Boarding Schools for Ethnic Minorities in Laos

Boarding education is set up as an educational institution where all students not only study at the school but also live there. In many Western countries, boarding schools for indigenous ethnic groups were viewed as a place where students (e.g., Native Americans in what is now the United States and the Aborigines in Australia) would be institutionalized and ultimately lose their ethnic identity and heritage. This entry explores the concept, development, and implementations of boarding education for ethnic minorities (rather than indigenous groups) in Laos. The focus is on national integration, ethnic identity, social mobility, and implications for other nations.