Mir Afroz Zaman 

The World Bank Group’s Board of Executive Directors approved $300 million in financing during a board meeting on November 6 to improve foundational learning outcomes for 26 million pre-primary and primary students across Bangladesh.

The newly approved initiative, titled the Learning Enhancement and Acceleration in Primary Education Program, aims to strengthen the national primary education system by helping students from pre-primary through Grade 5 acquire grade-appropriate proficiency in reading, writing, and mathematics. The program will directly support the implementation of the Government of Bangladesh’s Fifth Primary Education Development Program (PEDP5).

While Bangladesh has achieved near-universal access to primary schooling, learning quality remains a key challenge. According to World Bank assessments, approximately 50 percent of 10-year-old children in Bangladesh are unable to read and comprehend a simple, age-appropriate text—a figure that compares unfavorably to upper-middle-income nations such as Malaysia at 42 percent and Brazil at 47 percent.

Commenting on the funding, World Bank Division Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan Jean Pesme stated that quality primary education is fundamental to building a globally competitive workforce. He noted that after two decades of partnering with Bangladesh to achieve high enrollment rates, the new financing will focus on improving learning quality and student retention to lay the groundwork for better career opportunities.

Bangladesh operates one of the world's largest primary education sectors, serving over 20 million children across government schools, NGO facilities, kindergartens, and madrasas. Under the new program, a comprehensive foundational literacy and numeracy package—including updated teaching materials, structured lesson plans, and dedicated teacher training—will be rolled out across the country. Additionally, leadership training will be extended to headteachers in 90 percent of government primary schools alongside efforts to modernize management systems.

World Bank Senior Education Specialist and Task Team Leader Tashmina Rahman highlighted that the project will incorporate targeted remedial learning programs for lagging students, prioritizing underdeveloped districts to ensure no child falls behind. She added that the framework focuses on improving teaching quality, school leadership, budget accountability, and data-driven decision-making.

The project is expected to enhance pre-primary learning readiness in government primary schools and contribute to the generation of 843,000 higher-paying teaching positions within the public primary education system.

The financing is provided through the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank’s concessional lending arm for lower-income countries. The loan carries a 25-year maturity period, including a five-year grace period.