The World Bank has approved $300 million in financing to improve learning outcomes for 26 million children from pre-primary to Grade 5 in Bangladesh.
The World Bank Group’s Board of Executive Directors approved the financing on Friday under the Learning Enhancement and Acceleration in Primary Education Program, said a press release.
The programme will help Bangladesh improve the quality of its pre-primary and primary education system, enabling children to develop essential reading, writing and mathematics skills appropriate to their grade levels.
It will also support the implementation of the government’s Fifth Primary Education Development Programme.
Although Bangladesh has achieved near-universal access to primary education, the quality of learning remains a major challenge.
About 50 percent of 10-year-olds in Bangladesh cannot read and understand a simple, age-appropriate text, compared with 42 percent in Malaysia and 47 percent in Brazil.
“Quality primary education is one of the building blocks for a globally competitive workforce,” said Jean Pesme, World Bank Division Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan.
For the last two decades, the World Bank Group has helped Bangladesh bring nearly all children to school, he said, adding that the new financing would help children learn better and remain in school, laying the foundation for better employment opportunities in the future.
Bangladesh has one of the world's largest primary education systems, with more than 20 million children enrolled in government schools, NGO-run schools, kindergartens and madrasas.
The programme will introduce a foundational literacy and numeracy package, including teaching materials, structured lesson plans and teacher training.
It will also support leadership training for headteachers in 90 percent of government primary schools and strengthen school management systems.
“Strong foundational learning is a critical step towards the accumulation of skills for better jobs,” said Tashmina Rahman, World Bank Senior Education Specialist and Team Leader for the programme.
To ensure that no children are left behind, the programme will support remedial learning for those falling behind, with a focus on districts facing the greatest challenges, she said.
It will also support improved teacher and school leadership, more accountable budget utilisation and greater use of data to guide decisions.
The programme will provide training and support to primary school teachers to improve the delivery of foundational literacy and numeracy lessons in government schools.
It is also expected to improve the quality of pre-primary education in government primary schools, helping children develop stronger learning foundations and become better prepared for school.
The programme is envisaged to generate 843,000 more and better-paid jobs in government primary schools.
The financing comes from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank Group's arm that supports lower-income countries.
The IDA financing has a 25-year maturity period, including a five-year grace period.