The UK will help improve the quality of education of 16.5 million children, recruit and train 35,000 new teachers, and construct 30,000 new classrooms, UK’s Secretary of State for International Development Andrew Mitchell announced today in Dhaka. The support will be provided over a period of 5 years up to 2016.

Joining ten other donors to assist the Government of Bangladesh’s Third Primary Education Development Programme, the UK will help Bangladesh achieve universal primary education and gender equality by supporting an inclusive education system for children from pre-primary through primary level.

Mr Mitchell also re-affirmed Britain’s support to the health sector programme in Bangladesh, which will help over 6 million women to give birth safely; 2.4 million pregnant women to have access to antenatal care; and over 16 million children in Bangladesh to be immunised.

The British Government, through the Department for International Development (DFID), is the largest bilateral grant donor in Bangladesh and has recently significantly scaled up the level of support for the country for the next three years.

Speaking after a meeting with the Honourable Finance Minister, Mr Mitchell said:

‘Bangladesh is making some remarkable progress on the Millennium Development Goals.  Enrolment in primary education has reached 96% and gender parity has been achieved.  These are fantastic results.

But learning efficiency, quality and achievement in schools remain low. Only 60% of the children who enrol complete primary education.

I am delighted to announce today Britain’s support for the Government of Bangladesh’s third Primary Education Development Programme, which will deliver effective and relevant child-friendly learning to 16.5 million girls and boys in Bangladesh.   This support will not only improve the quality of education in Bangladesh, but also bring long-term economic benefits’.

Mr Mitchell stressed Britain’s support to the Government of Bangladesh’s education and health sector programmes will be linked to robust results, transparency and value for money.  Over the last 5 years, the UK has already supported more than 460,000 children to complete pre-primary education, and 475,000 out of school children to complete primary education.