B Mirror Report: Bangladesh is gearing up to implement a major revamp of its primary education system, but securing adequate external financing continues to pose a significant challenge, officials said.

With the ongoing Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP-4) approaching completion in June, the government is moving swiftly to mobilise resources to avoid interruptions to essential education services.

The upcoming fifth phase, PEDP-5, is designed to broaden access, improve quality, and introduce technology-driven reforms. However, rising expenses are putting added pressure on both domestic budgets and foreign funding sources.

The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education aims to obtain around Tk 200 billion in foreign grants for the five-year initiative. Recently, the ministry requested the Economic Relations Division (ERD) to arrange an additional Tk 130 billion in grants, beyond the Tk 70 billion already pledged by development partners.

Officials noted that PEDP-4 included measures such as enhancing learning outcomes, reducing dropout rates, upgrading school facilities, and improving teacher quality. The ministry warned that any delay in launching PEDP-5 could severely disrupt routine primary education activities and have long-term adverse effects.

The Development Project Proposal (DPP) for PEDP-5, submitted in January, estimates the programme cost at Tk 450 billion—Tk 300 billion from government funds and Tk 150 billion from foreign loans and grants. The overall cost is expected to increase further as new initiatives aligned with the government’s election promises are incorporated.

These initiatives include technology-based teaching, the “one teacher, one tablet” programme, free school uniform distribution, digital transformation, and the “one child, one tree” project to promote climate-resilient development.

PEDP-5 has been structured as a more comprehensive and ambitious programme than its predecessor, covering foundational learning, inclusive education, teacher training, school infrastructure expansion, transition from double to single shifts, and support for disadvantaged and special-needs students.

Officials said the DPP is in its final stage and has been forwarded to the Planning Ministry for approval.

Abu Noor Md Shamsuzzaman, Director General of the Directorate of Primary Education, said there is no issue with the revenue budget, but challenges persist in securing foreign grants.

He expressed hope that the external funding would be finalised within the remaining months of PEDP-4 and noted that the ERD is coordinating with development partners to secure commitments.

PEDP-4, launched in 2018 at a total cost of Tk 328.03 billion, is jointly financed by the government and development partners including the World Bank, JICA, ADB, the EU, and UNICEF, which contributed Tk 137.26 billion.