Launching of Bangladesh Secondary School Quality and Access Enhancement Project

Speech by Vinaya Swaroop, Acting Country Director, World Bank Bangladesh

 

 

Honourable Chief Guest Dr. Hussain Zillur Rahman, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

We gather here today on this auspicious occasion to launch a very important project of the Government of Bangladesh.  The predecessor of this project   --the female stipends program-- is universally acknowledged as a world pioneer in improving access for girls in secondary education.   The project helped to achieve gender parity in secondary education enrollment.   It also inspired similar projects in several countries such as Pakistan and Cambodia, making this one of the most recognized and respected GoB-led intervention in the education sector.   With these achievements in the backdrop, the present program moves one step forward, indeed a very significant step.   The new project now focuses on two very important areas, namely increasing access to both poor girls and boys, and improving secondary school educational performance, with emphasis on English Language and Mathematics.   We congratulate the Government on taking this highly prudent decision.   Now that gender parity in secondary education has been achieved, it is important that specific measures are taken to get both girls and boys to schools, particularly the poor girls and boys.   Also, the Government has learned from its experience with the results of the terminal examinations that children of the rural areas need more help with English language and Mathematics.

 

This program would contribute substantially to the country’s long-term PRSP objective of human capital development for sustaining economic growth and poverty reduction, while making better use of scarce resources.  The World Bank is honored to be a partner of the Government in this important endeavor.

 

I would like to take this opportunity to mention that the successful implementation of this program depends very much on several ongoing GoB reform program in the areas of school management and accountability, teacher quality and certification, assessments and examinations.  This new project is consistent with the broader reform agenda and supports the implementation of these reform initiatives.  

 

In conclusion, on behalf of the World Bank, I would like to congratulate the officials of the Government of Bangladesh for undertaking this important second generation initiative, which will pave way for ensuring quality secondary education nation-wide, with greater access for the poor

 

Thank you.