Laos is facing a Severe Teacher Shortage, leading to school closures and mergers. Lawmakers are concerned that this shortage could hinder access to education for future generations. The government has reduced the number of teachers hired each year due to budget limitations, with only 285 new teachers being recruited this year compared to 340 last year. The province of Savannakhet is particularly affected, with only 223 teachers for a population of over 430,000 young people. Many schools are staffed by unpaid volunteers, but they are quitting as they cannot transition into paid roles. The capital, Vientiane, also faces a teacher shortage, with only 900 teachers for a student population of around 3 million.

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