Staff Reporter:
Bangladesh has secured US$98.85 million in grants from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) to support wide-ranging reforms in the country’s education sector, with a focus on teacher development, digital transformation and institutional capacity.
The financing package includes a $48.85 million System Transformation Grant (STG) and a $50 million Multiplier Grant (MG).
The grants were announced at a programme in the capital on Thursday, where Education and Primary and Mass Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon attended as the chief guest.
Speaking at the event, the minister said the grants would help improve the quality of education and stressed the need to ensure their proper utilisation.
“We must ensure the proper use of these funds so that they deliver the intended benefits,” he said.
He said the government is making significant investments in teacher training and professional development, urging teachers to work with sincerity and dedication to help build a better Bangladesh.
Prime Minister’s Education Adviser Dr Mahdi Amin said the government aims to build a modern, time-responsive education system through reforms that will produce patriotic, responsible and skilled citizens.
State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj also stressed the importance of ensuring the effective use of the grants.
The programme will strengthen teacher support and accountability by upgrading 84 teacher training institutions, including 67 Primary Teachers’ Training Institutes (PTIs), 14 Teachers’ Training Colleges (TTCs), the Language Training Centre (LTC), the National Academy for Primary Education (NAPE) and the National Academy for Educational Management (NAEM).
It will also introduce school-based academic supervision, mentoring and teacher wellbeing support, while preparing a roadmap for sustainable financing of teacher professional development.
The initiative is expected to provide training for 676,913 primary and secondary school teachers, along with about 2,500 teacher educators and education officials.
The government has appointed UNICEF and UNESCO as co-grant agents for the STG, while the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will serve as the grant agent for the Multiplier Grant following consultations with the Education Local Consultative Group.
