Mahdi Amin, WB officials discuss plans for education sector

The World Bank and Mahdi Amin, the prime minister’s adviser on education, held a meeting on education sector policies, planning and mutual cooperation at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tejgaon on Tuesday afternoon.

Discussions focused on the government’s priorities at different levels of the country’s education system, modernization of education, skills development, and strengthening the link between education and employment. They also discussed various stages of formulating and implementing priority-based education plans in line with the current government’s election manifesto.

The World Bank delegation included Jean Pesme, Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan; Sherezad Monami Latif, Practice Manager for Education and Skills Global Practice in the South Asia region; Dr Gail H Martin, Operations Manager for Bangladesh and Bhutan; Senior Education Specialist Abdul Hai Sofizada; Senior Economist Syed Rashed Al Zayed; and Senior Education Specialist Tasneena Rahman.

The meeting discussed the introduction of midday meals at the primary education level, distribution of free school uniforms and school bags, adding two new books to the Grade 4 curriculum, and introducing the “Learning with Happiness” curriculum from Grade 6.

Discussions also covered plans for the secondary and higher secondary levels: making third-language education compulsory, expanding access to technical education, making education free up to the secondary or equivalent level for male students, establishing modern laboratories and multimedia classrooms, and ensuring free Wi-Fi facilities.

For higher education, the government plans to ensure free education up to the postgraduate level for female students, expand innovation and startup activities at universities, establish job ecosystems and career counseling offices, and introduce student loan programs for higher education abroad.

The meeting also emphasized establishing technical education institutions at the upazila level and introducing mandatory technical laboratories.

The meeting further held productive discussions on elements from the government’s election manifesto: launching an employment exchange, strengthening the capacity of the National Skills Development Authority, and implementing the Bangladesh National Qualifications Framework (BNQF).