On October 16, 2008 I made a visit to Phonsikhay Elementary School after hanging out with the students at Houaylao Elementary School. I got there just in time for their acvitity period before the students go home for lunch.
Phonsikhay Elementary School
The superintendent told me the book box library we donated is being put to good use. The students are able to borrow the books and take home for three days.
Unlike Houaylao Elementary School, the villagers are not allowed to borrow the books and they are reserved only for the students attending Phonsikhay Elementary School.
Darly,
Are there more female than male in Laos? I just want to know what your observation of the people as you travel around.
I notice many pictures from Laos are mostly of females.
Hi Dallas,
I noticed that too when I visiting schools that there are mostly girls than boys.
Here is the data from FAO:
Demographics of Laos
Population: 6,068,117 (June 2004 est.) – 6,521,998 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 41% (male 1,374,966/female 1,362,945)
15-64 years: 55.9% (male 1,846,375/female 1,885,029)
65 years and over: 3.1% (male 91,028/female 117,191) (2008 est.)
usually more male than female babies are born – seems to be nature’s way of balancing out the fact that males have a higher death rate (e.g. due to X-chromosome-linked genetic disorders) (& consequently females have a relatively longer life expectancy). hence males outnumber females at younger age groups, while the opposite is true for older age groups.
for rural schools, could another possibility be that boys are more likely to be working on the farm? a guy friend was under greater pressure than his sisters to quit primary school & spend all his time in the fields – being a boy he was much stronger & ‘more useful’ for manual work & hunting. or…boys are more likely to play truant & skip school
unrelated point…somehow i’ve never seen any girls being made to take care of buffalos…always a job for the boys?
I see the statistic Darly provided for us. The number appear normal like it should be. But just about every pictures of Laos I’ve seen from anywhere and from anyone I know, it is mostly of female. Just my strange observation of things that are not important but only in my world. I am weird like that.
Hi Dallas, good observation. I see the same thing. I think it’s always been about women and children then boys or men. The Laotian males are the back bone of the country. They work the field, farm the land, stationed off somewhere on the military outposts. Some percentage are confined under yellow robes. Laotian women are more proactive then men. Look at what DJ’s doing. DJ and many like her.
My voice.
lm wrote, “unrelated point…somehow i’ve never seen any girls being made to take care of buffalos…always a job for the boys?”
My mom grew up in a farming family in Laos. Her family had mostly girls and they alot of the farm chores. Taking care of the water buffaloes was one of her favorite chores. And she loved her water buffaloes, just like how people here love their pets. Probably as much as Ginger of Nyenoona 🙂
“But just about every pictures of Laos I’ve seen from anywhere and from anyone I know, it is mostly of female”
Perhaps female Laotians are simply much more photogenic & attract more attention from photographers?
Salat, if only your mum had a photo of herself as a girl taking care of her buffalos… 🙂
I think we take pictures of female because of instinct.
Judge by pictures of the school girls and boys. It seems time sits still. I looked and dressed like school boys and girls seen in DJ pictures 30 years ago. I am sure school in the metro Vientiane is more modernized.