World Bank provides funding to improve primary education in Bangladesh

The World Bank approved US$300 million in financing to upgrade the pre-primary and primary education systems in Bangladesh.

The Learning Enhancement and Acceleration in Primary Education Programme will serve more than 20 million children. The project provides a foundational literacy and numeracy package that includes teacher training, structured lesson plans, and new teaching materials.

Jean Pesme, the World Bank’s division director for Bangladesh and Bhutan, stated that this funding aims to help children in government schools receive better education to improve their future employment prospects. The World Bank noted that while Bangladesh has achieved nearly universal access to primary schooling, many children still struggle with basic literacy. The organization reported that 50% of 10-year-olds in Bangladesh cannot read or understand a simple, age-appropriate text.

This figure is higher than the rates found in upper-middle-income countries like Malaysia, where the rate is 42%, and Brazil, where it is 47%.