DHAKA: Bangladesh Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved five projects involving Tk 18,404 crore at a meeting here the other day.
Of these, four projects are new and one is a revised project.
One of these projects aims to ensure a standard quality for primary education through modern equipment.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presided over the meeting at the NEC conference room at Sher-e-Banglanagar in the city. Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustfa Kamal said the government will provide Tk 14,212 crore and the rest will come from project assistance.
The meeting approved the “Third primary education development project (First revised)” at a cost of Tk 18,154 crore. Earlier, the project cost was estimated at Tk 22,196 crore, which had been approved at an ECNEC meeting in 2011.
Considerable progress has been made in improving access to free and compulsory primary education. The government has decided to continue the project. Gross enrolment rates in primary education have improved considerably since 2005. Even net enrolment rates have improved from 87.2 per cent in 2005 to 93.9 per cent in 2009.
Despite significant progress in access to education, high inefficiencies persist, as reflected by high student dropout and repetition rates, and high student and teacher absenteeism. Two rounds of national student assessment indicate low student achievements in grades III and V, but the results are improving over time.
The planning minister said the project cost has been reduced because two separate projects for stipend and education for food have been undertaken at a cost of Tk 3,351 crore. He also said that the project duration has been extended to 2017 from the previously declared 2016. He further said under the slightly revised project, the government has introduced pre-primary education and appointed one additional teacher to impart such education in 26,193 nationalised primary schools.
Besides, laptops, sound systems, and multimedia projectors will be provided to these schools under the project to ensure quality education by improving the learning and teaching system.
The planning minister said the Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank (WB), AUS Aid, Canadian CIDA, DFID, European Union, JICA, Swedish SIDA, GPE, and UNICEF will provide financial support to implement the project.
He also said 81,532 people will be appointed under the revised project. Of them, 80,448 are teachers who will be brought under revenue budget automatically after the project’s completion.
The ECNEC also approved three education-related projects: “Special development project for Begum Rokeya University’ involving Tk 74 crore; “Establishment of sports schools in Chittagong and Rajshahi under Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Pratistan (BKSP)” involving Tk 78.96 crore; and “Establishment of Bhola Textiles institute” involving Tk 64.99 crore. Besides, the ECNEC approved a project to set up a BSIC industrial zone in Chuadanga at a cost of Tk 32.48 crore.
