Govt seeks stronger World Bank partnership to advance education reforms

Education and Primary and Mass Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon has emphasised the need for stronger collaboration with the World Bank to accelerate reforms and improve the overall quality of Bangladesh’s education system.

The minister made the remarks during a courtesy meeting with World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan Jean Pesme at the Secretariat in Dhaka on Tuesday, according to a press release.

During the meeting, both sides discussed ways to expand cooperation in strengthening the country’s education sector from primary to higher education.

Milon reaffirmed the government’s commitment to modernising the education system and ensuring quality learning opportunities for students.

He said improving education standards and speeding up the implementation of ongoing development projects remain among the government’s top priorities.

The minister also stressed the importance of evaluating the effectiveness of current projects to identify existing gaps and challenges, which could help design more effective initiatives in the future.

Although Bangladesh has made remarkable progress in expanding student enrolment, challenges still remain in improving literacy rates, strengthening teacher training and developing students’ practical skills and talents, the meeting observed.

To address these issues, both sides highlighted the importance of skill-based and employment-oriented education, as well as the integration of digital learning systems in classrooms.

They also reviewed the progress of several World Bank-supported education programmes and discussed potential areas of future cooperation, including the establishment of multimedia and smart classrooms and enhanced support for advanced research at universities.

The minister thanked the World Bank for its continued support in strengthening and modernising Bangladesh’s education sector.

Senior officials from the Education Ministry and members of the World Bank delegation were also present at the meeting.