The signing ceremony of “Japanese Grant Aid for The Fourth Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP4)”was held at Economic Relations Division (ERD) of Ministry of Finance on December 10, 2018. Mr. Hiroyasu Izumi, Ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh, and Mr. Monowar Ahmed, Secretary of ERD signedExchange of Notes representing respective governments. Mr. Hitoshi Hirata, Chief Representative of JICA Bangladesh Office, also attended the ceremony and signedthe Grant Agreement for the Programme.
Since 2000, Bangladesh has achieved impressive results toward the Education for All targets. PEDP is the singular national development strategic plan for primary education in Bangladesh.Japan has been supporting PEDP in cooperation with other development partners since 2011 under the Sector Wide Approaches (SWAPs).Under PEDP3, a number of activities havebeen implemented. For example, the refined textbooks have been distributed to about25 million students in primary schools. Approximately five hundred thousand teachers have been empowered. More than twenty five thousand classrooms have been built.Regarding PEDP4, it aims to improve the quality of education like improvement of learning achievement.
Japan hasprovided support with a focus on improving the quality of primary education for all.For more than a decade, various approaches composed of policy strengthening, development of textbook and teaching materials, strengthening school management and improvement of teacher’s training, as well as this financing support have been taken. Japan’s approach with a focus on the quality assurance through technical cooperation, Japanese volunteers and policy advisors, makes a good synergy with SWAPs and financing support because those who have been working in the fieldcan provide feedback to policy decision making at national level.
Amount of Grant Assistance: Up to 500 million Japanese Yen