ECNEC approves BDT 38,397 crore to strengthen primary education

The government is putting emphasis on primary education as around 97 percent of eligible children are now going to primary schools

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved the fourth Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP-4) involving an estimated cost of BDT 38,397.16 crore to strengthen the base of primary education.

Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said that the Directorate of Primary Education under the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, PEDP-4 will be implemented by June 2023.

According to the Ministry, the overall outlay of BDT 38,397.16 crore will be invested in the project, the Government will provide BDT 25,591.57 crore while the rest BDT 12,805.59 crore will come as project assistance from the World Bank, ADB, Jica, EU, DIFD, Australia aid, Canadian CIDA, Swedish CIDA, UNICEF and USH loan.

The Planning Minister said that the government is putting emphasis on primary education as around 97 percent of eligible children are now going to primary schools. There is need to further strengthen the base of primary education to keep up the pace of human resource development as their sector needs continued and further investments.

The main project operation will include providing teaching-learning education equipment and providing textbooks in due time, appointment of some 1,65,174 teachers and their postings, imparting Dip in Ad training to approx 1,39,174 teachers, induction/institutional/foundation training to some 55,000 teachers, construction of around 39,000 male and 39,000 female wash blocks, providing out of school training to some 10,00,000 children.