ADB pledges continued support for primary education reforms

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has assured Bangladesh of continuing its support for improving its primary education and ongoing reform initiatives and expanding cooperation in non-formal education and skills development sectors.

Qingfeng Zhang, ADB Country Director for Bangladesh, came up with the assurance when he paid a courtesy call on State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj at the Secretariat on Thursday.

During the meeting, detailed discussions were held regarding the enhancement of primary education quality, the effectiveness of classroom-based learning, the Fifth Primary Education Development Program (PEDP-5), and various aspects of future development cooperation.

Bobby Hajjaj said long-term investments have been made in primary education, covering areas such as infrastructure development, teacher training, formulation of curricula and teacher guides, educational materials, and school development grants.

However, he said, to ensure the actual benefits of these initiatives, it is crucial to directly monitor the effectiveness of classroom instruction and verify whether students are acquiring the expected competencies.

Consequently, the government is now placing special focus on the classroom realities, teaching methods and the learning progress of students, he said.

Regarding the PEDP-5, the state minister explained that a decision has been made to restructure the programme into several distinct projects, aiming to make its activities and financing more focused, actionable, and results-oriented.

He said the plan involves implementing different initiatives, including infrastructure development and teacher training, through six separate projects.

Bobby Hajjaj said this approach will allow for more precise identification of funding from development partners, specific project activities, and expected outcomes.

He further assured that all ongoing activities and commitments under existing development cooperation frameworks will continue.

Calling for greater involvement from development partners in non-formal education and skills development sectors alongside primary education, the state minister said long-term investment from these partners is essential to complement government initiatives aimed at bringing a large segment of the population under the umbrella of skills development and lifelong learning.

He said there is significant scope for undertaking large-scale projects in these areas with the participation of international development partners, including ADB.

ADB Country Director Zhang commended the ongoing reform initiatives in the primary education sector led by State Minister Bobby Hajjaj.

He remarked that the state minister's proactive approach to ensuring effective classroom instruction and student learning outcomes aligns well with the ADB's own vision.

He further reaffirmed the ADB's commitment to continuing its support for primary education, while also expressing interest in expanding cooperation into the fields of non-formal education and skills development.

Primary and Mass Education Secretary Md Daud Miah and members of an ADB delegation were present.