WB approves $300m to improve pre-primary, primary education in Bangladesh

The World Bank Group's Board of Executive Directors has approved $300 million in financing to improve learning outcomes for 26 million children studying from pre-primary through Grade 5.

The Learning Enhancement and Acceleration in Primary Education Program will help Bangladesh improve its pre-primary and primary education system.

It will help children acquire essential skills in reading, writing, and mathematics as per their grade level. The program will support implementation of the government's Fifth Primary Education Development Program.

While Bangladesh achieved near-universal access to primary schooling, quality of education remains a significant challenge. About 50 percent of 10-year-olds are unable to read and understand a simple, age-appropriate text, compared with the rates in upper-middle-income countries, such as Malaysia at 42 percent and Brazil at 47 percent, said 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.

"For the last two decades, the World Bank Group helped Bangladesh bring nearly all children to school. This financing will help children to learn better and stay in school, creating the foundation for getting better jobs later in their lives," he added.

The primary education system in Bangladesh is one of the largest in the world with more than 20 million children in government schools, NGO schools, kindergartens and madrasas.

The program will roll out a foundational literacy and numeracy package, with teaching materials, structured lesson plans and teacher training. The program will also support leadership training for headteachers in 90% 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 program 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 program.

"It will also support better teacher and school leadership, more accountable use of budgets and stronger use of data to guide decisions," added Rahman.

The program will provide training and support to primary school teachers to deliver better foundational literacy and numeracy lessons in the classrooms of government schools.

It is expected to improve the quality of pre-primary education in government primary schools to ensure children have a strong start in learning and improved school readiness. It is envisaged that this program will generate 843,000 more and better-paid jobs in government primary schools.

The program received financing from the International Development Association (IDA), part of the World Bank Group that helps lower-income countries and has a 25-year term, including a five-year grace period.