Also available in Bangla
The Deprived Segment and Government’s Initiative
Bangladesh has taken great strides in primary enrolment and literacy levels. However, there are still many primary age children out of school. In support of the government’s "Education for All" initiative, the World Bank and the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC), through the Reaching Out of School Children Project (ROSC), are aiming to reduce the number of out-of-school children through improved access, quality, and efficiency in primary education.
Reaching Out Through Learning Centers
The Reaching Out of School Children Project which commenced in mid-2004 with grant financing of US$51 million, aims to enroll half a million out-of-school children in Learning Centers to be managed by communities with support from nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). The Learning Centers will cater to children from the poorest segments of society who do not have access to primary education.
Results So Far
Some of the key activities completed so far are:
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About 8,000 learning centers have been established and enrolled over 2,46,000 children;
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44 Shishu Kallyan Trust Schools that cater to working children have been established;
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A comprehensive Management Information System has been set up to improve existing monitoring mechanisms; and
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A first set of 11 Education Resource Providers, who supply training to the teachers of Leaning Centers, has been enlisted and trained.
The Way Forward
A recently concluded joint supervision mission by the World Bank and the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation expressed satisfaction about the overall progress of the project. The mission recommended that, given the rapid expansion of Learning Centers (from 727 in 2005 to about 8,000 in 2006), improvements in overall management and operation of the Centers be made. The existing monitoring mechanisms also need to be improved and complemented by external evaluations built in the project.
August 2006
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Contacts:
Rehnuma Amin (8802) 815-9015, Ext 4136,
E-mail: ramin1@worldbank.org
For more information on the World Bank in Bangladesh, please visit:
www.worldbank.org.bd and www.worldbank.org
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