DHAKA: Bangladesh is now eligible to apply for a Program Implementation Grant in the amount of up to US$100 million over three years as the country became the 60th developing country partner of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE).

Primary and Mass Education Ministry, in a pres note on Wednesday, said the country joins the GPE on January 15, with its Third Primary Education Development Program which aims to make the pre-primary and primary education system efficient, inclusive and equitable by delivering child-friendly learning.

The note further said GPE, a Washington DC based organizations that is working on promoting worldwide educational, was one of the top organizations that were working on education around the world.

Education Local Consultative Group (ELCG), a Primary and Mass Education Ministry-led platform of civil society organizations and development-assistant stake holders, played a vital role in achieving the membership with GPE.

The support of development-assistant stake holders and organizations working in the educational sector is very important in achieving the membership.

The Department for International Development (DFID), incumbent co-chairman of ELCG, applied for the membership of Bangladesh in GPE.

Meanwhile, World Bank submitted an evaluative report by Ganasakkharata Ovijan (Campaign for Popular Education), alliance of organizations that work in country’s education sector, to ELCG.

Working with GPE partners based in Bangladesh, the country has articulated its education priorities for the coming years including improving education for 19 million Bangladeshi children through more than 100,000 kindergartens, primary public schools and schools run by civil society organizations.

Congratulating Bangladesh, Chief Executive Officer of GPE Alice Albright said, “We welcome Bangladesh to the Global Partnership for Education. We confirm our commitment to working with the Government and its partners to ensure that all Bangladeshi children receive a quality basic education, including the most marginalized.”

Bangladesh’s Minister of Primary and Mass Education Mostafizur Rahman said, “I am delighted that Bangladesh is now a member of the Global Partnership for Education and look forward to their helping build on the success of providing primary education to all children in Bangladesh.”

“I hope this new partnership will bring meaningful reform in the primary education sector for time to come,” he added.

Bangladesh’s Third Primary Education Development Program 2011-2017 is implemented under the leadership of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education. It lays out a clear roadmap for progress in the education sector going forward.

The development of this program has been supported by the Education Local Consultative Group comprising several ministries, civil society partners and development partners, including the Asian Development Bank, Australian Agency for International Development, Canadian International Development Agency, Department for International Development, European Union, Japan, Swedish International Development Agency, UNICEF, and the World Bank.

The strategic vision of the Primary Education Development Program 2011-2017 includes:

All children acquire expected grade-wise and subject-wise learning outcomes or competencies in the classroom.

All children participate in pre-primary and primary education in all types of schools

Regional and other disparities will be reduced in terms of participation, completion and learning outcomes

The Global Partnership for Education is made up of 60 developing country governments, as well as donor governments, civil society/non-governmental organizations, teacher organizations, international organizations, and private sector organizations and foundations, whose joint mission is to galvanize and coordinate a global effort to provide a good quality education to children, prioritizing the poorest and most vulnerable.

BDST: 1818 HRS, JAN 28, 2015