ADB to continue support for improving primary education quality
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has said it will continue supporting improvements in the quality of primary education in Bangladesh and its ongoing reform activities. The bank also expressed interest in expanding cooperation to non-formal education and skills development.
ADB Country Director for Bangladesh Zhang Qingfeng conveyed the interest during a courtesy call on State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Thursday.
The meeting discussed in detail improving primary education quality, increasing the effectiveness of classroom-based learning, the Fifth Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP-5), and various aspects of future development cooperation.
The state minister said investment has long been made in areas such as infrastructure construction, teacher training, curriculum and teacher guide preparation, supply of learning materials, and school development grants.
He said that to ensure the real benefit of these initiatives, it is essential to directly observe how effective classroom teaching is and whether students are achieving the expected skills. For this reason, the government is now giving special importance to the real classroom picture, teachers' teaching methods, and students' learning progress.
On PEDP-5, the state minister said a policy decision has been taken to divide the programme into several separate projects to make its activities and financing more specific, implementable and results-based. Initially, there is a plan to implement infrastructure development, teacher training and other activities through six separate projects.
He also said activities undertaken and support pledged under existing development cooperation will continue through this process.
The state minister called on development partners to become more involved in non-formal education and skills development alongside primary education. He said long-term investment by development partners alongside government initiatives is needed to bring a large population under skills development and lifelong learning.
ADB Country Director Zhang Qingfeng praised the ongoing reform initiatives in primary education under State Minister Bobby Hajjaj, his field-level school visits, and direct exchanges with teachers.
Zhang Qingfeng said the state minister's direct initiative to ensure classroom teaching and student learning outcomes is consistent with ADB's outlook. He expressed interest in continuing cooperation in primary education and expanding it to non-formal education and skills development.
Secretary of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education Md. Daud Mia was present at the meeting. ADB Director for Human and Social Development Gi Soon Song, Project Officer Faiza Ahmed, Programme Officer Farin Islam and other members of the delegation were also present.
