%, so it is very pleasing to see his progress since we have been helping him.

In Vientiane, Monk Thong's progress has also been excellent and he achieved no less than 85% in his tests. While compared to Uk marking systems these marks are probably significantly inflated, they do put the students towards the top of their classes; indeed in Thong's cohort some students were scoring 20% and 30% so we can have some confidence that they are "real" marks.

It is still very early, but it is very encouraging that our students seem to have responded so positively to the support that they have received. Discussions have recently begun with a view to the possible funding a female student from Hathhieng Village in northern Laos from September 2007. If this proceeds satisfactorily, then, of course, details will be posted here.

One further potential development arises from that while Alan was in Luang Prabang in the New Year he made a recording of Monk Thong leading the monks and novices of Wat Si Boung Heaung in their evening prayers and chants.

A volunteer is kindly working on producing a CD from this recording and if the result is satisfactory then copies will be on sale inline. There is still more work to be done but one early report of the recording described it as"awesome". If any supporters have experience of marketing records or CDs, please don't hesitate to get in touch!