World Bank approves $300m to improve primary education in Bangladesh

The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors has approved $300 million in financing to improve learning outcomes for 26 million children from pre-primary to Grade 5 in Bangladesh, with a focus on strengthening basic reading, writing and mathematics skills.

The funding will support the Learning Enhancement and Acceleration in Primary Education Programme, which aims to improve the quality of pre-primary and primary education and help implement 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. Around 50 per cent of 10-year-olds in the country cannot read and understand a simple, age-appropriate text. The corresponding figures are 42 per cent in Malaysia and 47 per cent in Brazil, according to a World Bank press release.

"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.

He said the World Bank Group had helped Bangladesh bring nearly all children into schools over the past two decades, and the new financing would help them learn better and stay in education, laying the foundation for better employment opportunities later in life.

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.

Under the programme, a foundational literacy and numeracy package will be introduced, including teaching materials, structured lesson plans and teacher training. It will also provide leadership training for headteachers in 90 per cent of government primary schools and strengthen school management systems.

"Strong foundational learning is a critical step towards the accumulation of skills for better jobs. To ensure that no children is left behind, the programme will support remedial learning for children who are falling behind, with a focus on districts that lag the furthest," said Tashmina Rahman, World Bank Senior Education Specialist and team leader for the programme.

She added that the initiative would also improve teacher and school leadership, ensure greater accountability in budget use and strengthen the use of data to guide decisions.

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The programme will provide training and support to government primary school teachers to help them deliver more effective lessons in foundational literacy and numeracy.

It is also expected to improve pre-primary education in government primary schools, giving children a stronger start and better preparing them for formal schooling. The initiative is projected to generate 843,000 additional and better-paid jobs in government primary schools.

The financing comes from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank Group's arm for supporting lower-income countries. The funding has a 25-year repayment term, including a five-year grace period.