World Bank approves $6.5m for education of poor Bangladeshi children

The World Bank on Saturday approved $6.5 million to help poor children living in urban slums complete primary education as well as provide pre-vocational training to poor school-dropout youths in Cox's Bazar.

This additional financing to the Second Reaching Out of School Children (ROSC II) Project will enable about 39,000 slum children, aged between eight to fourteen years, in eight city corporations to complete primary education.

Further, the project, along with the additional financing, will enable about 8,500 out-of-school youths and adolescents of host communities in Cox's Bazar, where influx by the Rohingya population created enormous pressure on the local people, to complete pre-vocational and enterprise development training.

The three-month courses are aimed at creating skills for trades that match market demands.

"The Covid-19 pandemic has negatively impacted many low-income families and children from poor households in slum areas are more likely to drop out of school. Similarly, the youth may also face more difficulty in finding jobs as the crisis prolongs," said Mercy Tembon, World Bank country director for Bangladesh and Bhutan.

"The additional financing to this project will help pupils complete primary education as well as enable youths to learn skills to create livelihood opportunities."

Since 2019, the ROSC II project has also been providing learning opportunities and psycho-social support to about 350,000 Rohingya children in Teknaf and Ukhiya upazila in Cox's Bazar.

"The project provided a second chance education to children from poorest families, who otherwise would have missed education. About 690,000 children – almost half of them girls – studied in learning centres known as Ananda Schools (schools of joy)," said Syed Rashed Al-Zayed, World Bank team leader for the project.

"Built on the success of Ananda Schools, which played an important role in realising the government's vision of 'education for all,' the project was expanded to cover children in urban slums. To respond to the challenges of Rohingya influx, it provides vocational training to youths in host communities and learning opportunities to Rohingya children in Cox's Bazar."

Ananda Schools were set up in upazilas with high poverty and low enrolment and completion rates. They provided stipends to eligible children to ease the burden on their families and provided free books, stationery, and uniforms.

Results from the project have been positive. About 84% of students from Ananda Schools passed the Primary Education Completion examinations in 2018.

Since schools remained closed due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the project is extended by six months till June 30, 2021, to complete the remaining activities.

The credit from the World Bank's International Development Association has a 30-year term, including a five-year grace period. With this additional financing, the World Bank's contribution to the ROSC II project stands at $161.5 million.

The World Bank was among the first development partners to support Bangladesh following its independence. Since then, the global lender has committed more than $33.5 billion in grants as well as interest-free and concessional credits to the country.