The World Bank (WB) is extending a loan of approximately $30 crore to Bangladesh for the “E-Learning Acceleration in Secondary Education (ELASE)” project. This initiative comes as a response to the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education in Bangladesh. The loan is aimed at supporting the recovery of secondary education in the country.
The project will focus on strengthening mathematics, English, and Bengali education for 6th and 8th-grade students, with the goal of improving math proficiency from 28% to 65% and Bengali proficiency from 66% to 90%. To reduce dropout rates, scholarships will be provided to 8 million students. Additionally, 5,000 institutions will establish anti-sexual harassment and prevention committees, while approximately 7,200 schools will implement programs to enhance learning. Furthermore, 15,000 teachers will receive training to improve their teaching skills, and mental health counseling will be provided. The program will also support digitization of the curriculum during the pandemic and offer blended learning options.