WB approves $130.7m IDA credit to improve quality of edn at school level
FE Report | Saturday, 2 August 2008
World Bank (WB) has approved a US$ 130.7 million International Development Association (IDA) credit to Bangladesh with a view to improving the quality of secondary education and ensuring greater accountability at school level.
"The credit will help improve the quality of secondary education, systematically monitoring learning outcomes, to increase access and equity, and ensure greater accountability at school level", said a WB press release Friday.
The credit from the IDA, the WB's concessionary wing, has 40 years to maturity with a 10-year grace period, and it carries a service charge of 0.75 per cent, said the WB release.
Bangladesh has recorded impressive achievements in the education sector. Since 1980, enrollments in secondary schools have increased three-fold and female enrolments have risen seven-fold, the development partner said adding that this has been achieved partly because of a unique system of public-private partnership at the secondary level, where more than 98 per cent of secondary schools are managed and operated by the private sector with financial support from the government.
Female enrollment in the secondary schools increased from 1.1 million in 1991 to 4.4 million in 2006 after an innovative WB financed initiative 'Female Secondary School Assistance Project' was launched in 1993.
Schools and families received cash incentives under this project to keep girls in secondary school through completion. This helped Bangladesh to achieve the millennium development goal (MDG) of gender parity in education ahead of time.
Despite the achievements, significant challenges remain. Completion rate at the secondary level is as low as 20 per cent and many poor children, especially boys, are still left out of the secondary school system. Overall improvement in gross enrolments also masks large disparities by poverty status.
For instance, in 2005, the secondary school Gross Enrolment Rate among the richest fifty per cent of the population was 75 per cent, comparing 38 per cent for the poorest 50 per cent.
The Secondary Education Quality and Access Enhancement Project will finance activities in 121 upazilas aimed at improving education quality, and poverty-targeted stipends and tuition to girls and boys to increase access and retention.
"Achievement of high quality secondary education is a critical foundation for higher levels of education and skills which are likely to have a significant impact on economic development", said WB Country Director Xian Zhu.
"This project will ensure that poor children are not left out of the secondary school system. Importantly, it will also enhance secondary teacher and student performance, as well as in making schools more accountable to the community", Zhu added.
The project will also strengthen the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Education both at central and local levels, and establish an effective monitoring and evaluation system. It will measure learning levels by administering internationally comparable and national curriculum-based numeracy and literacy testing.
"Establishing a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation system is critical to improve the education system", said co-task team leaders Nazmul Chaudhury and Irajen Appasamy.
"The results of learning assessments will be fed back to policy-makers and stakeholders to raise their awareness about the quality of education, which will enable them to adjust quality-related policies and interventions", Nazmul Chaudhury and Irajen Appasamy added.
"The credit will help improve the quality of secondary education, systematically monitoring learning outcomes, to increase access and equity, and ensure greater accountability at school level", said a WB press release Friday.
The credit from the IDA, the WB's concessionary wing, has 40 years to maturity with a 10-year grace period, and it carries a service charge of 0.75 per cent, said the WB release.
Bangladesh has recorded impressive achievements in the education sector. Since 1980, enrollments in secondary schools have increased three-fold and female enrolments have risen seven-fold, the development partner said adding that this has been achieved partly because of a unique system of public-private partnership at the secondary level, where more than 98 per cent of secondary schools are managed and operated by the private sector with financial support from the government.
Female enrollment in the secondary schools increased from 1.1 million in 1991 to 4.4 million in 2006 after an innovative WB financed initiative 'Female Secondary School Assistance Project' was launched in 1993.
Schools and families received cash incentives under this project to keep girls in secondary school through completion. This helped Bangladesh to achieve the millennium development goal (MDG) of gender parity in education ahead of time.
Despite the achievements, significant challenges remain. Completion rate at the secondary level is as low as 20 per cent and many poor children, especially boys, are still left out of the secondary school system. Overall improvement in gross enrolments also masks large disparities by poverty status.
For instance, in 2005, the secondary school Gross Enrolment Rate among the richest fifty per cent of the population was 75 per cent, comparing 38 per cent for the poorest 50 per cent.
The Secondary Education Quality and Access Enhancement Project will finance activities in 121 upazilas aimed at improving education quality, and poverty-targeted stipends and tuition to girls and boys to increase access and retention.
"Achievement of high quality secondary education is a critical foundation for higher levels of education and skills which are likely to have a significant impact on economic development", said WB Country Director Xian Zhu.
"This project will ensure that poor children are not left out of the secondary school system. Importantly, it will also enhance secondary teacher and student performance, as well as in making schools more accountable to the community", Zhu added.
The project will also strengthen the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Education both at central and local levels, and establish an effective monitoring and evaluation system. It will measure learning levels by administering internationally comparable and national curriculum-based numeracy and literacy testing.
"Establishing a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation system is critical to improve the education system", said co-task team leaders Nazmul Chaudhury and Irajen Appasamy.
"The results of learning assessments will be fed back to policy-makers and stakeholders to raise their awareness about the quality of education, which will enable them to adjust quality-related policies and interventions", Nazmul Chaudhury and Irajen Appasamy added.