World Bank Approves $300 Million to Improve Education for 26 Million Children in Bangladesh

The World Bank has approved $300 million in financing to improve the quality of education for 26 million children at the pre-primary and primary levels in Bangladesh.

The funding will support efforts to strengthen foundational learning skills among primary school students and improve school management across the country.

In a statement issued on Friday, the World Bank said its Board of Executive Directors had approved the financing under the Learning Enhancement and Acceleration in Primary Education (LEAP) programme.

The programme aims to ensure that children acquire grade-appropriate skills in reading, writing and mathematics. It will also support the government's Fifth Primary Education Development Programme.

According to the World Bank, although Bangladesh has achieved near-universal access to primary education, significant gaps remain in learning outcomes. Nearly half of all 10-year-old children in the country cannot read and understand a simple text appropriate for their age. The corresponding figures are 42 per cent in Malaysia and 47 per cent in Brazil.

Jean Pesme, World Bank Division Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan, said quality primary education provides the foundation for developing a workforce capable of competing in the global economy.

He noted that the World Bank Group had helped Bangladesh bring nearly all children into the education system over the past two decades.

The new financing, he said, would help improve learning outcomes and school retention, creating better opportunities for future employment.

The World Bank said Bangladesh has one of the largest primary education systems in the world, with more than 20 million children enrolled in government and NGO-run schools, kindergartens and madrasas.

Under the new programme, an integrated package of learning materials, structured lesson plans and teacher training will be introduced to strengthen children's foundational literacy and numeracy skills.

The initiative will also provide leadership training to headteachers at 90 per cent of government primary schools and strengthen school governance and management systems.

Tashmina Rahman, Senior Education Specialist at the World Bank and Team Leader of the programme, said strong foundational learning was essential for children to develop the skills needed to secure better employment opportunities in the future.

She said the programme would introduce targeted remedial learning support for students who are falling behind, with particular priority given to disadvantaged districts.

The initiative will also support improvements in teacher capacity, school-level leadership, accountability in budget utilisation and the use of data to inform decision-making.

Government primary school teachers will receive training and other necessary support to improve classroom instruction in reading, writing and mathematics.

The programme also aims to improve the quality of pre-primary education in government schools, helping children become better prepared for formal schooling.

The World Bank estimates that the programme could create 843,000 new employment opportunities linked to government primary schools, with the potential for comparatively better wages.

The financing will come from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank Group's concessional financing arm.

The 25-year financing arrangement includes a five-year grace period during which repayment will not be required.